Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-12-17
Sweet BeIls ,JangIed.v


"Sweet Bells tangled"
The firm of Shiel & Mac Neil is pretty
well known now in the printing line; but,
as the song says, "When they began, they'd
no meat in the pan !" and before they were
fairly on their legs, so TO speak, Mac Neil
went and married a lass without tocher."
Shiel had yearned over this extravagance
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, Shells heart
throbbed TO the measure, aud he said TO
Mac Neil, with big blush on his broad
cheeks, that he supposed his partner had for
gotten little Jenny Burke, but he, for one,
would never forget her while the world went
round, and he was going in 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 ap-
proach in such shy trembling, glad con-
fusion, poor Shiel felt his heart suddenly
faint within him, and stole away, after
minute or two to be alone with a singular
pang of desolation that had swept over him.
When Mac Neil joined him, Shiel was him
self again, but there was something in his
face that led Mac Neil to ask him what was
the matter. Had he lost anything
"No-yes," stammered poor Shiel then
added, piteously Why didn't you tell me,
Mac, that you had kept on with Jenny? |
thought it was bargain we shouldn't
think OF marrying till the business was
well started"
UGo ,,,ao ch;oi oo;J Noo, a. I,,4 ,,o,,
know what a sweet voice she's got. Deuce
take me, if 1t didn't haunt me night and
day. You don't know what il is to have a
musical ear and there's no harm in being
cheered by song or two.
Tush, man ~ broke in Shiel ado you
love each other p
"I'm afraid so, Shiel."
"Then the sooner she's out Of that nasty
press-room, the better"
elf you'd board with us, Shiel, | believe
we could save money by going to housekeep.
ing and think how nice it would be to have
a snug ingleside of our own !"
Shiel WINGED little from this proposal
but couldn't find courage to reject it so
they took rooms near their place Of business
and for the first twelvemonth or so Macs
fiddle was well known in the neighborhood.
The boys dropped in for chorus three
nights out of four, and all went merry as a
marriage bell till the feeble pipe of an in
fant was added to the refrain, which sud
denly subdued all other music in its vicin-
ity, to the immense delight of Shiel, who,
not being able to raise note himself, was
somewhat tired of the melodious 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.
Now take this premature and striking
proclivity as a misfortune. Infant prodiges
are always more or less of nuisance, and
little Miss Jeans precocity grew to an alarm
ing extent as the years went by. The firm
of Shiel & Mac Neil hourished. Jenny saved
the pennies, and the only extravagances were
in behalf of little Miss Jean, whose waxen
face could only be coaxed into glow by the
aid of some sort of melody. And the older
she grew the wider her taste expanded, so
that after while a new piano was ma
n9uvred and engineered up the stairs, and
almost filled Jenny's little parlor.
It's burning shame" said one of the
boys, "to give up the dear old fiddle for the
jnglin' of them ivory puppets. Every new
piece of Miss Jeans sets fellows teeth on
edge. One can't have any more fun at
Macs he's hung up his fiddle aud his bow
and for my part I'm sick to death of the
infant phenomenon"
So were the rest of the crones-they fell
off one by one, and in few years none were
left but Shiel; he, poor fellow, sat night
after night with his head up against the
wall, the music going in one ear and out Of
the other, till it seemed to him he had be-
come simply sort of hollow mellnchc,y
tube for the accommodation of echoes.
What could Mac do, who had alone kept
pace with his daughter, and appreciated to
the full her remarkable profciency-what
could he do but long for larger, fuller,
prouder scope for her? The ceilings were
low in their humble floor the acoustic prop
critics were entirely wanting in that cramped
but cosy vicinity. Alas alas the nest was
all to small for It's full-fedged inmates, and
the neighborhood was not what it had been.
Macs business increased day by day. He
was getting to be quite moneyed man, and
really an authority in music.
And Jenny, finding that the very walls of
the old nest were almost bursting asunder,
consented at last to move into fine new
house in new nei yhborhood, and have new
furniture and new clothes, a new church and
minister, new butcher and baker, and,
worst of all, some very superior aud ex-
cellent servants, who took the whole estab-
lishment out of her hands, and left her high
upon the banks of prosperity, with nothing
to do but to enjoy herself. Aud all at once
she began to be most miserable. Mr.. Mac
Neil and his rem irkable daughter stepped
out of their nest as the blithest, finest, most
sagacious of birds, left the worthless tene-
ment that has served its purpose, and began
forthwith to scratch and peck and scramble
for themselves in the most natural and
praiseworthy way. But poor Jenny stumbled
at every step, and grew more featherless and
forlorn as the years went by. Pretty she
was yet, far prettier than her daughter, but
this did not seem TO win for her the admira-
ton she most coveted. Poor Jenny would
have gladly taken the ponderous form and
heavy features of Mrs. Delaney We're, could
she have gained thereby that lady's severely
critical taste and talent, or the long bony
neck of Miss Perry, if it could still hold
those wonderfully high notes which Mr..
Mac Neil so admired. Do what she would,
the old accent that was once so dear in her
husbands ear still clung to her.
"Don't say 'yere for here Jenny" ex-
postulated Mr.. Mac Neil "and I'd rather do
without anything at the table than the letter
h, except when it's one letter too many"
'p opHhl poSah W oHSah ouiy iioh oucci
necessity. She never could please her hus-
band any more, do what she would, and
didn't care to find favor in the sight of 9TH
ers. 1t began to be apparent TO Jenny that
she was a clog and burden to her husband
and daughter-nay, TO the whole world in
which they delighted to live-and there
came time when she resolved no longer to
be the stumbling-block to their popularity.
There was a musicale at the house that
night, and all the doors were open. The
halls were filled with flowers, some OF them
brought from the florist in tubs of wide di-
mensions; and Jenny, in plain black silk,
crouched behind one OF these while Mr.. Mac
Neil was bringing his daughter down the
stairs and into the crowded parlors. Macs
nose was high in the air; he was dressed in
the finest of broadcloth, while the musical
prodigy, who was now a well-grown young
woman, swept along in rustling white silk
that the dress-maker wouldn't let Jenny do
even the cording for. On they went, aud
Jenny's heart swelled big with pride, then
sank with modification, for two tiae ladies
near her, leaning upon the arms of good
looking gentleman, began all at once to
cavil at poor Jenny, who had never in her
whole life said evil of anybody.
% The mamma appears to be invisible"
said one of them. "They say she is shut
up in the coal hole upon these occasions
and no wonder, when one thinks OF the
bunders of the poor creature"
Z" Perhaps she's in the Kitchen" said the
other. :" have heard that is where Mr..