The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-05-28
Ghe8atdtigsnesr:
STORY OF A GOOD, BRAVE GIRL.
Her Poverty, Struggles, Pluck
and Pinal Triumph.

WITH bouquets and smiles and kind bene.
dlctions thfOnged the City Of Paris TO see
ot young and interesting lady. Many
Of the Bet people IN tho metropolis took
her hand md bid her "God.speed" ScFOsz
the Anantio, and success Of Milan, Italy
Whiib6E che goes 70 perfect herSei 10
ulnsle1nd OpaI8- She went with the 10.
teltlpn 81 returning 10 New York after
two Year. Perhaps PTiHla d0HRd-per.
h1pfauolheF Jenny Lind, for none can
Con Whit Providence has In store
Tot iht iait young singer.
tffle writer did not always 20 70 Ma.
turei and did not found everything he
writes upon the basis Of absolute truth,
you ght, peThspt, doubt the story which
. 0wtell, and which came To me from
the lips Of The same young lady.
u " KPooR Girls gruRY.
Mis- Emma A. Abbott was born in
Chicago about twenty years ago. In 1854
her father, music teacher, took her 10
tho little village Of Peoria in Illinois. The
little child took intense delight In music
She had dreams Of singing in public OF
tho age Of six. When they read 10 her
stories Of actors and singers on the stage,
shG thought they meant coach, and
wondered with iniantile fancy, how they
could throw bouquets into a stage.
From six 10 nine she sang about home,
catching every tune she heard her father
play, md, 10 the surprise OF everybody, be.
gan herself TO play the guitar. She be.
caneso proficient that at the age Of nine
her father, very poor man, chained
down with a large family OF children,
brought her out with her brother George
at O concert at Peoria. Her debut took so
well that her father, a man OF restless
genius, but shiilless and always unfOrtu.
nate, decided to take little Emma on a
concert tour, which he did, keeping her
thus occasionally employed with varied
fortune until she was thirteen years old
At this age she went TO Mount Pulaski
in company with some Peoria children.
While here they wanted her 10 play her
guitar and sing, so she got up concert
"on her own hook" Though wearing
short dresses, she went TO the Pulaski
printing Office, got out her own hand
bills, and then went and posted them
around town. On one Of these bills now
before me says
"Miss Abbott will sing The Merry
Swiss Girl chorus"
The little thing didn't Know what a
chorus meant, but II looked nice, and so
she Ind them put 1t on the bill She
drew quite house, took in 81, and took
il home to her mother. After giving a
concert ut Lincoln, In school house, she
came home again and gave guitar lessons
10 pupils twice rs old rs she was, Mt 20
cents per lesson. She now went TO school,
but her father being too poor to pay her
tuition, the little child.woman borrowed
tue money from friCnd-agreeing TO pay
II after she should become q teacher.
At fifteen, little Emma succeeded in Sc
curing class of twenty poor children,
who came to rccite at her mothers house.
At the same time she sung in the Hebrew
Synagogue kind old Rabbi, Marx
Moses, teaching her to pronounce In He.
brew and German.
The spring Of her sixteenth birthday
found her father poorer than ever before,
aud our little woman, to help her mother,
tried to secure q Clcrkshipin u store, but
failed. In great distress, she heard OF u
school nlno miles from Peoria, which
was In need Of teacher. Thithcr she
went, on foot, through the mud and
slush. She found the principal trustee,
a kind old man, ut dinner.
What do you want, my little woman
aeked the old farmer, as he laid down his
knife and fork to survey our little he.
roine.
~ live in Peoria, sir, and | walked"
what walked, child 2" interrupted
the old man, In establishment
"Yes, sir, and l want TO teach your
school,"
"Well, l declare, my child, there are
fifteen applicants; but your pretty girl,
and plucky as Julius CWsar. Have you
got you certifcate?'
mo, sir" faltered little Emma.
"Well, if you walked nine miles
through the mud and slush, you'll do to
teach school for me. Sit up, and have
some dinner"
Emma commenced the school the next
weekAwon the respect Of the parents
and tho love OF tho children, and in -four
months took 500 back to her father, in
Peoria, where tho large family soon used
1t up.
Our heroine, with the assistance Of her
father, now gave her first big concert in
Peoria. Quite a number Of amateurs us
sisted her, Roose's Hall was filled, the
people cheered, and EmmA's father 70
ceived 800. This was all used by hel
father, mother, and sister, except 50
With this amount she left her father strug
Cling at home and started for Rock lslant
10 visit young lady friend. She iount
her friend absent, and her money dwin
died 10 twenty cents. With thiss wen
to Moline for ten cents 10 call upon gen
tlGman by the name Of Deer, in whOSI
family her father had tEught music twenty
years before. Her idea was to get up /
concert. Mr.. Deer was absent, and Mrs
Deer, a CrotChety.laced old woman, wa
very cross. She looked insinuatingly a
Emma, and said she didn't know what I
pretty young girl wanted Of her husband
Just then Miss Abbott spied the piano
and asked il she might play. In u mo
ment she was warbling sweet song, Tit
old woman dropped her dishes, wiped he
hands on her apron, and came and looked
over her glasses in establishment. Jus
then Mr.. Deer entered.
"By Jove, Matilda That's darned nicl
singing" he exclaimed, "wh0,s dom it?'
MY name is Abbott" said our heroihO
modestlY. my father used to teach ii
your family"
"Thunder, yes-butRhAt are you doiul
hereS"
"Well, pa and ma arc very poor, ant
I've come here 70 give q concert, and
want you to help met
AN right. You're q pluCky girl, ant
I'll help you. You shall have the COngre
gational Church" said Mr.. Deer.
And she did have IL She got her bill
printed, went around personally and an
nouncet inc concert, up 10 the schools
and the house was crowded. She sam
with her usual sweetness, touching ever
heart. i was a warm night, her enncer
s.aalAAn knaa mt nf iiann hnA ~. -