Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-02-25

baize wrapper in which carried my
| guitar, and already sounded a gentle trial
cord, which almost frightened me off my
proiect-it was so dreadful actually TO hear
ones self playing as a mendicant-all this
was going ON, and so, too, was my heart,
and my lips and nostrils, even dilating for
breath, when group of young men and
girls coming up the street stopped behind
me-attracted, no doubt by the feeble
trial chords my trembling fingers had
struck. l was standing inside the front
garden gate, which had unlatched, and
the people were, of course, outside; so
that had really nothing to fear on the
score of being recognized. But will it be
| believed? even before such small
audience as had gathered couldn't go on.
| felt could not And not, mind you,
because | had never before played and
sang before people. Quite the contrary
for l had frequently performed as an
amateur, not only at parties and balls, but
even in the concert-room. No; / had
none of the orthodox debutdnts weak.
ness l simply felt powerless to make the
terrible plunge, and actually begin to
perform as a mendicant musician What,
then, did dos for another horror, and
worse one, came over me at that moment.
What if l should be arrested as q vagrant,
now | was in gentleman's grounds |
would have given twenty pounds at the
moment to have been able to turn and
run away-away anywhere. But If had
| gone past the now increased group at the
gate-had gone off without playing, or
in some way making my presence known
to the inmates of the house-might l not
be suspected of being spy for burglars,
or thief myself under the guise of
musician, and followed and arrestedY But
Necessity has a mother Invention. l
pretended that my instrument was out of
order at the pegs; gave a muttered "Cos-
petto ~ or two and, kneeling on one knee
to support my guitar well on the other, l
fidgeted long with it to weary out my
watchers. So away they went, slowly
enough, as 1 thought And L? why fol-
lowed them quickly enough, can tell
you, and never stopped until | had reached
the lonely seal beach, where | sat down on
heap of gravel, and-whats we'll, then,
cried-gasped, or sobbed, or whatever
else you like to call it was going to
say nothing about this part of the bust
ness; but recollecting that in the history
of such narrative as mine, it is best to
say exactly what occurred-no more, and
certainly no less Il confess that 1 fairly
broke down-why, 1 cannot say.
must have sat on that heap of gravel
for more than half an hour reasoning with
myself, and hard battle had in that rea-
soning. AT one time l fairly "jibbed,"
and would have "given the world" as
they say, if it had in earnest rained, as it
had all the evening been threatening to do.
But it did mt rain and before 1 got up l
was glad it did not. And having got
stronger hearted, l determined to see my
adventure out that night, come what might
Retracing my steps, got to one of the
terraces facing the ssea. This, however,
would not suit, because of the long gar
dens in front. Besides, had sense enough
to know that if l chose a spot where sew
eral houses stood together unseparated by
fencing, l could play to them all at once,
and should thus have an equal claim on
the inmates of each. By-andby-for 1
may as we'll confess it, my heart began
dancing about again, and my fingers, too,
trembled, and l loitered dreadtully-I
came in front of three houses in one block,
and without front gardens. There was a
. light in the drawing-room windows of the
middle one, and this l determined would
be the very place for me. 1 stood-O
did mt that shaking of the legs come on
then pulled out my guitar, drew my
sOmbrerO well over my brow, lifted my
coat-collar high on my neck, looked fur
! lively up and down the street to see
whether anybody was coming, and then
) up at the lighted windows, and then, my
instrument having been tuned while sal
on the beach, gave ro'tIGde on the strings
r to see that all was right. My song was tC
} be Neapoltan air, well enough known
l to travelers-"Iote te UogIio ben GSSdi." But
l will it be credited 9-sfter l had played
the prelude, and had actually taken the
I usual preliminary full inspiration, l found
: to my dismay that could not recOllect sc
r much as the first line of my song
"Wait," thought. Courage and in 3
g minute or two, when this horrible dane
ing of the heart ceases somewhat, all will
e be right" So waited bit and though
e hard. But all remained wrong instead o
coming right, for before half minute haC
o passed my down-turned eyes saw the path
!, way suddenly darken, and looking up,
o found the lights in the windows were gon'
away.
r | followed them.
e Here was panic number two. The thirt
+ is the charm, they say, and so it was il
my case. Now, the last panic wasn't near
/" ly so bad as the first, and in one respect
It it did much good, inasmuch as it taugh
me by defeat how to conquer. 1t showe'
Il me, what had not until then suspected
t, that was not certain tonight of beinl
g able to recollect the words of my songs.
have since those days often thought tina
II if had not learned this when l reall,
J. did make my debut should have fatall
collapsed during my search for missin
l. words, and fled in dismay, never to appea
It more in public. Well, as l walked slow
Vi ly towards another street, the terribl
t. words, must do something in order t
Il live" kept, thank Heaven, repeatin
| In Ind ~ frth hau
,e ed my resolves, and fixed my vacillatin
e. courage. BY and by had to give up il
n despair all hope of recalling the words {
c. my Italian aria, so / pitched upon an
IS began repeating to myself the words {
e, that short and delightful song ofNorma'
A. -" Deb con te," which / should hay
lie imagined could sing in my sleep, so fl
miliar was with it. But alas coul
W not get a word farther than Addlgisa
ii What Adalgisa was to do, or why tt
n name was mentioned at all, l could not fl
At the life of me recall So there WI
" an end of that Well, / should
e. sure to know an English song, ar
w as the most commonplace one l coul
n pitch upon, one which my organs of speeC
I ought almost of themselves be able to T
" peat, / settled on annie Laura" By a
u the gods, such was my state of mind, tn
,e even that / couldn't recollect. / assu
% o%f you actually perspired with intensity
w thought concerning these words, plus i
ID tensity of vexation too; but all to I
DO purpose.
ve And now 1 had arrived at the best star
~ of the evening a terrace of six house
up steps, the houses all in one unpsrt'
W block. What was / to do? Sing l cou
IF not. However, little happy forethoug
er had provided for this emergency,-foT
IN thought, or rather accident Before lea
C. ing home / had fancied there might be
n break down somehow, most probably co
K nected with the guitar strings, so / HI
nd put my concert flute into the pocket
sh my alpaca sack, and now, 10 here il w
as to hand, just in the moment of despa
ne Sing couldn't; play might, and theI
,r. upon l screwed my flute together, sa
70 that all Maa right. and having chnsI