The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-20 00:00:00

A COUNTRY CONCERT IN AMERICA.

Being a slave, Tom never was taken into a Free
State; for the same reason his master refused ad-
vantageous offers from European managers. The
highest points North in which his concerts were
given, were Baltimore and the upper Virginia
towns. I heard him some time in 1860. He re-
mained a week or two in the town, playing every
night. The concerts were unique enough. They
were given in a great barn of a room, gaudy with
hot soot, stained frescoes, chandeliers, and walls
splotched with gilt. The audience was large
always; such as a provincial town affords. Not
the purest bench of musical criticism before which
to bring poor Tom. Beaux and belles, siftings of
old country families, whose grandfathers trapped
and traded and married with the Indians—the
savage thickening of whose blood told itself in high
cheek-bones, flashing jewellery, champagne bibbing,
a comprehension of the tom-tom music of schot-
tisches and polkas; money-made men and their
wives, cooped up by respectability ; taking concerts
when they were given in town, taking the
white sulphur or cape may in summer, tak-
ing beef for dinner, taking the pork trade
in winter—toute la vie en programme; the
debris of a town, the roughs, the boys, school-
children. The stage was broad, planked, with a
drop-curtain behind,—subject, the Doge marrying
the sea, I believe; in front, a piano and chair. Pre-
sEntly, Mr. Oliver, a well-natured looking man (one
thought of that), came forward, leading and coaxing
along a little black boy dressed in white linen, a
little black boy somewhat fat and stubborn in
build. Tom was not in a good humour that night ;
the evening before, he had refused to nlayaltogether,
so his master perspired anxiously before he could
get him placed in rule before the audience, and re-
peat his own little speech, which sounded like a
Georgia after dinner gossip. The boy's head, as I
,aid, rested on his back, his mouth wide open con-
stantly ; his great blubber lips and shining teett,
therefore, were all you saw when he faced you. He
required to be petted and bought, like any other
weak-minded child. The cencert was a mixture of
music, whining, coaxing, and promised candy
and cake. He seated himself at last before the
piano, a full half yard distant, stretching out his
arms full length, like an ape clawing for food ; his
feet when not on the pedals twisting incessantly,
he answering some joke of his master's with a loud
" Yha, yhar Nothing indexes the brain like the
laugh; this was idiotic. "Now, Tom, boy, some-
thing we like from Verdi."—Dickens's 411 the Fear
Round.
SHIPPING—THIS DAY.

LONDON, Oct. 20.—Wind this day at noon—South-
Westerly; blowing a strong breeze, with cloudy weather.
Last night there was a very heavy storm of wind and
rain.

PouTsmottnt, Oct. 19.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Her
Majesty's ship Magsera, from St. John's, N. b.

(BY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)

Gn.xv.EsEND, Monday Morning,
Arrived, Oct. 19—Maud.,nom Taganrog, Melina, from
St. Joun's, Newfoundland ; Phoenix, from Alicante;
Viking and Carolina, from Archangel; Rapid, from Wes-
terwick,
Arrived, Oct. 20—Gazehound and Hartatene, from New
York; Uruguay, from Tuticorin; Town of Liverpool, from
Bahia; Volta, from Accra; Priscilla, from New Bedford;
Hortensia, from Konigsberg.
Sailed—Frances, from Cape Town.

DEAL, Monday Morning.
Passed, in tow—Charlotte, schooner, from Oporto, for
London ; with loss of captain, washed overboard.
Anchored—Alfred Passero, from Montevideo, for Ant-
werp; with loss of foretopmast and bowsprit.
The Wellington, for Bombay, and Ambrosine, for New
York, have each lost foremast and bowsprit in collision.
Several collisions have taken place during the night, par-
ticulars at present unknown.
Two vessels sunk at anchor ; names unknown.
The Helen, Capt. Hambling, has lost jibboetn and fore-
topmast through collision, and will go to Ramsgate for
repairs,