The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-10-15
The Little Black Fiddle.

ktS 20 ~ S4bSe
| It hung in the garrett, ON one OF the big
mails there. all around 10 the usual lnm-
Der OF an old house-trunk broken
i chairs,a a superannuated chest Of drawers,
q spinning-w wheel, c0bwebs. Years and
years ago, a tramp had been taken in at
1.-THE door In O fainting condition. He lay
Iall day in . stupor, on the settee where
lthey had placed him. aud, moved with
pity and in some slight CONSERVATION as
to what was to become OF him, and them
selves, too, II this stata continued, the
household did what they could for him.
just before dark he began to murmur q
broken jargou Of English and foreign
tongues, and took his little black fiddle
from his side, aud gave it to Mr.. Brooks
With an impressive air as II be bestowed
La kingdom, the children looking on,
Ewide-eyed and open-mouthed. Then be
tdied and nobody ever knew anything
further about him; and the chilaren
Itwanged the fiddle awhile and at last ii
was hung up in the garret, aud there has
been the end Of 1t.
The little fiddle hung forgotten ON its
mail; but the children grew IN strength
and beauty every day and made the
house nearly as lively as the ark must
have beenin all the forty days before il
rested on Ararat. Sometimes the little
fiddle vibrated to their laughter and gave
a faint echo from It's hollow breast, but
it was all the share it had in 1t. What a
sic and Frank and Fred, and the twins
always rolling over each otner, and
chuckling as II that we're the freshest
Joke in the world. They were just as
Icneerful when dozen years had passed,
and the children were becoming men and
women, childish boisterousness was be-
coming high-bred gayety, and the special
talent was developing that belonged, 10
each of them. But the general talent OF
that family was for charity. They had q
genius for it-a genjls, as MIR. Brooks
neighbors used to say, for turning them
selves out OF doors in order to let some
body else in; q little house, but the
largest you ever knew, for it held the
way farer never leaving it unrefreshed,
the sufferer uncontrolled.
1 Yet the means to do SO much were but
limited. MIR. Brooks had but a small in.
come, and Mrs. Brooks found it neces-
sary to count every penny twice over, to
turn and piece and remake, and never
waste a crumb. But when this was
done there was always something lett
for the widow and the fatheriess; and
the moment there was anything to do,
for orth street or the Five Points or
IBorrioboola, Mrs. Brooks door was the
first one raped at. And what vivid
interest it was that was taken through.
out that house in every case that came
up, from the time the bright little heads
could cluster together, the little fingers
hold q needle. the little legs run an er.
rand. You could never see a prettier
sight than those bright heads, those
lgloWing faces, those plying eyes. my
bunch Of blossoms" Mr.. Brooks used to
call them, and say they gave their money
to every bee that yagab0ndized about
them. And by and by, when Belle was
eighteen, and Jessieju turning sixteen,
aud the rest coming on, this same sym,
Ipathy with all suffering was as active as
OF old, and Jessie's lovely face seemed
ieyery day to grow lOvelier with the melt.
ling tenderness she felt TO every one thai
needed gentle word or deed, and when
she sang her songs in the evening the
trait seemed somehow to have strained
litseH through the sweet tones Of Eer
voice. and to make her hearers hearl
respond to it's touch and always ill his
leyes with tears.
sOur JESSIE" the father used to say,
lssoug BIT to have different instruction in
that voice. Ii you hadn't been. such q
iSandemaaian, wife, all your life, we
should have laid by enough to send her
to Italy and have her voice cultivated as
lit should be-"
"WeII, dear. would you throw away
i ali your pleasant memories Of pain re.
lIieyed and all the benefit it has wrought
lin the chiIdren's character, and take il
out in musicF' his wife would ask. II
| should like TO have Jessie's voice attend.
ed TO, but, bless you. it might DO her
more harm than good"
sHarmP said Belle once, as they
talked it tover.
eyes, dear, we all have our vanitIes,
and to nurse ones PRIDE
ssUh, mamma, but to stand up and lift
d thousand people on your voice as II IL
were wings for therni Think OF that
Tor the delight she could give 30 many,
aud then OF the fortune she could make
and the things she could dol We would
lhave the chifdren's hospital"
ssVery tfue,0 sighed Mrs. Brooks.
s.Very true" sished her husband. cit
would take 81. 500 to send Jessie to Italy,
She would be too old to have 1t do hct
voice any good ~ the time could r@.. 50
And just then came In TIE minister's
Ewife to see abQnt the concert she was
lgetting up TOR the ksneft Of the poor De
Maurice Sniidred, Those parents, lately
organist anr soprano In the little church
l-.ere lc~sti In the Destroyer on their way
70 y rope for some purpose, At which
] ic<sncert Jessie was TO sing song, IL she
i could fnd the courage.
.Yoa needn't be afraid, Jessie,o said
the good minister's wife; there's no.
body in the andienee knows note more
music than you do"
4 1flh. but he will--the yiolinist. YOU
know, and Madame Reuter-, if she
comes-p
| .sShe's coming. We're to pay exponses
And she represented the case 10 Signol
lPazzani, and told him they were the
children OF musioians,, and he volun-
teared. II was too good Of himt They're
to stay with me-"
cob, not both Of them, Mrs. King
tones enough, with al your cure. Send
one here,n sald Atrs. Brooks.
swell, SHOULD be glad TO- really III
send the Slgnop. Now. JesYis. etng 'rAt
ihsrp that onoe through yarHs halls,
IIfaf na IL 'Vosi W0f0 mn iho uIanfAfnl. and