The Shasta courier., 1864-01-30

AAOaSf atiU UuN fOuTStil L
believe in your ability to distinguish yourself
in the country to which you are going by
your skill and science in agriculture. You
will do honor to the family and the name. if
you have fair play and have it you SHALL }"
can get along without this money, Har-
ry, and | do not like to rob you.n
= 1t Is no robbery. 1t is a free gift. Or.
if you are too proud for that, call it lone !;
and when you are perfectly able to do 50
you may repay it."
: But may be shipwrecked-"
: will provide against loss from that
cause. You must take it, James, You are
my only brother could never answer it to
my conscience, if were to allow you to 60
away without providing as amply as can
for your well-being. have enough and
more than enough left for myself"
Thus urged, James received the money,
and, an hour after, left the paternal mansion
forever.
\
Years rolled on. Harry married, had a
fine family of children growing up around
him, and all was going prosperously, when
his easy dlspositlon-his unwillingness to
say, no--led him into series of embarrass
ments which brought him to the brink of
ruin. In consequence of becoming security
for a friend who was engaged in extensive
commercial speculatlons, he was compelled
to sell the fine estate which he had inherited
from his uncle, and take shelter for himself
and his family in the homestead of his father,
now far advanced in life. The decease of
the old man, soon after this event. once more
raised him to competence, by giving him o
second inheritance, James having been
passed over in the final disposition of his
fathers property.
Things now went on prosperously for many
years, and Harry had passed the middle peri
cd of life, when, being engaged one day in
overseeing the workmen ON his farm, he was
surprised by a sudden shower and taking
shelter under tree, he was struck blind and
reduced to premature decrepitude by light
ming. At forty he had the appearance of an
old man. His misfortpnes ended not here
A succession of bad crops ran him deeply in
debt and he found himself once more obliged
to sell his farm in order to satisfy his credi-
tors A kind letter which he had received
some months before from James. determined
him to join his brother in America, and try,
with the few hundred pounds which still re-
manned to him to retrive his fortune in that
distant land.
He accordingly embarked for Philadelphia
with his wife and the two youngest children;
but ill fortune still pursued him. The ship
was wrecked on the coast of New Jersey, and
although the crew and passengers were saved
the trunk which contained his money was
lost and he found himself on a strange
shore in completely destitute condition.
Fortunately, lis good spirits never deserted
him. Although blind and destitute, his cour.
age and fortitude were unabated. He found
shelte; for himself and family in the house
ofa kind hearted farmers and among the few
effects which were saved from the wreck was
enc trunk which contained the same violin
on which he bad be accustomed to play in
the happy days of his youth. When it was
brought to him he grasped it cheerfully, and
exclaimed, with this may vet be enabled
to find my way to my brothers residence
without being dependent upon the hand of
charity" His performance on the instru-
ment was, in fact, so skillful, that the villa
gers, won by his sweet tones, and their SYM
pathy for his misiortunes, got up little con-
cert, which gave him money enough to COM
mence his journey towards the interior of
Pennsylvania, where he hoped to find his
brother. And so he travelled on from town
to town, poor blind fiddler. pitied and re.
lieved indeed, but still very poor and desti
tute, knowing not in the morning where he
should lay his head at night and as full of
anxiety as he was of affection for his suffering
family.
When he arrived at the town from which
James last letter had been dated, he learned,
to his dismay, that his brother had sold his
property there and emigrated to the west
No one could tell in what part of the country
he had settled but he had expressed an in
feptipn IN tuy f.rr in TlIipois CJorl,
and sadly" did poor Harry resume his weary
journey. Days and weeks did be toll on, un.
til at last they told him that he had arrived
in the State of Illinois. But it was a great
State, and he still wandered on, vainly in
quiring after his lost brother, until the hope
Of finding his abode almost died within him.
Towards the close of chill autumn day.
he found himself in the kitchen of large
farm house into which he had been invited,
in order to regale the children with a few
tunes of his violin. 1t was scene of rustic
comfort. A cheerful fire blazed upon the
hearth, to which his little boy FASTENED for
the purpose of warming himself The chill
dren of the farmer danced about the room, in
eager anticipation of the music, till the poor
fiddler had drawn forth his instrument from
its case and began to play, when its full
sounding tones soon stilled the tumult. Two
little girls stood before the performer with
pleased sensation, one with folded hands and
the other with one hand on her lips and the
OF. er holding the reins attached to the little
load of playthings half forgotten behind
her. The elder daughter leaned over the
back of her mothers chair, sheltered by
which the little boy, the wag of the family,
executed a travestie of the fiddler's motions,
with fire shovel and pair of bellows. The
mother he'd upon her lap an infant whose
interest in the music the father endeavored
TO increase by swapping his fingers for easta-
nets. The poor fddler's wife had her infant.
too in her lap, and wretched as her condition
was. she seemed to sympathze in the pleas
ure impaired to the farmers family By her
husbands music, The old farm servant
stood with his back TO the fire. gazing apa-
theticaly upon the whole scene. The group
was subject for a painter.
Hitherto the fiddler had played the national
times of the country-W ashineton ms March.
the Star Spangled Banner, etc.-in compll-
ment TO the supposed taste of his auditors;
but he now began an old fayorite air which
had been the delight of his youthful days
the Yellow haired Laddie. Suddenly. the
;oyful cherruping of the farmer to his little
ones ceased-the castenets we no longer hear
swapping. As the notes of " linked sweet