Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-10-26

care" Paganiui examined it with some ou
riosity, and having paid the messenger, pro.
cceded to open the lid His long, thin, but
extremely muscular fingers accomplished this
task without difficulty, and the company,
whose curiosity caused them somewhat to
transgress the bounds of good manners, crowd
ed around in rdor to sec the contents of the
box.
The musician first drew out large packet,
enycloped III strong brown paper, and secured
with several seals, Having opened this
second, and then shird envelope appeared;
and ut length the curious eyes of twenty per
sons we're RECALLED with gigantic wooden siloo,
carved out of piece of ash, and almost large
enough to serve for u child's cradle. Bursts
of laughter hailed the discovery
-" All" said Paganini, /" a wooden shoe
can guess tolerably we'll who has sent it,
Some Of these excellent ladies wish to com
pare me to a child who always expects pres
| ents and never gives any. Well be it 3d.
We will see it we cannot fluid 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 cuse and its con.
tents.
During three days he did not rcappcar in
the drawing room; Nicctte informed the com.
pany that he worked from morning till night
with carpenters tools. In fact, the musician,
whose hands were wondrou,ly flexible and
dcxtrous in other things besides violin play
ing, had fashioned perfect aud sonorous in
strumcnt out of the clumsy wooden shoc-
Having enriched it with one silver string, his
work was complete. Next days public notice
appeared that, on New Years Eve, paganini
would give a concert in the large hall of the
Villa Lutctiana. Tho great master announced
that he would play ten pieces, five on violin,
five on wooden shoe. Tho price of the
tickets were fixed at twenty francs cach or
/ these only one hundred were issued, and it is
needless to add that they were immediately
purchased by the elite of the bcaw monde,
who, during several months. had missed the
| pleasure OF hearing Paganini whcappointed
evening arrived the hall, furnished with
comfortable chairs, was prepared and lighted
for the occasion, elegant ctIupages were ST.,
toned along the Faubourg Puissonere, and
expectation was Oh tip.toc to know what the
announcement respecting the wooden shoe
could possibly mean.
| at length Paganini appeared, smiling. with
every appearance of renewed health, aud on
his tavorite violin played some of those mar.
velous strains which never failed to transport
his auditors to the seventh heaven tt delight
Then he seized tho shoe, which, in its new
guisc of u violin, still preserved somewhat of
pristine form, and his whole being lighted up
with enthusiasm, he commenced one OF those
wondrous improvisutiuns which captivated the
souls of his hearers This one represented
first the departure of conscript, the tears,
the wniiing of his bctrothcd then his stormy
life in the camp, and OH the field of battle,
and finally his return, accompanied by tri
umph and rejoicing. y merry peal of wed
ding completed the musical drama
Long and loud were the thundcrs of applause:
even the old ladies who dislkcd Paganini
could not refrain from c'npPing and bouquets.
feet of the musician In corner Of FIJI 1hs st the
next the door, Nicette was weeping bitterly
the symphony of the conscript had gone
straight tn her heart. At the eud of the CON
cert the receipts wore counted; they amount.
ed to two thousand francs
Here Ncettc," said Faganini, "you have
five hundred francs over the sum required to
purchase substitute; they will pay your
bndegroom's travelling expenses
Then, after pnusc, he continued, 81 But
you will want something whercwith to beuiu
housekeeping. Take this hoc-voin or this
violin shoe, and sell it for your dowry."
Nicette did SO, and received f,nn ii rich
amateur six thousand francs for Paganini's
wooden shoe.
1t is now, we believe, in the possession of
an English noblcman. who was formerly Brit
ish ambassador at Paris
NEVER fret about what you can't help be-
cause it won't do any good Novo. rict about
what you can help because if you can help it
do So When you arc tempted to grumbic
about anything ask yourself, Z" Can | help
this - and if you cant, don't fret; but if
you can, do SO and sec how much bcttor YOU
will feel
A FAST YOUTH in Illinois stole locomo-
tive while the fremen and engineer were ut
lunch, and carried it off about ten miles.
| M hKIN ~ lN