Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-12-22

to his custom, seated on the drawing
room sofa, slipping his eau sucre, when
an unusual noise was heard in the cor
ridor. Presently Nicette entered, and
announced that a porter had arrived
with case directed to Signor Paganini
81 don't expect any CASE" said he
'but | suppose he had better bring it
in"
Accordingly, stout porter entered,
bearing good-sized deal box on which
beside the address were the words,
"Fragile, with care" Paganini exam.
ined it with some curiosity, and having
paid the messenger, proceeded to- open
the lid. His long, thin, but extremely
muscular fingers accomplished the task
without difficulty, and the company,
whose curiosity caused them somewhat
to transgress the bounds of good man
ners, crowded around in order to see the
contents Of the box.
The musician first drew out a large
packet enveloped in strong brown paper
and secured with several seals. Having
opened this, second and then third
envelope appeared; and at length the
curious eyes of twenty persons were re-
called with gigantic wooden shoe,
carved out of piece of ash, and almost
large enough to serve for a child's era
die. Bursts of laughter hailed the dis
covery
"Ah !! said Paganini, ga wooden
shoe, l can guess tolerably we'll who has
sent it. Some of these excellent ladies
wish to compare me to child who al.
ways expects presents and 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
company, Paganini withdrew to his own
apartment.
During three days he did not reap.
pear in the drawing-room; Nicette in.
formed the company that he worked
from morning till night with carpenter S
tools. In fact, the musician. whose
hands were wonderfully dextrous in
other things besides violin playing had
fashioned a perfect and sonorous instru-
ment out of the clumsy wooden shoe.
Having enriched it with one silver striog
his work was complete. Next day a
public notice appeared that, on New
Years eve Paganini would give con-
cert in the large hall of the Villa Lutte
tiania. The great master announced
that he would play ten pieces, five on a
violin, and five on wooden shoe, The
price of tickets was fixed at twenty
francs each. Of these only one hun
dred were issued, and it is needless to
add that they were Immediately pur-
chased by the elite of the beau monde,
who, during several months had missed
the pleasure of hearing Paganini. The
appointed evening arrived; the hall,
furnished with comfortable chairs, was
prepared and lighted for the occasion,
elegant equipages were stationed along
the Faubourg Poissonniere, and expec-
tation 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
of 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 violin still preserved somewhat of
its pristine form, and, his whole being
lighted up with enthusiasm, he COM
menced one of those wondrous improvi-
sations which captivated the souls of
his hearers This one represented first
the departure of a 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, accom-
panied by triumph and rejoicing. A
merry peal of wedding bells completed
the musical drama. Long and loud
were the thunders of applause; even
the old ladies who disliked Paganini,
could not refrain from clapping, and
bouquets, thrown by fair and jeweled
hands, fell at the feet of the musician.
In corner of the hall next to the door,
Nicette was weeping bitterly; the sym.
phony of the conscript had gone straight
to her heart At the end of the concert
the receipts were counted they amount
ed to two thousand francs.
"Here, Nicette," said Paganiui "you
lave five hundred francs over the sum
required to purchase substitute. They
will pay your bridegroom's travelling ex-
penses."
Then, after pause, he continued ::
"But you will want something where
with to begin housekeeping. Take this
shoe violin or this wonderful violin shoe
and sell it for your dowry"
Nicette did so, and received from a
rich amateur six thousand francs for
Paganini's wooden SHOE
1t is now, we believe, in the possess
ion OF an English nobleman, who was
formerly British Ambassador at Paris.
ExCHANGE.-One of our bachelor
acquaintance, who is head centre of a
down east paper, and has very pretty
sister, recently wrote to another bache-