Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-11-07
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7. 1862.

noticed. too, that. however the child's I'm
gers fell on tho keys. cadenees followed,
broken. wandering. yet OF startling beauty
aud pa,hos. The housc'servants, looking
in through the open doors a. the little black
figure pcrched up before tho instrument,
while unknown. wild harmony drifted
through tho evening air, had better con-
eep,ion Of bin. lie was possessed (; some
chOs, spoke through him: which {. lair
enough definition of genius Tor Georgian
slave to ofar.
Mr.. Oliver. as We said, was indulrens.
Tom was allowed 10 have constant access To
the piano; in truth, he could not live with
out IL. when deprived Of music now, actual
physical debility followed tho snawing
Something had found i,s food a, last. No
attempt was made. however, to give him
any scientific musical teaching; nor-l wish
!, distinctly borne in mind-has ho ever re.
ccyed any such instruction.
The planter began to wonder wha, kind
Of a creature tai, was which hs had bought,
lssh aud soul. In what part Of tho un-
slightly baby carcis, had been slowed away
thcso old airs. forgotten by every one else,
and .omo Of them never beard BY the child
but once. but which 10 now reproduced
every note intact. aud with whatever quirk
or quiIli,y % style belonged TO the person
who originally had sung or played them
Stranger s;ill tho harmonies which he had
never heard. had learned from no man. The
sluggish breath Of the old house, beng co.
ehantci, grow into quaint aud delicate
whims Of music. never the same, changing
every day. Never glad uncertain. sad mi.
nors always. veIins the coni,nt Of tho hear
er.-Ono inariiculaic. unanswered question
OF pain ia all. making them one. Even the
vulslre,, listener was troubled. hardly
knowing why.-aow sorry Toms music
was.
Ai last tho time clmc when tho door was
to bo opcncJ. when some listener, not yul.
gar. recognizing the child a, God made him
induced his master 10 remove him from the
plantation. Something ought to bc done
for him iho world oueh; not 10 b. cheated
OF ,hi, pleasure bcsidcs-,hc money that
could b made - Mr.. Oliver. with a
kindly feeling for Tom. proud. too, Of bis
agrccabl, monster which his plantation had
grown. and sensible tha, it va. more iruit.
iul .our'c Of revenue than tobacco fields, ,ei
ou, with ,he. 10Y, literally to Geek their iOS:
tune.
TIE dr,, exhibition Of him was given,
think. IN savannah. Georgia themes ho
was taken TO Charlc,,on. Richmond, to all
the principal ei,ic, aud town, in the south
ern States.
Thu. was in 1858. From ,ha, time until
tho present .on, has lived constantly in open
lite, pci,ed. fe,eI, hi. real ,alen. hcfogged
by exassstaiion, aud - pinptred and eOd
dle4 ,ha, QUO might suppose ,he only par'
pose was 10 corrupt and wear /. out. for
ihelc reasons this ssa,emen, !, purposcly
guarded, restricted IN plain, knnwn facts.
~ sooner hal Tom been broush, before
the public than the rreiensions pa, forward
b. his master commanded ,ho scrutiny oI
both scion,iGc and musical .kepiics. Ills
caplci,is, were subjected to rigorous tests.
Fortunately lor the boy; for, % tried,--
harshly, /, is true. ye, sslIially.-thcy not
only bore the trial. bu, Acknowledged the
touch a. sEillul; every day new powers
were dc'elopsJ, until he reached his limit,
beyond which !, !, not probable he will ever
pass. That limit. however. establishes lin
a. an anomaly in musical science.
Physically, and in animal temperament,
this negro ranks mex, 10 the lowest Guinea
type: with strong appcii'e- AMI cross boii'
" health. except IN one particular, which
will b. mentioned hereiii,r. In the every.
day apparen, Intellect. in reason or jnds
mcn,. no /, bu, ono degree above an IDIOT
incapabls Of comproheniins tho simplest
c0nyersasiOn on ordinary topics. amused OF
enrased with tribes .nch rs would aiIe,t a
child Of three years old. On the other side,
bis affections arc alive, even Vehement. dgli'
cate IN their in.iine, US q dogs or an ia.
iAnl's; hc will de,ee, tho sep OF any one
dear To him in crowd, and burs. into tears,
IL no; kindly spoken to.
lis memory is 50 accurate ,ha, he 70
pel'. without the loss Of syllable. dis
course Of fifteen minutes IN length, OF which
he dos no, understand word. Songs, too,
in French or German, alter single hearing,
he renders not only literally Ia words, bu,
in notes. style. and expression. Ills voice,
however, is discOtdint, and Of small com.
pass.
In music, this boy Of twelve years. born
blind. utterly isnoran, Of u note. i:noran,
Of every phrase OF 20 called musical science,
in,erprets cVory classical composition with a
clcarnes' Of conception in which he eIcels,
and kill in mechanism equal to that oI
our second rate artists. Ills concerts usl-
ally include any themes selected by the au.
disnce from the higher grades Of Italian or
German opera. Ills comprehension Of
the meaning Of music. as prophetic or his
torical voice wbicl, few souls utter and few.
er understand, Is clear and vivid hc rem
ders !, thus, with whatever mastery OF the
mere material par, he may possess lingering.
dramatic effects. etc.; these are but means
20 him. no. an end. ms with the Ycs' OF
,.,;.,s naa c,nld fancy that Tgtn WAS