Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-10-07
The CORNET.A.PISTON.


Translated from the French for Lippincott s
Magazine.
Master Basil, play us little tune; we
! PANT to dance"
Yes, yes, Master Basil, play the cor
for usn soITF e44.1e fal
Joaquin studies music; go fetch Joa-
! uin's cornet for Master Basil"
Yes, do; that is right. Will you play
|omething for us, Master Basil?"
No my children"
Why no?" ~ ~
say no'
And why?n
| do not know how to play"
You do not know howl Oh, what a
! pOcrite! You want to be begged"
Pooh pooh We know very well that
. 0l were tirst-rate musician in the regi-
ant and that up to this time no one has
F played the cornet-apiston like YOU
And that You played before the
3urtn
And that you have pension"
Come, Master Basilv
Well, YES, ii is true / did play the
|pnetA piston--I was even a ra7tuoso, as
! ou call it nowadays-but it is also true
lat fifteen years or more ago made a
PRESENT of my instrument to a poor man
| nd since then | have not even hummed a
'Ne.n
What pity such a great musicianp'
But this evening you will play, won't
u! Here in the country anything is
owable."
To-day especially-my birthday"
Brayol bravo! here is the instrument"
Yes, play US waltz. y
No, polka"
4 polka! not at ala fandaugo."
les, yes, a fandango, the national
nee"
/ am very sorry, my children, l can
play"
You are generally so amiabler'
50 obligingr'
! ltis your dear grandson asking you"
ana your grandniece.'
Let me be, in the name of Almighty
q, tell you that l do not play"
But why so?''
because | have made a vow not to-"
10 whom?"
10 myselt-to one who has gone-to
" poor mother, my child"
At these words, spoken in a faltering
De- veil ofsadness suddenly covered all
face, present
On, If you but knew what il cost me
earn music!n continued the old man
lie story! the storyl" shouted the
ing people" tell us the storym
IL Is IN fact quite story Listen,
H., said Master Basil. And sitting
wa under tree, whilst a crowd of curl
Young heads formed circle around
l he related in these words how h had
4led The cornet-a- piston. tits thus that
4ePpa, Lord Byron's hero, likewise
wa under tree, related one evening to
a. .rN MI. the terrible story OF his rid
t'son. But let Us listen to Master
II VIII soon be twenty-three years
SPAN was prey to civil war. Don
Jus and Isabella were contending for
N''"n, and the Spaniards, divided into
camps, she'd their blood in this
"l9al struggle. | had a friend, a
-..Aant OF chasseurs, in the same
anon as myself, the most able man
ever known We had been brought
'-e,ler-tOgether we had graduated
- college. A thousand times had we
upon the same battlefield, fighting
ly side, and we both wished to die in
-0se 81 freedom He was even, il
Please, more liberal than 1.
.4'orjunately, my friend Raymond
-,s victim OF an injustice, Of an abuse
.-.12Ilty-of one OF those arbitrary
AeImcs committed by high officers
army which outrage the more hon
men OF this noble profession. From
-o.nen' the officer resolved 10 aban-
ais soldiers, the friend to leave his
.Ae liberal TO 60 over to the rebels,
9r'lnate to kill his Colonel. To
lug Father himself Raymond would
a.. forgiven an injustice. a
~ NY entreaties were useless to dis
.A IRON his project. 1t was set
Lc would change the sbaL0 for
sll-he who nevertheless mortally
--4 Tie Ca,iists.