Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-08-25


THE Fun OLE PLAYING THE PIANO FOR
SULTAN.-One Donizetti, a nephew of the
composer and pianist to the late Abdul Aziz,
has come home to Paris, and describes his
experience You are summoned at eight
o'clock in the morning to play for three
hours. You must be in full uniform you
wait for seven hours in an elegant gallery,
where you are forbidden to sit down. From
time to time they come to tell you what is
going on in his majesty's apartment. "His
highness is going to arise" The moment
you hear this, you must PROSTATE yourself.
His highness is going to the bath" Again
you PROSTATE yourself "IIis highness is
dressing" You PROSTATE yourself low err
than ever And so the intelligence contin.
ues, until you are wearied beyond endurance
and the sultan is finally ready. Then an
immense grand piano is brought in without
its legs for the floor of the gallery is pre-
cious mosaic Of the rarest woods, and must
not bear the weight of the piano even. The
immense instrument is placed on the backs
Of five wretched Turks suitably placed on
their hands and knees. But" say you, 81
cannot play on ive-Turk piano" Suppos.
ing that you complain that the instrument is
not level, they carefully place a cushion
under the knees Of the smallest Turk, and
tell you to proceed, without suspecting the
sentiment oil humanity that has occasioned
the delay. The sultan appears aud after
all manner OF prostrations, you ask for n
chair. There is none; no one ever sits in
the presence of the sultan. You protest you
cannot play unless you sit, and the sultan
orders chair to be produced. You play
for an hour or SO, and, after the sultan has
watched the effect on his followers until he
is weary, he rudely thrusts you aside and
takes your place. The eunuchs and the
rest awake and applaud his discords with
rapturous EXPLANATIONS, and after he has
amused himself thus until he is satisfied OF
the superiority Of his music over yours, you
are dismissed. And this is to be pianist to
| the sultan.
The Baltimore Gazettes remarkable story
that Sitting Bull was formerly cadet at
West Point appears to be confirmed by this
little narrative. When Sitting Bull first en-,
tered the academy he had long, shaggy hair
and patches Of beard on his face. Some oil
the cadets put up job on him to this effect
Ono of them asked him sterny why he had
not had his hair cut and his face shaven ac-
cording to regulation. He said he did moi
know of the regulation. He was thereupon
ordered to go to the barber.shop and be
shoared. He was directed to the room o.
Ambrose Burnside and Harry Helh, who
have since become well known to fame
Heth was busy strapping a razor, and Burn
side had towel on for an apron. Sitting
Bull was informed that this was the barber
shop and he was promptly seated in the op
Grating chair. One side Of the head wal
closely cropped aud one side of the face
shaver when the drum beat. Bison, or Sit
ting Bull, was informed that they were OBJ
liged to quit work when the drum beat, AND
he was sent forth. OF course he was soor
halted by the guard. "Who are YOU
asked the guard. "Im a new cadet" "Why
are you going about in that condition 2
1.-The barber told me he couldn't shave afte
eight o'clock" "What barber2" "In tina
room there" pointing to the abode of tn
wicked cadets. "Oh, it was there, was it
[Come with me-" The officer of the guar
enters and finds the amateur BARRIERS still il
costume. "Mr. Burnside, did you hal
shave this cadet?' Yes, SIR" "Well, fnisl
your work, sir" whercupon Sitting Bull sa
down and Gen. Ambrose Burnside shave,
him.