American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-06-05

|
I" I'll try" is Roberts nickname now,
| He seems to like the name.
Hearth and Home.
A GREAT MAGICIAN.
BY SYDNEY DAYRE.
GA sToRYI Please -tell-us-.a story,
Aunt Kate; there's just time before we
go to school,"
"What shall it be aboute"
ooh, something wonderful, something
that will make us stare; not about any
thing that's true, but all full of fancies
and entertainments and magicians and
the like"
"Well, sit down."
The little group gathered eagerly
around her and she began:
GA little boy named Herman, whose
parents were very poor, lived in mar
row old street, between high brick walls,
where very little sunshine or fresh breeze
ever came, and flower or tree or even q
blade of grass were things almost UNI
known. Poor little Herman had been
lying for long months on bed of pain
and sickness, and got-up from it with
such crooked little foot, all but bent
out of shape, that it was likely he
would always be lame. When he came
down ON the gloomy street, imping
about on his crutch, the other children
seemed rough and noisy, and he shrank
him, for they were poor, neglected
little set and had little teaching of
what was kind and gentle, but the most
of them pitied the little cripple and
seemed anxious to treat him well. But
he liked best to keep quiet and to listen
to the talk of people older than himself.
Gradually he grew into tn habit of spend
ing much time in the little stall of q poor
old dumb clockmaker, who had moved
Herman's illness. The quiet child would
creep into the open door and sit by the
hour dreamily watching the work of the
old man. Hethought him very strange
person, different from anyone he had
over met with before. He had some
curious old books, with wonderful pict-
ures, also articles of rare and cunning
workmanship, which were great source
of wonder and delight to Herman, 70
whom they were shown at intervals, aga
little iR wheels and tools OOH which lay S5out
the workbench were also each afsepa-
rate curiosity to Herman, who grew to
look up to the silent old nlen with
mingling of great awe and arbitration.
"sI do believe he's megiefan,' he ex-
claimed to himself one day, as he saw
for the first time an old cuckoo clock
wound up and strhck.
"Herman's fathers had frequently
amused him during hi illness with wild,
fanciful stories, and the child had de-
lighted in them. X did not need any
great stretch of fmkgination to believe
the old clockmaker Able to work marvels.
His tall, STOPPING figure, long, white
beard, and ever uAbroken silence were
quite enough to make all his neighbors
think, as they did, that there was some
thing queer about him.
"One morning Herman went to pay his
usual visit and found his old friend in
terested in something aside from his little
wheels and springs. In answer to his
eager inquiries dor the dumb man could
hear and had become so expert in the use
of signs as to make himself pretty well
understood by those who knew him
welD he tried to explain to the boy that
what he held in his hand was to work
some great wonder, which he would
show him. Herman gaZed in great awe
as he took curiously shaped vessel, un-
like any he thad ever seen before. It
looked like neither cup nor saucer, pitch
it adark-copred coarse powder he placed
carefully in it the oddly-shaped black
things he held in his hand. 81:
as What is it for-what will it dor
cried Herman. But the other, by signs,
babe him wait and watch and he should
see And he did watch till he grew i'm
patient. and the old man moistened the
dark substance with a few drops of clear.
colorless liquid. But it was not until
golden wand that the wonder began to
work. Then Herman's eye grew big as
he booked. A slender peint shot up
ward, from which unfOlded two sail-like
wings of the most delicate hue. They
were not silk or satin, or velvet or lace,
but more beautiful than either. Up they
went, and more followed them in quick
succession. Delicate little fingers were
sent out in various directions, which
gently sought out anything which could
give them support, and lovingly twined
themselves around, everywhere followed
and adorned by the delicate-hued wings
which had first appeared. The golden
wand and the crystal drops were freely
applied, and the wonder grew and in
creased, making beautiful everything
around And then a new cnchantment
arose. Following the magical touch of
the golden wand came out countless
number of what seemed like little
green cases. These rapidly heightened
into many -colored spikes, which were
formed of delicate folds. These burst in
great numbers with every new touch of
the wand, till at last the thing was COM
plete; hung all over with cups or bells
of white purple, pink, or crimson
streaked with darker tints or softly
shaded. They were not made of wax,
or crystal, or porcelain, or anything
else you could name; nothing you ever
saw made of these could equal it in
smoothness and beauty of finish.
Herman gazed in rapture. 'Ohp he
cried, lit is lOvelyi it is marvellous! How
did you do it'll Could you ever teach me
to do such a wonderful thing?
"But the dumb man shook his head at
Herman, pointed upward. and then,
clasping his hands, looked rcverently to-
ward heaven.
"sBut who did it, then? What is it?
persisted Herman.
1.-THE man took his pencil and wrote:
" The great God above only can do such
things
at is called-what?" asked Aunt Kate,
looked around upon the faces of her lis
tenefs.
They had been so absorbed in the story
that her question took them by surprise.
: "Why-I don't know" said Harry,
hesitating, az thought 1t was q real story
about magicians you were telling us.
don't know of anything God does that