THE RANDALL FAMILY 201
sumption at the age of twenty, possessed the greatest genius of them all, not only in music, but in everything else. Elizabeth, before her marriage to a Southerner (to which her father was never reconciled), was a famous belle and the most brilliant piano-player in the Boston society of that time. Belinda's voice was not powerful, but of ex- quisite quality ; and, whether in playing or in singing, her musical expression was so deep, delicate, and true, that it fascinated and thrilled every listener who was capable of appreciating it. A song from her seemed, indeed, like a voice from the skies. In my boyish evenings, she was so kind as to play and sing to me for hours at a time in the dimly lighted front parlor, while John was showing engrav- ings in the back parlor to his guests ; much as Miss Cann used to play to John James Ridley in the " Newcomes," except that the music was so much finer and the listener's visions so much less gorgeous, though quite as — vision- ary,* Even Anna, the youngest and least trained of the family, played well on the piano, though I do not remember hearing her sing.
John himself had learned to play no instrument, but the whistling with which he sometimes accompanied Belinda's piano was more wonderful than any instrument, and for volume, depth, range, fire, and sweetness, surpassed any bird-music I ever heard. He knew not a little about musical composition, and once, at least, composed a piece for the piano, as an accompaniment for the " Coranach " in "The Lady of the Lake," which extorted admiration from
• Since writing the above, I have stumbled on an old letter of mine of Feb. 21, 1857, which is in place here: "Whenever I am listening to beautiful music, I want to hold my tongue, and hate to hear people exclaiming, 'How charming! How beautiful! How lovely!' and all the other commonplaces in everybody's mouth. That is one reason why I enjoy Belinda Randall's music so intensely ; for she will play to me hour after hour, with- out telling me she has not her notes, is out of practice, etc., but lets me sit still and drink my fill of beauty."
�� �
