Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-11-01

Nicette entered, and announced that por-
ter had arrived with case, directed to sig
nor Paganini.
81 don't expect any case" SAID ne
but ] suppose he had better bring 1t In"
Accordingly, q stout porter entered, bear
ING good-sized deal box, on which, beslae
the address. were the words, " Prague acsth
care" Paganini examined it with some GU
riosity. and having paid the messenger, pro-
ceeded to open the lid His long, thin, but
extremely muscular fingers accomplished
this task without difficulty, and the compa-
nv. whose curiosity caused them somewhat
to transgress the bounds of good manners,
crowded around in order to see the contents
of the box.
The Musician first drew. out large pack
81. enyeloped in strong brown paper. and
secured with several seals. Having opened
this. o second, and then third envelope
appeared: and at length the curious eyes Of
twenty persons were RECALLED with gigan-
tic wooden shoe, carved out Of a piece OF
ash, and almost large enough to serve for a
child's cradle. Bursts of laughter followed
this discovery.
"Ahp' said Paganipi, g q wooden shoe.
I can guess tolerabiy we'll who has sent IT..
pare me to child, who always expects pre-
SCENTS, and who never gives any. Well! be
it so. We will see if we cannot find some
method of making this shoe worth Its weight
in gold"
So saying, and scarcely saluting the COM
pany, Paganini withdrew to his own apart
ment, carrying with him the case and its
contents.
During three days he did not reappear in
the drawing room Nicette informed the
company that he worked from morning till
night with carpenters tools. In fact, the
musician, whose hands were wondrously
flexible and dexterous in other things be-
sides violin playing, had fashioned perfect
and sonorous instrument out of the clumsy
wooden shoe. Having enriched it with one
silver string, his work was complete. Next
day public notice appeared, that on New
Years eve Paganini would give concert In
the large hall of the Villa Lutetiana. The
great master announced that he would play
| ten pieces. five on violin, five on wooden
shoe. The price of the tickets was fixed al
| twenty francs each. Of these only one
hundred were issued, and it is needless tc
add that they were Immediately purchased
| by the elite of the beau sqoade, who during
several months had missed the pleasure OF
hearing Paganini. The appointed evenile
arrived: the hall furnished with comforta.
BILE chairs, was prepared and lighted for the
occasion, elegant equipages were stationed
aleng the Faubourg Poissonneire, and ex
pectation was on tip-toe to know what the
announcement respecting the wooden shoe
could possibly mean.
At length Paganini appeared, smiling
with every appearance Of renewed health
and on his favorite violin played some o.
those marvellous strains which never failed
to transport his auditors to the seventh
heaven of delight. Then he. seized the
shoe, which, in its new guise Of ayiolin, still
preserved somewhat Of its pristine form
and his whole being lighted up with enthu
siasm, he commenced one of those won
| drous approximations which captivated the
soul Of his hearers. This one represented
first the departure of q conscript, the tears
the wailing of his betrothed, then his stormy
life in the camp, and on the field of battle,
and finally, his return, accompanied by trl'
umph and rejoicing. A merry peal OF
wedding bells completed the musical drama
Long and loud was the applause; venstha
old ladies who disliked Paganini could
not refrain from clapplng, and bouquets,
thrown by fair and jewelled hsnas, fell at the
feet of the musician. In a corner Of the hall,
next the door, Nicette was weeping bitterly;
the symphony of the conscript had gone
straight to her heart. At the end of the
concert the receipts were counted; they
amounted to two thousand francs.
"Here, Nicette," said Paginini, "you
have Eve hundred francs over the sum re-
quired to purchase a substitute; they will
pay your blidegroom's travelling expenses. .
Then, after pause, he continued, "Rut
you will want something wherewith to be.
gin housekeeping. Take this shoe-violin OF
this violin-shoe, and sellit for your dowry.'
Nicette did so, and received from rich
amateur six thousand francs for Paganini't
wooden shoe.
1t is now, we believe, in the possession Of
an English nobleman, who was formerly
| British Ambassador at Paris
--<e go