The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-09-13

the evening service he was there. | saw {
soldier, knew by his bearing, with cruel
hard, grey eyes; and she sang, knew it.
detected tremble and gratitude in the
notes felt she was to suffer-, as has
suffered; not that sang. had no voice
A harsh gutteral sound was all could give
utterance to- | could whistle like a bird
and Gifted and often have lain for hours ii
the shade OF tree and joined the concerts
of the woods.
One dayI was wllistIing, as was my
wont, as went through the street, when
was tapped on the shoulder by IN old man,
the cobbler of the next parish knew him
from his coming to my father for leather oc
casonalIy r.
Sam, wnere did you learn that?"
/ Learn what ?" r.
THAT tune"
| cat church."
| you've good ear, Sam"
"Ive nothing else good, but can whis-
tie anything.
Can you whistle me the Morning
Hymn?'g
did so.
Good, very good Know anything Of
Nothing
Like to?"
''Id give all have in the world to be
able to play anything. My souls full of
music can't sing a note, but | could
play anything if Iwere taught"
| so you shall, Sam, my boy. Come home
with me. Garry these skins, and you shall
begin at once"
l went, home with him, and found he was
one of the best players in the choir Of his
parish, his instrument being the violoncele
| took my first lesson, and from that time
commenced a new life. Evening after eve
ming and sometimes during the day, |
wandered over to his little shop, and while
he sat, stitch, stitch, at the boots and shoes,
played over and over again all the music
could get from the church.
you've beautiful lingering Sam, my
boy, beautiful, and though it does look a
little awkward to see you bowling away
with you left, it makes no difference to you.
You ought to be fine player Sam"
| was enthusiastic, but | was poor;
wanted an instrument of my own, but
had no money. and earned none-l conld
earn none. My parents thought, and, per-
haps rightly, that if they found me food
and clothing, Twas well provided for, and
so for some twelve months | used the old
cobbIers instrument, improving daily 1t
was strange that the limbs and fingers. SO
rigid and stiff for every other impulse,
should, under the Influence of sound. move
with such precision, ease and exactness
''Sam, my boy" says tho cobbler one
day, ''you shall have an instrument and
your father shall buy it for you, or the
whole parish shall cry shame on him
'But he does not know word of this,
said. ~
''Never mind, Sam, my boy, he shall be
glad to know it," and he told me all his
plans
at certain times it was customary for the
choirs of neighboring churches to help each
other, and it was arranged that the choir of
our parish should play and sing on the next
Sunday morning at his parish church, and
he and his choir should come over to our
parish for the evening service.
"And you, Sam, said he, shall take my
place in your church aud please God, you
doas well there as. you've done here, 1t will
be the proudest day | shall know, Sam, my
boy, and your father and mother will say
so, too" II
How practiced, morning, noon and
night, for the great day; the cobbler darky
limited at a prodigy that was to be forth
coming at the festival; and the day itself,
with its eyents-all is as vivid before me as
if it were but yesterday.
The evening came; and there, III the
dimly lit gallery | sat waiting, with my
master beside me-.
Sam, my boy" said my master, SITS
crroot rioly 40 oratfiDcr wary full T,harA'c
the squire and my lady just come in. Keep
your eye on your book and feel what you're
playing, and think you're in the little shop;
I've brought bit of leather to you, " and
he put piece of that black leather that
has a peculap acid scent in front of me-
The scent of it revived me the memory of
the many hours l had spent there came
back to me at once, and l felt as calm as if
| were indeed there. n -s.
She came at last, and service began. Oh,
that night! Shall ever forget the pleas
ures-the wondering looks of the friends
and neighbors who came and found in me,
the despised awkward, left-handed saddler's
apprentice. the prodigy of which they had
heard runors2 Oh, it was glorious The
first few strokes ofIny bow gave me conf
dence, and did well, and knew it, through
the hymn, through the chants, and on the
anthem before the sermon. That was to he
the gem of the evening it was Handel's
then new anthem, 81 know that my Re-
deemer liveth."
i 1t began-harsh, inharmonious, out Of
tune-I know not why or how; but as il
progressed ; one by one the instrument;
ceased and were silent: one by one the
voices died away and were lost, and she
and alone, bound together and driven or
by an irresistible impulse, went through
the anthem one soul, one spirit seemed t.
animate both. The whole congregation
listened breathless as to an angel and she
self-absorbed, and like one in trance sang
filling me with delicious sense of peac'
and exultation, the like of which have
never known since.
, 1t came to an end at last, and with thu
Hast triumphant note l fell forward on The
! deck i'll a swoon.
r When I recovered found myself at hom
-. in my own room, with the rector, the doc
: tor and my parents there, and | heard tn
e doctor say:
Il told you he would, my dear madam
o | knew he would"
''Thank God!" murmured NV mother
: My dear boy, how we have feared for you
What difference | was courted an
b made much of Genius and .,ver
9 clever" and delightful talent slch WEI
y the expressions l now heard instead ,
: stupid" awkward" and unfit for an,
thing"