Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1856-06-21
Tho Story ofPls.n.

FNNf - a Wv
FIVE fHtiweniy years ago, the wife Of Il
shepherd %. blhpv a -i.sge au0ng The moun,
Ialns OF the Sandman States, gave biuh TO
blind boy, Poor themselves and far from any
OF those means which modern philanthropy
has placed al the service OF blindness, the little
Pieco flor so he was called was allowed TO
roll and tumble, and as he got older, to roam
and saunter about the nlain-side-wOnder.
ing, perhaps, what sort OF a world that was
which he felt about him. and heard so many
talking oi--wondering also, perhaps, why he
was debarred from mingling in all those happy
feelings which the bright sun and blue sky,
aud the mighty mountains aud the glorious
sea seemed TO excite Ia otlers-and wondering
still further, whether the mercilul Creator Of
whom he heard, had not constructed some
other world in which the blind might dwell,
and where they might revel in enioyments as
keen and hcaIhfal as the seeing rejoice at in
tbs.
So wondering aud so dreaming, the little
lad IN due time was taken 10 church, where,
Tor the first time, the rich, solemn harmones
Of the organ pealed upon his ear. We can
picture his overpowering delight and Ostonish.
ment can see him sitting nj frs; IN an attitude
oil peirlied amozement, open-mouthed and
open-eared, drinking in chord after chord as il
rolls its volume Of harmony over the worship.
ers, and so far away through the lofty roof
can see him struggling with an irresistible
emotion, half ecstacy, half terror until the
overpowering feeling of intense thnnkfuness
taking possession of his whole being, the tears
that start from his sightess eyes, and sinking
on the pavement he with his tiny voice pours
forth his large heart Of gratitude to Him who
had made the world of sound for the blind.
Time after time would young Picco steal
into the church, and, crouching in a corner
drink greedily IN the strains OF his beloved
organ. But now new longing is awakened
There is that in him which not only vibrates
in exact pulsation TO the measured harmonies
of the instrument, but longs TO create like
sounds itself, feels and knows it has the power
to do so-oh for somewhat whereop to male
them! But poor blind boy, the son of a shcp-
herd the distance between him and n musical
instrument seems hopeless. Never mind he
will tell the neighbors how he should like to
have anything, the smallest thing that makes
a sound. He will beg and worry until he gets
ohe--and so at last a friend kind to the boy,
l'uSl W iuS III gcUtIuI, IcIllelIlDtItu
HIM al a village fair, and bought him half.
penny whialc-a clumsy little piece of COM
mon white wood, dyed yellow with three holes
This, with compassionate smile he tossed to
the blind boy as he passed him, sprawling in
front of the cottage door; and the boy forth.
with began to make noises which caused his
summary expulsion from the village, which he
was forbidden to approach within hearing dis.
tance during his musical performances.
Lying about, then on the hill sides or under
the shades OF tree, the youth whied away
year after year in developing from his chiId's
whistle-frst, limitations and repetltions of the
strains he had heard; and then original melo:
dies and variations and ornamentations which
he felt springing up within himself with ire
sistable energy.
So lying and so disc6urshe strange music;
a sportsman found him one day last year,
somewhere among the wild passes of the Ap.
pennies, and recognizing al once the marvellous
genius of the young man. lost no time in en-:
terlng into arrangements with him and his
father, by which other ears than those of the
goats should benefit by the marvellous sounds
poured out from his insignificant instrument,
From this time the career Of the Young piper
has been series of triumphs. He began at
Milan in some coaee-houses, and soon attract
ed such crowds that the police interfered. Ex-I
PEELED ignominbnsIy, he returned, however,
speedily in triumph with regular engage.
ment at La Scala. Thunders of applause
greeted him everywhere-eliclted, not merely
by the ingenuity With which he had made a
rough toy into musical instrument, but chief
ly by the indubitable signs of traordinury
genius which his performances display.
AT Rene, Naples, lorenzo and lastly Paris
he has taken the musical world by storm ; and
the Academy of St. Cecilia at Rome has nam
ed him one of their members,