The Ottawa free trader., 1876-07-01


put on the bill She drew quite house
took in $l0 and took 81 home to her mother
Her father now becoming sick and discouT
aged, little Emma went down to Lincoln
sang in school house, and then came hom
to give guitar lessons, at twenty cents. pc
lesson, to pay her own tuition Ia pTlVat
school, At fifteen little Emma secured
class of twenty poor children, who came ''
recite at her mothers house On SUNDAY
she sang in The Hebrew synagogue-a kin'
old rabbi, Marx Moses, teaching her to pro
nounce in Hebrew and German.
The spring of Emma's sixteenth birthday
found her father poorer than ever before, ant
the little woman, TO help her mother, tried tc
secure clerkshIp in store, but failed: She
saw her father sick and discouraged, hei
mother sick, and brothers and sisters hungry
In the midst of her great distress she heard
of school nine miles from Peoria whlc1
needed teacher. Thther she went on foot
tbrouph the mud and s!ush. She found the
principal trustee, very kind old man, al
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.
III live in Peoria, sir, and I've walked -
what! walked, child? w-a-lk.e.d! inter
rupted the old man, in astonlshment.
"Yes, sir; and want 10 teach your district
school,"
"Well, declare. But, my child, there are
fifteen applications in ahead of yours"
"But don't think any of them need 1t as
bad rs l do" said Emma.
mo, and you are the smartestlookin one
In the Who'll. lot, and as plucky as Julius
Cesar. Have you got your certifcatey"
"No, sir" faltered Emma.
"Well, my girl, if you've walked nine miles
through this mud and slush you'll do to
teach school for me. Sit up and have some
dinner
Emma began the school the next week,
won the respect Of the parents and the love
oftho children, and in four months took $40
back to her mother in Peoria.
After school closed, Emma, assisted by
her father, gave her first large concert in
Peoria. Quite number of amateurs assisted
her Kouse hall was filled, the people cheer
ed, and her poor father and mother received
Sl0O This was all used by her father and
mother except 49, With this amount in her
hand, she left her father sick at home and
started for Rock Island, to visit young lady
friend who thought she might get up con-
cert in Rock Island. She found her young
ady friend absent and her money dwindled
20 twenty cents.
"What shall do:" she said to herself, al
nos: disheartened. Then a new thought
seized her She remembered her father had
)nce taught music in family of the name of
Deer, who lived over the Mississippi river in
Moline.
"Mr Deer will surely help me-" she said,
and will get up a concert there"
Ten cents took Emma to Moline, but Mr.. /
Deer was absent. MIS-. Deer, Il crotchety.
aced old woman, was very cross. She look
d insinuatingly at Emma, and said
~ don't know what pretty young woman
ike you wants of my husband. l guess he
ain't got no time to fool away getting up
oncerts'
Just then Miss Abbott spied the piano, and
sked II she might play something. In mo-
lent she was warbling q sweet song. The
Id woman listened, then dropped her dishes,
'iped her hands on her apron, and came and
Doked over her glasses in astonlshment. Just
hen Mr.. Deer entered.
"By Jove, Matilda, that's nice singing, "
&c exclaimed. "Who's adoin' it?
"My name is Emma--Emma Abbott, sir
father used to teach"
"'rhunder, yes! | remember Mr. Abbott;
ut what are you doing here? What"
"Well, pa and ma are very poor now, and
we come here to see If you'd help me get up
concert"
"Help you Why, Of course l will. You
hall have our church. You are brave girl,
nd we'll get you up a big house."
And she did have it. She got her bills
rinted, went around personally and aHnounc-
4 the concert IN the schools, and the house
las crowded. ,
The next Hght Miss Abbott sang again, and {
I the end of week she returned to Peoria
'ith $50 in cash. When she showed her
loney, her astonished mother held mp her {
ands, and, with joy and sadness in strange I
exclaimed: t
"Oh, Emma, hope you haven't been rob S
ing somebody's"
Little Emma was now past sixteen years '
Id. She saw her father and mother getting 9
oorer every day. She knew she had talents, S
Ut she had no one 10 bring them out Her t
Ither was too feeble to help her. SO she
arted on concert tour through Illinois =
Il alone, accompanied by her faithful guitar. v
irving In town she would announce her
)ncert In the schools, sometimes with poor 4
lccess; sometimes successfully; but she was il
ways hopeful. She always sent home all h
le money she did not need to use. At Joliet
Chicago opera troupe came up behind her, c
Nv her bills and heard such praises from b
&c people that they engaged her to sing with 5
em for seventy five nights through Illinois,
ldiana and Michigan, where the troupe r
'Oke up and lett her out of money. Il
The next town was Grand Haven. Out of q
oney and 200 miles from home, she deter.
ined to give one more concert alone and D
Use money enough to take her home. Poor, c
iendless and discouraged it was to be her >
st effort. The audience came late, and
nong them was a kind hearted railroad n
an, who listened with enthusiasm. b
"My child, you have the voice of an angelo Il
, said. You must 60 TO New York. "
"But | have no money" 81
"Well, will give you pass To Detroit "
rom there you can sing through Canada TO h
e Falls, and some way get to New York Ia
rust in Providence, and go ana see Parepa h
le is in New York. She'll help you" y
With thanks Tor the advice, and sangulre II
ith hope, little Emma landed the next day
Detroit, and then crossed over to Canada "
Onirary to her sanguine expectations, she b
und Canada "A poor place for her. She stop IL
I'd al several towns, but hard luck stared at fl
er everywhere. Many times she walked, "
IN ,,l,.