Litchfield enquirer., 1879-10-16

Nonsense 7" said Mrs. Marchell.
 "And very decent voice, if only it was cultivated"
 "P<hawinn cried Mrs. Marchell, and she
 founced out of the shop in rage. But if Mrs. Marchen was the child's tenn poral mistress. Music was her spiritual one. Phoebe Lockett went quietly about her
 could not forget the divine strains which
 the wellrosihed bow had drawn out of the
 antique violin in the red glow of the win
 ter sunset, that January afternoon, in the
 garrett fa Mrs. Marchel had done up her front hair
 in papers, assumed her gray flannel dress
 ing-gown, when, chancing to look out of the north kitchen window, she saw, or thought she saw, the glimmer of light in the top window of the barn. ! 1T can't have been mistaken" said Mrs.
 Marchel; "it ain't the time O year for
 e-fies, and will O '-tlle-wisps don't go
 dancing and twinkling round our barn. It's tramps-t that's what it is'
 ''Fiddlesticks /" said Mr. Marchell sleep | fly, from the exact centre of adowny feather | pillow. ''
 ''There was two men asked for drink
 of milk, at the buttery door, just about
 dusk" added the lady, "and didn't much
 like their looks at the time" ''Its all right, I dare say" yawned MT. Marchell. s' a a. ''Well," cried the farmeress, ener- getically, eff you don't go to look into it, 1 will" a#I .'.
 And flinging her husbands shaggy over-
 coat around her, and taking the lantern in one hand, she started for the barn. She was right There was dim tallow- candle burning in the barn-chamb~r, and by it's fickering light, Phoebe Lockett was | busy practicing on the violin, from some sheets of torn and ell-thumbed music.
 She started up with cry, at the appari-
 ton of Mrs. Marchell in the doorway-an averaging spectre, with shaggy overcoat l and a dark lantern.
 "Ungrateful grill" tragically cried out Mrs. Marchen; Chow dared you to disobey l me?"
 1T meant no harm," faltered poor 1 Phoebe, ''I hired the violin from the vil-
 lage music store, with the dollar Mr. Mar-
 chel gave me for finding his gold specta- | cles, and Mr. Mustard gave me the music; and I came out here of night, 50 that the noise shouldn't disturb you" . "Phebe," said Mrs. Marchell "what 8 goose you arel Why don't you stick to | your needle. and your rolling-pin, and your
 scrubbing- brush, as others girls do? How | do you ever expect to find bread in the
 strings of fiddler"
 Phoebe hung down her head, and said
 nothing in reply.
 We may as well break the charm at
 once," said Mrs. Marchell 'I'll take you
 to the concert at Bloomington to morrow night. They tell me there's to be girl
 violinist there, as plays iike playing, and if
 that don't cure you of your silly ambition, l I don't know what will.
 Phebe Lockett erimsoned to the very
 roots of the hair. "I-I can't go!" said she. "That is
 not with you. promised Mrs. Mustard to | go to her house; but perhaps she will take
 me. The Musards are all going to the con- l cert"
 | Marchell, nor with whom, so long as you see real excellence and learn the folly of your silly aspirations"
 "But," falt4red Phoebe, "why shouldn't lbe good player some time, too?"
 "Why shouldn't the sky fall, and we all
 catch larks?" contemptuously retorted
 Mrs. Marchell. "As for you, the best
 thing you can do Is to go into the house and
 go to bed as fast as possible" And crestfallen Phoebe obeyed. Mrs. Marchell dressed herself in her best black silk, to go to the Bloomington con-
 cert, the next evening.
 'sFor suppose it will be something very
 fne." said she. "Where's my eyeglasses,
 Charley? must take them along if ex- pect to see anything, for I do declare Pm getting binder every day."
 "I expect, mother" Charley had answer
 ed, with little laugh, you'll see lot of things to surprise you"
 The concert had proved an unusually great attraction in the neighborhood, and hall was crowded when the Marchell party
 to be content with camp-stool at the very back of the room. s.. ... '"Dear, -desr! how provoking this is i" said the old lady. ''And Charley didn't
 find the eyeglasses after all I shant see
 thing!" ....e--} ..a. f.,..... ..... . ''But you can kear," said Charley.
 |" Hush -sh sh :" said his mothar~ Isn't
 that the violinist-" pretty, ight-com-
 plexioned girl in white, with roses in her
 hair2 Now, do hope Phoebe Lockett is
 here to see this.".
 The violinist was greeted with shouts of applause. which .-<aied away into silence as
 the delicious music rose upon the air. float
 ing upward like the halos we see in ancient
 pictures. .,st ..-t.q ; -f It was 8 short eapnieeio, and, when it
 ended Mrs. Marchen was in tears.
 never thought before that cared so
 much for. music, l" said she to Charley But
 snch music as tatt Do you know, Charley,
 It seemed to me exactly as If my little baby
 that died twenty years ago was whispering
 in my ear! Oh, if Phoebe could only hear
 this!nf, . .,tsae, a.- ..s | The female violinist was certainly he fea-
 ture ef the night Ard 2. the close of sne 'concers sne vas again and again cslled be-
 fore the, curtain to, receive the rapturous plaudits of the Bloomington public. e-.
 'fW Where's Phobe?" said Mrs Marchen. standing .on one of the benches to look
 around her. Has any one seen our Phoebe here ?" r5E' sa#s F3s 4a's z.sso1. a=s ." - have," said Charley, dryiy. Shall take you to her?-here, in the little room adjoining the stagen ,a .s. .-.s.5.
 < " But what is she doing here " said Mrs. Marchell, perplexedly. E. Counting her bouquets, I suppose" 1"