The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-12-06

slouching his hat over his eyes, assum.
ed position beside him on the curb.
"'With something of astonishment,
but more of the lscless apathy of despair,
the poor player yielded without re.
mark. And the stranger wiped the
damp mist from the strings, and tuned
the instrument afresh, until at last all
was prepared. Then it fell into the
hollow nf his breast--he raised the mag.
ic stick with triumphant gesture, and
burst Of impetuous harmony came like
a torrent upon the bystanders.
"Ah all the spirit of m,Njc has found
its master genious now 1t quails he.
fore him: il opens its richest harmonies
with the hand of prodigal. AS the
golden shower fell on Danae. falls the
stream of melody at the touch of the
stranger. Like the low wall of an in.
fant's lamentation-like the Joyous laugh
Of an italian azzarone- the sqlE
whisper Of a maiden who tells her love
like the monrnful sigh for one loved
but lost, steal the golden notes from the
Crcmonaa Every passion has found a
voice. every thought of Love, or War;
or Restlessness, or Peace, now flashes
from the stringsin cadences of unearthly
skill.
"And Orpheus has charmed the inani.
mate things Of clay. First one and then
another pause to listen in bewiderment;
and the lew become many, and the poor
musicians hat grows heavy with the
coins that pour in. Little sympathy
had the multitude with his sorrow or
famine, but they pay him now, as they
would successful mountebank, and he
acknowledged 1t with fearful tears.
Suddenly the stranger, who bad
given no symptoms Of surprise at his
success, came to pause. returned
the violin to the player, arrested pub.
lie vehicle that was passing, and notion
ed his companionsto enter. ~ :
Whittier will you lead me now 2
asked the musician, as they hurried
through the crowd
TO Mariana replied the stranger !;
and they drove silently away.
Following. the direction pointed out
by the musician, they threaded devious
tracks throughout the maze of the great
city. And far from the haunIs of
wealth, in narrow, lonely street, where
the darkness was doubly drear, their
conveyance drew up, and the musician
alig!!:ea, followed by the stranger.
"rhey found admission by key
which the tenant produced, and mounted
tile crazy stairs for some distance. At
length, the musician stopped at cham
ber.door. He listened, but was still.
Some anguish shook him some dread
to encounter the misery within, made
him tremblc but, at a signal from the
stranger, he opened the door. and they
stole noiselessly into the apartment.
''It required no second glance TO tell
that it was the chamber of the dying.
There was character about the disar.
ray in which everything was scattered
there was charnel breath in the at
mosplcre that hung around tho lowly
couch, which spoke IN plainest language
Of the grave.
"The musician drew aside the curtains,
81 IiidI VIC hSuL Ol Ilc Iaulp lell upon
the occupant of the bed, revealing
female form Of rarest beauty. The ap
proach of death had reft no charm from
that mathless oonntenance, which SEEM
ed to have gathered mp its lustre in one
expiring flash Of fovelincss; but the long
dark halr streamed in ebony waves
along the pillow, and her eyes were
closed with the exhaustion that succeeds
pain.
She sleeps, said the poor musi.
clan, kneeling beside her; 'and her
dreams are not of this world, for she
seems happy
"As he spoke, burning smile lit up
the wan features of the glrl. The mu.
siciau was so wrapt in his walchfulness
OF her face. that he saw not the agony
which shook the stranger.
Still by her side, the watcher
smoothed lier pillow. and drew together
the wandering trcsses will, cliildlike