Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-06-06

10unQ her 1aGhef poorer than ever be-
fore, and our little woman, to help her
mother, tried to secure clerkship in a |
store, but failed. In great distress, she |
heard of school nine miles from |
Peoria, which was in need of teacher |
Thither she went, on foot, through the
mud and slush. She found the princi-
pal trustee, kind old man, at dinner.
eWhat do you want, my little We
man ?" asked the old farmer, as he
laid down his knife and fork to survey
our little heroine.
81 live in Peoria, sir, and I walked"
What walked, child % interrupted
the old man, in astonishment.
sYes,. sir, and l want to teach your
school"
swell, declare, my child, there are
fifteen applicants; but you're a pretty
girl, and plucky as Julius Cesar. Have
you got your certificate ?v aE
mo, SIR" faltered little Emma.
"Wen, 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 week-w0n the respect of the pa
rents, and the love of the children, and
| in four months took $50 back to her
father, in Peoria, where the large fam
lily soon used it up.
Our heroine, with the assistance of
her father, now gave her first big con-
l cert in Peoria. Quite number of anna
teurS assisted her, Roose's Hall was
filled, the people cheered, and Emma's
father received 800. This was all used
J by her father, mother and sister, except
l$8. With this amount she left her ia
ther and mother struggling at home
and started for Rock Island, to visit a
Young lady friend. She found her
friend absent, and her money dwind-
led to twenty cents. With this she
went to Moline for ten cents, to call
upon a gentleman by the name of
Deer, in whose family her father had
taught music twenty years before. Her
idea was to get up a concert. Mr..
Deer was absent, and Mrs. Deer, a
crotchety faced old woman, was very
cross. She looked insinuatingly at EN-
ma, and said she didn't know what q
pretty young girl wanted of her hus-
S band. Just then Miss Abbott spied the
piano, and asked if she might play. In
: a moment she was warbling a sweet
song. The old woman dropped her
q dishes, wiped her hands on her apron,
and came and looked over her glasses
q in establishment. Just then Mr.. Deer
entered.
= "By Jove, MatiIdal That's darned
mice singing he exclaimed, ''who's
"My name is Abbott" said our hero.
5 inc modestly. my father used tC
teach in your family"
: Thunder, yes-but what are you
doing here?'
: ssWell, pa and ma are very poor, and
l've come here to give a concert, and
want you to help me-"
"All right. You're plucky girl, anC
III help you. You shall have the Con
'e gregational Church, ;" said Mr.. Deer.
= And she did have it. She got hel
bills printed, went round personally
a and announced the concert, up in tht
schools, and the house was crowded
lShe sang with her usual sweetness
lie touching every heart. 1t was warn
might, her concert guitar was out o
-ltune, and the strings broke six time
lduring the evening. The audienc'
ID applauded while she mended them
land laughed, and called her out a dozer
" times. When the concert closed they
wanted her to repeat it, which she did
p, She returned home at the end ofa weef
with $50 in cash, to the astOnishment o
as her poor mother, who held up botf
hands and exclaimed:
iu "Oh, Emma, / hope you haven
been r0bbing somebody" t.
D. Emma was now seventeen. Sh,
started on concert trip through Hin
ois, sending all the money home which
III she did not want to use. On the route
a Chicago opera troupe came up be
u hind, saw her bills, and heard sucl
praises from the people, that they en-
gagged her to sing with them for seven
"a ty-five nights through Michigan, Indi
ana, Iowa and Wisconsin.
Il When her engagement was finished
she started out again. At Grand Ha
ven, Michigan, she got out of money
1.-THE audience came late, but anon
i them railroad man who gave her
4 pass to New York.
Il, Passing through Canada, little En-
ma had bad luck. Many times sh
walked hungry from place to place
and once to raise money she cut off he
hair and sold it. Music was her love
and she forgot every discomfort in th
middle Of her beautiful songs.
er Once she froZe her feet, and san
ds while they ached with the intens
n pain that follows. The applause of th
TO audience overcame hunger, sorrow an
". even the pains of frozen feet.
p- Hearing that Parepa was in Ne
ID York, she forgot her poverty, and 81
ess cut with the one intense desire to hes
tol Parepa sing. On she waited towar
ne the big city. At Lyons, in Wayr
To- olcounty, without money or friends, sh
alstoppod to sing. She had not eaten fc
ny hours, and actually sang when ver
lag faint and hungry. With the proceet
ar she bought good supper, and contil
: ued her way to New York.
1a Little Emma finally reached Ne
~ York alone, and in the night puttir
sn up at a cheap house called the Was
~ tened to the opera, but to her gre
She finally heard Parepa sing IN Stei
in meeting her face to face.
In Her. money giving out, she borrows
OK s15 from a lady in the hotel, and star
IL ed for the West again. Arriving .
nsel Michigan, she advertised three co
OF certs in Monroe, the nights were ba
TX. the idea did nor take, and she lost q
ors her money. Toipay her bill she so
gnt her guitar, but went on, and, hungl
ltn and weary, sang in an iee-cream salot
ow in the next town, making none
enough TO go back and buy it back. !
put Maguokela, Michigan; poor success a
ard tended her again. To pay her bill,
OF gentleman lent her money on her gu
the ar, but just then the old Chicago 0pe
at Troupe telegraphed for her, and 81
Dor once more joined them for seventy-s
MI concerts, the proceeds ofwhich she Sc