The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-02-13
For the Palladium.
HEADQUARTERS MINORS DIVISION,
NE,nahaSfar Ian OF 1864

HEADQUARTERS DIVISION
Winchester. Jan. 81. 1868.
DEAR BEN: Your humble servant has
just lin company with his ColoneD been the
lucky partaker of feast seldom enjoyed by
mortal man. You probably never knew
that had musical talents-1 have-yet l
am not appreciated. Blu, to the point -
This afternoon a special invitation was
handed three Of us 10 call at a certain fine
house on Loudon street. We went-and if
Old Time should reap thousand years. l
will never forget what followed.
The host, it appears. is true Union nad".
aud wishing privately to entertain few OF
his friends, he produced prodigy, the like
of which is seldom Witnessed, or rather lis
tened to. He is the owner of . little negro
girl .eyed--hump- backed - awk ward
and unsightly as humanity can possibly fix
itself up. He introduced her to his guests
as curiosity--and hideous. grin ming Gu
riosity she was A low. fiat, broad bead
close cropped wool---one eye white and
bind-the other crossed and squinting--
Her blue checked and twisted figure half
buried beneath coarse white apron, appear
ed rather as an inhospi,able joke on u.s.
Indistinct visions of the proclamation
arose. but were quickly dispelled when she
took her seat and touched the piano. She
ratified over the keys with q kind Of super
natural familiarity. and looked half inquir-
ingly and half scared at her master. He
apologized by saying that he would apollo.
gize at ten O'Clock. and then told the " what
is it" to play the i" Marseilles." With the
last syllable the room was filled with .
sound little supposed existed. Note fol-
lowed note in measure SO slow. SO plaintive,
so wild, SO burning, SO unearthly: her
crooked form seemed to writhe the instru-
ment seemed 6lled--the room WAS filled
aoe were filled-and why or with what. we
could not desc ribe faith, hope and patriot
ism struggled-tears. love--then wild re-
joicing-now fervent prayer--then wild
! hallelujahs. Poor girl her slender frame
was the picture Of idiotic inspiration-and
we felt it.
Her master stated that she could not read
. note of music, and that she had caught it
from hearing her mistress while the family
were at their meals or absent, she stole to
the parlor, as a victim of fascina alton. Hav-
ing learned the gsmut she initiated the
most difficult pieces. She was an idiot with
one faculty.
After an hours conversation in learning
the history of the strange creature, we sud-
denly noticed her working IS in q spasm.
Her sightless and squirting balls square to
the ceiling--her hands playing along the
scale-her whole frame jerking as she
sprang from strain to strain. She composed
as she went repetition nor measure did she
employ; but with her within the low, melt.
ing ensreaty, the wringing anguish, the
plaintive lamentation, and, at times, the en-
chanted air seemed almost void Of sound
yet the feeble cry thrilled around. through
our hearts. We listened 10 spell bound ST.
lence for An hour that seemed an age. By
de- rees it changed to wild, unclaimed Joy.
She fairly skipped on the stool-her talon
fingers danced from key to key-a vague
unearthly grin covered her face-the stool
was pushed back-with one foot on the
pedal that gave the instrument its full tone.
she hoped a wrapped. unconscious time to
her own impromptu composition with the
other. Oh. how it relieved us-the hard
throat ache gradually gave way as the poor
creature failed in strength. Her master
finally seized her and carried her carefully
out of the room. Returning, he told US that
SIZE would fall in spasms if left to her will
at the instrument. and that she would be
stupid all the next day from the effects Of
what we had seen and listened to.
Barnum with Jenny Lind, Joyce Heath,
wooly horse or Tom Thumb are eclipsed.
outdone. and would be undoDe if some other
Snowman could induce the owner of this !
nondescript to part with her. Being the |
possessor of wealth, money won't tempt
him to surrender wha; he thinks his guard |
ianship.
Yours truly, w. @. s.