River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-10-24
e.SMEET BELLS JANGLED.o

Sh EEI BELLS JANU!'hD
The firm of Shiel & Mac Neil is prett
we'll known IN the printing line; but,
the song says.
When they began, they'd meat in the pan
and before they were fairly on the
legs, so to speak, Mac Neil went an
married "a lass without tocher." She
had yearned over this extravaganza hin
self; and going down one day with hi
partner to the old place where they ha
learned their trade, hearing from tn
press-room the old sweet, familiar voic
singing the old sweet, familiar tune;
Shells heart throbbed to the measure
and he said to Mac Neil, with a big blusl
on his broad cheeks, that he suppose'
his partner had forgotten little Jenn,
Burke. but he, for one, would never for
get her while the world went round, ant
he was going in to see her that very day
Whereupen Mac Neil began TO reddel
too, and led the way so readily 10 tn,
particular press that the young Englisl
girl was feeding, and Jenny met his ap
prOach in such shy, trembling, glaC
confusion, poor Shiel felt his heart sud
denly faint within him, and stole away
after a minute or two, to be alone with =,
singular pang of desolati0n that hal
swept over him. When Mac Nei
Joined him, She'll was himself again, bu
there was something IN his face that lee
Mac Neil to ask him what was the mat
ter had he lest anything"
"No-yes," stammered poor She'll
then added, piteously: "Why didn't yol
tell me Mac, that you had kept on witt
Jennyl l thought it was a bargain We
shouldn't think of marrying till the bust
ness was well started"
$50 it was, Shiel," said Mac; "but yor
know what a sweet voice she's got
Deuce take me, if it didn't haunt me
night and day. You don't know what il
is to have musical ear; and there's nc
harm in being cheered by song or two
flush, man. broke in Shiel. "DC
you love each other?'
III you'd board with US, Smell, be
lieve we could save money by going tC
housekeeping; and think how nice il
would be TO have snug ingleside of oul
own"
Shiel WINGED little from this propos
al, but couldn't find courage to reject it
so they took rooms near their place oil
business, aud for the first twelvemonot
or so Macs fiddle was well known in the
neighborhood. The boys dropped in fol
a chorus three nights out of four, ana all
went merry as a marriage-bell, till the
feeble pipe of an infant was added tC
the refrain, which suddenly subducd all
other music in its vicinity, to the i'm
mense delight of Shiel, who, not being
able 10 raise a note himself, was some
what tired of the melOdious cODceits oil
others. He did not know that the child's
squeak was singulaTly low and swee'
and as it gained volume it also acquired
melody. Shiel was disappointed to fine
the little girl an exact reproduction d
her pap, but could not believe that the
fates had wilIed she should share his
weakness for music He declared it wa;
the monkey that amused her, whereas the
baby's soul was given over to the hurdy
gurdy.
Now | take this premature and strik
ing proclivity as misfortune. Iufant
prOdigies are always more or less of {
nuisance, and little Miss jeans precocity
grew 70 an alarming extent as the years
v.
fourished. Jenny saved the pennies, anu
the only extravagencies were in behalf
of little Miss Jean, whose waXen facC
could only be coaxed into a glow by The
aid of some sort of melody. And the old
er she grew, the wider her taste expanded
so that after a while a new piano was
Unanswered aud engineered up the stairs
and almost filed Jenny's little parlor
MANY familiar knick- knack had to e
to the wall or be tucked out Of sight tC
make room for this mountain of mahog
any.
"Its burnin' shame, said one Of the
bows, "to give up the dear old fiddler fol
the jirglin' of them ivory puppets. Every
new piece of Miss J9an's sets fellow:
teet on edge One can't have any more
fun Macs; he's hung up his fiddle anC
his bow; and for my J art I'm sick t.
cath of the infant pier 'menoo."
So were the rest of the cronies-tle
,ell off one by one, and in few year.
none were left but Shlel; he poor fellow
sat night after night with his head VI
against the wall, the music going in ont
ear and out of the other, til il seemed t
him he had become simply sort of hol
low melancholy tube for the accomoda
ton of echoes.
What could Mac do, who had alone
kept pace with his daughter, and appre
ciated to the full her remarkable pro
fciency-what could he do but long 70
a larger, fuller, prouder scope for her
The ceilings were low in their humbl
floor; the acoustic properties were entire
IL wanting in that cramped but coz
v.clnlty. Alasl alas the nest was all To-
small for its fuIl-fedged inmates, ant
the neighbOrhGod was not what it hat
been. Macs business increased day b
day. He was getting to be quite
moneyed man. and really an authority i
music. Busts of Beethoven, Mozart
Hovdn. and all the rest stared poor SHE
in the face. Look which way he would
the slightest balls of those old master fol
lowed him.
And Jenny, finding that the very wall
of the old nest were almost burstin
ssunder, consented at last to move into
fine new house in new neighbmhoot
and have new furniture and new clothe
new church and minister, new butcht
and baker. and, worst of all, some yer
superior and excellent servants, who too
the whole establishment out of her hand
and left her high and dry upon the bank
of prosperity, with nothing to do but
enjoy herself
And all at once she began to be mo-
miserable. Mr.. Mac Neil and his remarl
able daughter stepped out of their ne
as the Brightest, finest, most sagaeious
birds, left the worthless tenement TN
has served its purpose, and began fort
with to scratch and peck aud seram@
for themselves In the most natural an
priaseworthy way. But poor Jenny stun
bled at every step, and grew more feat
erless and forlorn as the years went b
Pretty she was vet, far prettier than D
daughter, but this did not seem to W
for her the admiration she most covete
Poor Jenny would have gladly taken Il
p9nderous form and heavy features
Mrs Delaney We're, could she have game
thereby that lady's severely critical tas
and talent, or the long bony neck
Miss Perry, If it could still hold tho
wonderfully high notes which Mr. MI
Neil so admired. Do what she woul
the old accent that was once so dear
her husbands ear still chung TO her.
Don't say we're for here Jenny" e