Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-10-06

Responding. Never having been bred to q
profession. and utterly ignorant Of mercan-
tile pursuits, he sought in vain for some &C.
cupation which would contribute towards his
support. The times we're never so bad
money never so scarce-and all the avenues
of employment never so crowded. In the
midst of his ~perplexity, and as his pecuniary
means we're rapidly diminishing, a scheme
presented itself, at which on its first consid.
Grafton, his pride took the alarm. Ther re
was one accomplishment, in which he had
gained a mastery proficiency /; and this was
singing. With a fine tenor voice, he had
practised unremiuingly, and studied music
with a genuine enthusiasm. After hearinghim
one evening, old Mr.. Messenger had thrown
out the remark, that Volney might make his
fortune in the concert room. The SUCCESS
ton, though at first rather superciliously re-
ceived, weighed upon Volney's mind, and
at length he ventured TO break the subject TO
Charlotte. She at once caught at the pro-
position and urged it with all her eloquence.
But my dear Charlotte said Volney,
{ what will the world say to my appearing in
public as a singer? What will our relatives
say Will they not charge me with disgra-
cling the famiIyr
IF you fall replied his wife, : they will
undoubtedly do 80. But success consecrates
even crimes. How much more then will it
consecrate a really honorable action Sup.
pose an event which l neither anticipate nor
desire-suppose that you should by this step
recover your fortune, do you not believe that
you could whistle your fashionable trencher
friends about you again, even as the hunts
man whistles his hounds?'
Right, my dear Charlotte but is there
not something at war with the nice feelings
of a gentleman in this public exhibition of
ones powers =
'The world may have attached a preju-
dice to it-but looking at the matter inde-
pendently and unconventionally, why should
the public singer feel himself degraded any
more than the public orator, the public advo-
cate, the public preacher? Do they not all
exhibit their powers publicly for pay Are
they not all as amenable to public criticism ?
Nay, are they not often compelled TO truckle
to the narrow creeds, political or sectarian,
OF their audiences, in opposition to their own
more liberal and enlightened viewsT
you have prevailed, Charlotte. | will
try my fortune at the great concert at the
City Hall, next Wednesday,
Volney's success was sufficiently enconra-
glng to induce HIM to persevere independents
y in the career, for which his tastes and pas
studies had so well fitted him. His labors
were often arduous and exhausting. but he
derived from them all he had hoped, an in.
come sufficient for his wants.
AS he had anticipated, his good friends
and relatives were greatly scandalized by
the step. Although they would not collect.
lively have subscribed a sixpcnce to save hin
from the alms-house, they seemed to fee
themselves authorized TO talk Indignantly, a.
if he had aggrieved them personally by hi.
efforts to procure, by the exercise of his tai.
ents, an honest living. They resolved &c
cut both him and Charlotte henceforward
when they might meet in the street. There
was one exception in Mr.. Sneally, Volney'.
step-father, who said /: You have done Jus,
what you ought to, Vol, my dear boy. Any
thing for an honest living, say |. Don't mine
what the old maids say about il. Be sure
that no crime you can commit is so great in
their eyes as that of poverty. And you car
any time get absoution from them for any
offences you may commit, by appearing in
Broadway in yonr own COACH
Perhaps Mr.. Sneally's remarks were no,
wholly disinteresled, for he had feared that
Volney would have been obliged to fall back
upon his mother for the wherewilhal TO SUBJ
sist.
Three years Elected by, and no intelli.
gence had been received of Mr.. Queer since
his mysterious and abrupt disappearance
On a mild, starry evening in May, Volney
and his wife, with a few friends, were seated
in their neat but plainly furnished parlor, to
hear the tones of "A new piano, which had re-
Gently been purchased and conveyed home.
There we're the Messengers, the old man in
Guided, who, in his yellow gloves and mi
raculously preserved blue coat, compliment.
ed the ladies, and cried bravo = after eve
ry song. And then there was the little de-.
formed woman, Miss TwilIet, who seemed to
DO quite at home, and on familiar terms with
every body. A Mr.. Winsole, a young law
yer without clients, whose sole revenue was
his : good Spirits seemed DESTROYS of persna-
ding Mary Messenger to share with him his
poverty.
Occasionally Charlotte would fit out OF
the room, be absent three or four minutes
and then %re-appear. 1t was TO watch over
the slumhers of a miniature Charlotte, who
was sleeping in the adjoining room.
Volney and Susan Messenger had just
completed a duet, and the father of the lat
ter was calculating 8 Bravo i as he had been
wont to do at the opera in Paris, some years
before the restoration ofthe Bourbons-when
the door was thrown open, and IN walked Mr..
Queer, looking as bold and self possessed as
if he had never been guilty of defalcation
in his life. On he walked into the middle of
the room. and then pounding the floor en-
phatically with his cane, took of his hat and
exclaimed: Good people all, | am your ve-
ry humble servant
'Mr. Queer! Is it possibler cried Charlotte.
Yes, my dear little woman. Your old
guardian has come back. Can you forgive
HIM for running away with yonr fortuner
with all my heart replied Charlotte ;
and then checking herself, she looked en-
quiringly at her husband.
The frown which had been gradually gath
a.:nu ~, h;s hrnv, von;chod nj onco ae tuk