The Iola register., 1880-11-12

turned into an echo OF bitterness. and
| when after many struggles and desire
| to please her father she did achieve Old
Hundred, the result was-but let every
reader fill this blank who ever heard
that noble tune put to slow torture on
this ignObie instrument.
The deacon could only gasp, "It's
dreadful sollum; wouldn't get tired.
Lily"
She did not; morning. noon and night
the dragging vail resounded, only at
times overpowered by Josh's persistent
drum, which he even took to bed with
him, and the shrieks of Eben's fife.
Jehiels fiddle was the climax: to learn
the fiddle q student should take lodg-
ings in a deat-mute asylum if he has
any humanity in his. soul. A cornet
next door, bassoon round the corner,
French horn on top of the opposite
hill, are each and all inexpressible an
guish to the sensitive ear, and / speak
from dreadful experience. but fiddle
in the hands of tyro is more exasper-
ating far. Think then of Aunt Phrony
beset by all these noises, with chronic
nervous headache, an aching back, and
q tendency to hysteria! In vain she
stopped her ears with cotton; If she
produced thereby sort of buzzing
peace in her tympanum. Peleg's gun.
which was always popping of some
where, penetrated the plug with its
sharp, sudden "bang," and made her
jump and tremble; and the long, high
squeal of the fiddle set cotton at det-
ance. She could and did abate the
nuisance of the accordion in measure,
but the deacon insisted Eliza should
have some time to enjoy and cul-
tivate her music (D and the drum,
which was Josh's pride and joy. being
put into q dark closet while he was at
school, was found one morning with
ragged hole in the head-presumably
rats. This only made a double use of
the fife imperative, for now both boys
took to it; and Peleg's gun serving to
frighten hen-hawks and owls. his father
would not reiegate it to the garret.
Jehiel went his way as usual; nobody
could stop him. He was the eldest, and
he was obstinate, and the fiddle squealed
on.
"Dear mer' said Mrs. Hills to her
friend and confidant, Miss Beers,
"seems as though I should 60 mad,
S'manthy; what with that are Gordon
a-takin' on as though somebody or
mother was a-having teeth pulled con-
tinoous, and the fife that's Jest like q
knittin' needle a-goin' through my poor
head, and Peleg's gun poppin' off when
you don't expect nothin' of the sort and
a-fetchin' on my nervous spells so s It
l don't know whether I'm in the body
or out ont only for the noise, and wust
of all, Jehiel's fiddle jest like the sharp
enin' of file clus by your ear, a-settin'
your teeth on aidge, and a-makin' your
very back crawl, why, it seems as
though I should give up and die, some
times, now tell ye! I'd ruther live
into a menagerie long of brass band.
for they dew play tewns, and expect
the critters is still nights, but I'll be
whipt if Jehiel don't take that fiddle up
chamber with him and tewn up till
twelve o'clock real often. I wish't I
could tewn hina"'
The poor woman fairly cried.
But Jack in the mean time found his
revenge rather tasteless; he did not
know, after all, whether his instruments
worked to their proper end; perhaps
Aunt Phrony liked them; he was un-
easy. Revenge is not very satisfac-
tory passion when it is best carried out,
and when you don't know whether its
means have produced its end it becomes
exasperating.
So Jack was seized with a sudden de-
sire to go to Bassett about three weeks
after Christmas, for some skating. He
had a new pair Of the very newest kind
of skates at Christmas which had not
lost their gloss.
With this excuse he dropped from the
Bassett and Rutland stage at Uncle
Peleg's door, and was hailed with shouts
of delight. It was late in the afternoon
when he got there, and in the joy of his
unexpected visit the children all forgot
to be musical; then directly after tea
Jehiel and the two smaller boys took
him out on the pond, for the moon was
full that night and shining on broad
fields of dazzling snow made the night
like day. But luckless Jack had scarce
ly made dozen darting circles on the
smooth pond when his toe struck small
stick frozen upright in the ice, the tip
of branch fallen from the shore and
partly resting on the bottom.
1t was a little thing, but Jack was in
full career; over he went, and spun
along the ice like a dry leaf. He did
not try to rise, and when Jehiel came
up to him the boy had tainted with pain;
his leg was broken.
1t took long time to get him back
to the house, to find the doctor, to have
the leg set, and to quiet the children.
Aunt Phrony showed herself a woman
in this emergency. She did the right
thing at the right moment, and was so
CHEEKY, 50 kind, 80 helpful, that Jacks
heart sank with shame.
R,ak tha& tl,o ,zr<,zak Of e. xao.f