Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-10-24
That is what [ will try to do mother

one day, and found that he could get
neat little house and garden for two thous-
and guldens. That was large sum for
those poor students to think of paying
but through the influence of Ernest, the
other three gradually became convinced
that it was their duty to keep their prom
Use, The four resolved, that in one year
from the time the pledge was made the old
man should have his house and garden, if
it was in their power to get it for him.
They must leave the University sad
proceeding for them. They came to con-
clusion to go through the country, and
give little concerts for really this appear
ed to them to be the only way possible to
gain any money. Even by pursuing this
course, there appeared to be poor pros
pect of getting large sum- Still they
resolved to do their best. They closed
their books, put their instruments in little
bags, and set out on foot, to give concerts
in the villages through which they might
pass. Ernest, before leaving, exacted
promise Of the man who owned the house
and lot which he had looked at, that he
would not sell it under six months, to any
body and that if he would promise to take
it at the end Of that time, he might have
it, though the money need not be paid I'm.
der year. Week after week passed by,
and the students slowly proceeded on their
way. Their expenses were not heavy, but
their income was certainly very small too.
Nine months and half passed by, and
still they had but about seven hundred
guldens. 1t was great question with
them, how the remaining thirteen hundred
could be raised. They were spending one
day at country town; and a nobleman,
living in large castle, a few miles dis
tant, was seeking musicians to attend the
wedding of his daughter, who was to be
married in three or four days. Fortunately
enough for the students, the nobleman en-
ployed them for the occasion The marriage
ceremonies took place, and by and by, it
was time for the music to begin. The
students had trained themselves very care
fully for that evening and their selections
were certainly of very high order. Dur
ing the course Of the festivities, it was no.
ticed that the nobleman became very sad
His face wore a melancholy appearance,
and those who stood nearest to him saw
him weeping. What could have caused
him to be melancholy at such time as
clans had played, was his mothers favor
tie melody. She had often sung it to him,
many years ago, and he ia3 not heard it
since, until the students played it. It was
enough to make him sorrowful; and it
drew those students to his heart in such a
way that he could not express his feelings.
They had recalled to his memory, a piece
of music which he had never been able to
find in any music store, and which it was
now worth fortune for him to hear.
/ must now make my story short. The
noblelnan kept the four students in his
castle two weeks; became acquainted with
them very fully, and learned their object
in leaving the University to give concerts.
He supplied them with three thousand
guldens; and told them he would pay
their expenses at the University for four
years, and that they might have the priv
ilege Of making drafts on him at any time
Their fortune was better than they had
reason to expect Ernest had already writ
ten to the owner Of the house and garden
that he might expect them to take it; so
that it was now engaged.
The students returned to the University,
and reached there just few weeks before
the end of the year, when the house must
be ready for the owner On the evening
of the day when the old man promised to
appear, he stood below the window in the
bright winter moonlight, playing on his
old violin He was true to his word and
expected the promise to be kept. The
young men went down to invite him up,
and told him all that they had done. They
showed him the deed for the place, and
gave it to him. On the following day, he
formally took possession of it; and they
supplied it with furniture and groceries
for housekeeping
The young men felt that they were am
ply repaid for their faithfulness to their
word, by the gratitude and JOY of the old
man. But they were not only repaid in
feelings they were more than repaid even
in money.
Fourteen years after that time, that
place came into their possession for that
old man had died, and bequeathed it to
them in his will. That part of the town
rose suddenly in value Many things con-
tributed to it's increased value, which I will
not now enumerate. 1t is enough to say,
that seventeen years from the time the four
students gave the deed of that house and
garden to the old musician, the same prop
erty which had cost two thousand guldens,
was worth eighty thousand. The students,
therefore, were not merely repaid in heart,
but also in money. They had kept their
word; and the memory of being faithful
to their word, even to the poor OLD man
who had no power to compel them to be
true to it, was a pleasant memory, as long
ac thau livad