Middletown transcript., 1876-07-01

sIu6 was o OopoOiVVo nv P'~S~'
stew-pan suspended upon hooks within
the wide chimney: and on the other, a
piano, above which violin was hung
against the wall in the middle was a
table of some dark wood, and about it
a few rush chairs.
.Ah, so we shall have palace, shall
we!' said M. Mozart, good-humoredly.
Yes, papa; palace and plenty Of
servants to wait on US. But what are
YOU doing mamma ? said the child to
Madame Mozart, who was beginning
her preparations for dinner.
why, you see. while you are wait
ing for the servants, am getting the
dinner ready!'
The dinner. the dinner when 1 tell
you they will send US one ready cooked,
all ready cooked y
The father and mother began to
laugh, when they heard knock at the
door.
1t was covered cart, out Of which
came cook, his assistant. and all the
accessories of frst-rate dinner.
I'VE come from the person whom
Master Wolfgang Mozart met at the
entrance of the forest, said the cook. !.
as be entered. Then be placed upon
the table, as his assistant brought them
out of the cart, various dishes ready
dressed, some bottles of wine. and all
the materials of an excellent dinner.
Can you not inform me, my good
friend who was the person who sends
you ? said NJ Mozart to the cook.
L cannot satisfy you, SIR said the
man respectfully.
The maaitre de chapelle insisted.
w ell, then, sir, your son knows who
sent me- said the cook
YES cried Wolfgang, and Freder-
lea knows him, too !; it was the mcssen-
ger and friend of the great St. John
Nepomucenep
For heavens sake explain this mys-
terry said M. Mozart to the cook.
Sir replied the man. 1 can tell you
nothing, except that the dinner is paid
for-you can eat it without hesitation.
If you wish to know more. let your son
place himself at the piano, and impro-
wise sonata, then the person will ap-
pear Do not ask me any more ques-
tions for l must not answer them
The dinner being served, the cook
retired with his assistant, mounted his
cart, and drove away.
Little Wolfgang was the first to break
silence after the departure of the cook
WELL he said, did not I tell you !
'Ah brother!' said Frederick, L
thought that the strange gentleman
was making sport of us, but now see
myself that it was not so ,
"My dear children" said Master
Mozart, "let us sit down to the table
The generous man who has sent US this
dinner is, doubtless, good friend who
has been sent US, even though he may
not be the messenger Of St John Nepo-
mucene. Let US drink his health-his
name is unknown to US, but the rcmem-
brance of him will always remain in
our hearts
You may suppose how merry they
were over that repast; the family Of
Mozart had never dined so splendidly.
As to the children. they bad never seen
such feast and they were still in the
midst of their joy. when the clock of a
neighboring convent struck two. Wolf
gang bounded from his chair
"Where are you going 2" inquired
his mother.
ITO compose sonata, to make the
gentleman appear, who gave US the
dinner"
Then be placed little stool upon
which he stood. before the piano, for be
was so little that his elbows did not
reach the keys.
At first he ran up the scales, with an
energy and precision extraordinary in a
child SO young and feeble; then be
passed to the modulation of chords, and
finally improvised a theme SO sweet, SO
soft, that the msaitre de chapelle and bis
wife remained dumb with surprise
Then, as he abandoned himself to the
exuberance of his infantine imagination,
his fingers few over the keys; touched
with the hand of a master, they would
now utter their full sound then gently
pressed, caressed as it were, they would
give forth tones so expressive, that
tears stood in the eyes Of Mozart and
his wife.
Softened, moved beyend expression
by the melting sounds which Wolfgang
drew from his instrument, they all
forgot, not only the dinner, but the
promised visit of the stranger.
"Come hither that l may embrace
you, Master Wolfgang Mozart !" cried
the maitre de chapeUe, with the enthu-
siasm of a father and an artist; with
the help of God, our lady, and the
great St. John Nepomucene, thou wilt
be one day great performer, great
composer, a great man! But who will
push tucc IOIWdIu III tuS WOIlu, pOOI
unknown child; who will rescue thee
from the obscurity in which thou art
plunged by my poverty? Who will pro-
tect thee?'
II WILL exclaimed a voice from
without. 1t was that of the stranger.
On beholding him, Wolfgang ran and
took hold of bis hand.
"See' he exclaimed, 'there is the
friend of the great Nepomucene.'
Scarcely. however, had the msaitre de
chapele set his eyes on the stranger
than, rising with an aspect of deep re-
spect, he bowed profoundly, as he said,
His Majesty the Emperor Of Aus
tria.'
Some days after this adventure.
Madame Mozart was shedding tears,
while she prepared for the departure Of
her husband and son.
"We are going to the court Of the
Empress Maria Theresa that queen so