Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-09-19
SWEET BELLS TANGLED. =

When they began, they'd no meat in the PAM
and before they were fairly on their
legs, so to speak, Mac Neil went and
married "a lass without q tocher."
Shell had yearned over this extraya-
gance himself; and going down one
day with his partner to the old place
where they had learned their trade,
hearing from the press-roOm the old
sweet, familiar voice singing the old
sweet, familiar tunes, ShiePs heart
thr0bbed to the measure, and he said
to Mac Neil, with big blush on his
broad cheeks, that he supposed his
partner had forgotten little Jenny
Burke, but he, for one, would never for
get her while the world went round,
and he was going to see her that very
day. WhereupOn Mac Neil began to
redden too, and led the way so readily
to the particular press that the young
English girl was feeding, and Jenny
met his approach in such a shy, trem-
bling, glad confusion, Door ShiGl felt his
heart suddenly faint within him, and
stole away, after a minute or two, to be
alone with q singular pang of desola-
ton that had swept over him. When
Mac Neil joined him, Shiel was himself
again, but there was something in his
face that led Mac Neil to.ask him what
was the matter Had he lost any
thing?
Moves" stammcrod poor Shicl;
then added, piteously: Why didn't
you tell me, Mac, that you had kept on
with Jenny? thought it was bar
gain we shouldn't think of marrying
till the business was well started"
So it was, Shiel, said Mac; : but
you know what sweet voice she's got.
Deuce take me, if it didn't haunt me
night ond day. You don't know what
it Is to have Il musical ear, and there's
no harm III being cheered by song or
two"
Tush, man Y broke in Shiel 'Do
you love each othOr"
I'm afraid so, Shiel."
Then the sooner she's out of that
nasty press-rOom the better"
If you'd board with us, Shiel, | be-
ieve we could save money by going to
housekeeping: and think how nice it
would be to have snug inglc-side of
our own !"
Shiel WINGED little from this propo-
sal, but couldn't find courage to reject
It; so they took rooms near their place
of business, and for the the first twelve
month or SO Macs fiddle was well
known III the neighborhood. The boys
dropped in for Il chorus three nights
out of four, and all went merry as a
marriage bell, till the feeble pipe of an
infant was added to the refrain, which
suddenly subdued all other music in its
vicinity, to the immense delight of
ShieI, who, not being able to raise
4 note himself, was somewhat tired OF
the melodcous conceits of others. He
did not know that the child's squeak
was singularly low and sweet, and as it
gained volume it also acquired melody.
Shiel was disappointed to find the little
girl the exact reproduction of her papa,
but could not believe that the fates had
willed she should share his weakness
for music. lie declared it was the
monkey that amused her, whereas the
baby's soul was given over to the hurdy
gurdy.
Now / take this premature and strik-
ing procllvity as a misfortune Infant
prOgldles are always more or less of a
nuisance, and little Miss jeans precocity
grew to IN alarming extent as the years
Wen1 By. The firm of Shicl q Mac
Neil flourished. Jenny saved the pen
MES, and the only extravagances were
IN behalf of little Miss Jean, whose
waXen face could only be coaxed into a
glow 10y the aid of some sort Of melody.
And the older she grew, the wider her
taste expanded, SO that after q while a
new piano Was manWuv-ed and engi-
neered up the stairs, and almost filled
Jenny's little parlor Many a familiar
knlcknack had to go to the wall or be
tucked out of sight to make room for
this mountain of mahogany.
It's burnin' shame, " said one ofthe
boys, " to give up the dear cid fiddle for
the jinghn' of them ivory puppets.
Every new piece of Miss jeans sets a
fellows teeth on edge One can't have
any more fun at Macs; he's hung up his
fiddle and his bow; and for nv part I'm
sick to death of the infant phenome-
non."
So were the rest of the cronies-they
fell off one by one, and in q few wears
none were left but Shiel; he, poor fell
low, sat night after night with his head
up against the wall, the music gong in
one ear and out fthe other, llitseem-
ed to him he had become simply sort
Of hollow melancholy tube for the ac-
commodation of echoes.
What could Mac do, who had alone
kept pace with his daughter, and APP
preciated to the full her remarkable
profciency-what could he do but long
for a larger, fuller, prouder scope for
her? The ceilings were low in their
humble floor; the acoustic properties
were entirely wanting in that cramped
but coy vicinity. Alas. alas! the nest
was all too small for its full-hedged in
mates, and the neighborEood was not
what it had been. Macs business in
creased day by day. He was getting to
be quite a moneyed man, and really an
z lthorIty IN music. Busts ofBeethoven,
Mozart, Haydn, and all the rest stared
poor Shiel in the face. Look which way
he would, the sightless balls ofthese old
masters followed him.
And Jenny, finding that the verv
walls of the old nest were almost burst
ing asunder, consented at last to move
INTO tine new house in new neighbor-
hood and have new furniture and new
clothes, new church and minister. a
new butcher and baker, and, worst of
all, some very superior and excellent
servants, who took the whole establish
fnent out other hands, and left her high