Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-06-19
Rubessaeln's Plane Playing.
Jud Broxu's Description Thereof.

Juu DIONuB OCoCtlPSlOI AnotCOls
"Jud, they say you heard RubensteiI
play when you were in New York
Well, tell us about it"
what me? I nights well tell yoU
about the creation of the world"
Come, now; no mock modesty. Gt
ahead"
"Well, sir, he had the blamedest, big
gest, cattycorneredst pianner you evei
laid eyes on. Somethin' like distract
ed billiard table on three legs. The liC
was h'isted, and mighty well it was. Il
it hadn't been, he'd a-tOrn the intire in
sides clean out, and scattered 'em to the
four winds of heaven"
played well, did hep"
@You bet he did. When he first SCI
down he 'peered to keer mighty little
bout play, and wisht he hadn't come
He tweedle-leedle'd little on the treble
bass; just foolin' and boxin' the things
. jaws for bein' in his way. And 1 says
to a man sittin' next to me, S l, what
sort of a fool playin' is that? And he
says 'Heeshr But presently his hands
commenced chasin' one mother up and
down the keys, like passel of rats
scamperin' through garret very swift
Parts of it was sweet, though, and re-
minded one of sugar squirrel turnin
the wheel of a candy cage.
Now" says to my neighbor, she's
showin' off. He thinks he's a dOin' Of it.
but he amt got no idee, no plan of moth
in. If he'd play me up tune of some
kind or other, I'd"
"But my neighbor says 'Hee'shv very
impertinent.
Il was just about to get up and go
home, bein' tired of that fOolishness,
when heard a little bird away off in
the woods, and calling sleepy like to his
mate, and looked up and i see Ruben
was beginnin' to take some interest in
the business, and / sat down again. II
was the peep o. day. The light come
faint from the east. The breeze blow
ed gentle and fresh; some more birds
walked up in the orchard, then some more
in the trees near the house, and all be
gun singin' together. People begun to
stir, and the gal opened the shutters
Just then the first beam of the sun fell
upon the blossoms, little more and it
techt the roses on the bushes, and the
next thing 1t was broad day; the sun
fairly blazed, the birds sang like they'd
split their little throats; all the leaves
was movin' and fiashin' diamonds OF
dew, and the whole wide world was
bright and happy as king. Seemed to
me like there was a breakfast in ev.
cry house in the land, and not a sick
child or woman anywhere. 1t was a
fine mornin'. And / says to my neigh.
Dor. that's music, that is
"But he glard at me like he'd like to
cut my throat.
Presently the wind turned; it began
to thicken up, and kind Of gray mist
come over things; got low spirited
directly. Then silver rain began to
fall could see the drops touch the
ground; some flashed up like long pearl
earrings, and the rest rolled away like
round rubies. 1t was pretty, but melan.
choly. Then the pearls gathered them.
selves into long strands and necklaces
running between golden gravels, and
then the streams joined each other al
the bottom, and made brook that flow.
ed silent except that yoH could kinder
see the music, specially when the music
went along down the valley. / could
smell the flowers in the meadow. But
the sun didn't shine nor the birds sing
it was foggy day but not cold. The
most curious thing was the little white
angel boy, like you see in pictures, thai
ran ahead of the music brook, and led il
on,away out of the world, where no mar
ever was-1 never was, certain; l could
see that just as plain as could see you
Then the moonlight came, without any
sunset, and shone on the graveyards
where some few ghosts lifted theil
hands and went over the wall and be
tween black sharp-top trees splendid
marble houses rose up, with fine ladies
in the lit-up windows, and men that
loved IN, but could never get a-nigh m
and played on guitars under the trees
and made me so miserable / cod a-cried
because / wanted to love somebody, ]
didn't know who, better than the men
with the guitars did. Then the sun
went down. 1t got dark. The wind
moaned and wept like lost child for its
dead mother, and l could a-got up theFl
then and there and preached better
sermon than any ever listened to
There wasn't thing left in the world
to live for, not blame thing, and vel
didn't want the music to stop one bit
1t was happier to be miserable than to
be happy without being miserable. j
couldn't understand it. 1 hung my
head and pulled out my handkerchief
and blowed my nose loud to keep from
eryin'. My eyes is very weak anyway
didn't want anybody to be gain at
me a-snivelin,' and its nobody's business
what do with my nose. It's mine. But
some glared at me, mad as Tucker
Then, all of a-sudden, old Ruben chang
ed his tune. He ripped and he rard, he
tipped and he tar'd, he praneed and he
charged like the grand entry at circus,