A Stamp of Harmony

I noticed an old brass letterpress stamp resting upright beside a stack of cream stationery on the secretary desk. The metal block was delightfully cool and weighted in my hands. Tilting it gently, I saw a delicate musical eighth note carved into its flat face. Resting beside it was a tiny square ink pad in deep plum violet. Grasping the stamp with both hands, I firmly pressed its carved face into the cushiony sponge. Then, bracing my feet on the desk blotter, I pressed it down onto a clean sheet of heavy cardstock. Lifting the brass away revealed a crisp, velvet-smooth note pressed into the paper, like signing off on a private score.