The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-06-08
R RICHMOND,

ooAi W pay VIZ gum. OAO w
came 60 proficient that at the age
OF nine her father, a very poor
man, chained down with alarge fam
tly of childes, brought her out
with her brother Gsorge at q ICON
cetr in Peoria. Her debut took SO
we'll that her father, q man of rest
genius. but shiftless aud n lways
unfortunate, decided 70 take little
Emma on = concert tour, which he
did keeping her thus occasionally
employed with varied fortune uns
til she was thirteen years old AT
this age she went to Mount Polaski
in company with, some Peoria
children While here they wanted
her to play her guitar and sing, so
shc got up . concert 'on her own
hook Though wearing short dress-
es. she went to the Pulaski print
ing ONCE. got out her own hand
bills. and then vent and posted
them aroand town. On one OF
these bills now before ne it says
tMiss Abbott will sing The Mer
~ Swiss Girl chorus.
The little thing didn't know
what . chorus meant, but it looked
nice. and 20 she had them put it on
the bill. She drew quite . house,
took iu 81 and, took It hoaie to her
mother. Alter giving . concert at
Lincoln, in. . school house, she
came home again, and gave guitar
lessons TO pupils twice % old as shc
was, at twenty cents per lesson.
She now went to school, but her
father being too poor to pay her
tuition the little child woman bor-
rowed the money from . friend
agreeing to pay it when she be-
come teacher. a..
At Is, little Emma succeeded in
securing q class of twenty poor
children, who came TO recitea at her
mether's house. At the time she
sang in the Hebrew Synagouge-a
Kind old rabbi, Marx Moses. teach.
! ing her 10 proroancc in Hebrew
and German.
/ The spring Of her sixteenth birth
day found her father poorer than
ever before, and our little woman
to help her mother, tried to secure
clerkship in a store, but failed.
In great distress. she heard of q
school nine miles from Peoria.
which Was in need Of q teacher.
Thither she went on foot, through
| tho mud and slush. She found the
| tpaircipal trustee, . kind old man,
at dinner.
What do you want, my little
woman asked the old farmer. as
he laid down his knife and fork to
survey our little heroine.
Il i live in Peoria sir, and I walk
ed
What Walked. child7' inter-
: rufted the old man in astonish-
ment - ~ A
Yes sir, and l want to teach
your school
Well, / declare. my child there
ale fifteen applicants, but you're Q
pretty girl, and plucky as Julius
Cesar. Have you got your Ger.
!. tificate ? -
No sir, faltered little Emma.
al Well il you have walked nine
miles through the mud and slusl
y you'll do to teach school, for me
Sit up and have some dinner.
e Emma commenced the schoo
next week-won the respect of th,
!, parents and the love Of the children
!" and in four months took $50 bacl
to her mother in Peoris, where th,
large family soon used it up.
). Our heroine, with the sssisstanc
of her father, now gave her fire
70 big concert in reoria. Quite
number Of smateurs assisted her
Roose's Hall Was filled, the peopl
ID cheered, and Emma's fsther re
3 ceived 800. This was all Suset
!" by her father, mother and sister.
except 50 With this amount sh
~ left her father struggling at hom
and started for Rock Island to visi
" young lady friend. She foun,
her friend absent, and her none,
dsindled TO twenty cents. Wit
- this she went to Moline for tel
d cents 10 cali upon . gentlemss b,
the name Of Deer in whose famil,
her father had taught music twent
years before. Her ides Was to ge
up . concert. Mr.. Deer was ab
II sent, and Mrs. Deer q crotchety
. faced old women, was very cross
d She looked insinuatingly 1t Emm
e and said she didn't know what
e pretty young girl wanted of he
L husband. just then Mise Abbot
l. spied the piano and asked il sh
II might play. In . moment she wa
% warbling y sweet song. The oil
70 lady dorpped her dishes. wiped he
+ hands on her apron. And came ou
( and looked over her glasses
10 astonishmeni. just thea Mr. Dee
y entered.
It BY Joye Matiidai That's darne
le nice singing, he exclaimed. who
doin' III
% MY name il abbott, said ou
:. heroine modestly. Ny father use
of to teach In your family.
., Thunder. yes-but what are 20
L, doing here2
,e Well pa and ma are very poo
and ] have come here to give
concert, and want you to hel
me.
m All right. You are q plucky q
o, and l will help you. You shs
ic have the Congl egationai Churcl
u said Mr.. Deer.
lie And she did have IL. She o,