The Concordia eagle. [volume] (Vidalia, La.) 1873-1890, 1881-02-05

| MI. Mhrcnell.
"Well," cried the farmeress. energet-
ically, eff you don't go to look into it,
/ will"
And fiinging her husbands shaggy
overcoat around her, and taking the
lantern in one band, she started for the
barn.
She was right; there was dim tai
low candle Burning in the barn cham
Der, and by its Pickering light Phebe
Locket was busy In practicing on the
violin, from some sheets of torn and
we'll thumbed music.
She started up with a cry at the ap-
partition of Mrs Marchell in the door
way-an avenging specter, with q
shaggy overcoat and dark lantern.
"Ungrateful girlr' tragically cried
out Mrs. Marchell; show dared you
disobey meP"
81 meant no HARM" faltered Phebe
"I hired the violin from the village
music store, with the dollar that Mr..
Marchell gave me for finding his gold
spectacles. and Mrs. Muzard gave me
the music; and come out here of h
night so that the noise should not dis
turb you" ~
"Phebe, what a goose you aree Why
didn't you stick to your needle, and your
rolling pin, and your scrubbing brush.
as other girls doP How do you expect
to find bread in the strings of fiddle p
Phebe 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 a girl violinist there as plays like
play wing; and if that don't curel you OF
your silly ambition, don't know what
will"
Phebe Locket crimsoned to the very
roots of the hair.
81 can't gor' said she. THAT is, not
with you. promised Mrs. Muzard to
go to her home; but perhaps she will
take me. The Muzards are all going to
the concert"
1T. don't matter how you co." said
Mrs. Marched, NOR with whom. so
long as you see real excellence, and learn
the folly of your silly aspirations"
But, "faltered Phebe, why shouldn't
be a good player, sometime, tooe"
"Why shouldn't the sky fall, and we
all catch larksP" contemptuously retort-
ed Mrs. Marchell. LAS for you the bes;
thing you can do is to go into the house
and go to bed as fast as possible"
And crestfallen Phebe obeyed.
Mrs. Marchell dressed herself in her
best black silk to go to the Bloomington
concert the next evening.
For suppose it will be something
| very fne," said she. Where's my eye
| glasses, CharleyP l must take them
| along if expect to see anything, for
do declare I'm getting binder every
| day.
"Iexpect, mother" Charley answered,
| with little laugh, you'll see lot of
things to surprise you"
The concert had proved an unusually
great attraction in the neighborhood,
and the hall was crowded when the
| Marchell party arrived, so that Mrs.
Marchell was forced to be content with a
camp-stool at the very back of the room.
Dear, dear how provoking this ISL
said the old lady. "And Charles didn't
find my glasses after all. shan't STE
anything"
but you can hear" said Charley.
Hush-sh-shw said his mother
Isn't that the violinist-a pretty light
complexioned girl, in white, with roses
her hairP Now, do hope Phebe
Locket is here to see this"
The violinist was greeted with shouts
of applause, which died away into 81
lence as the delicious music rose upon
the air, floating upward like the halos
we see in ancient pictures.
1t was short capriccio. and when it
ended Mrs. Marchell was in tears.
II never thought before that / cared
so much for music" said she to Charley.
But such music as that 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 Phebe could only hear thisr'
The female violinist was certainly the
feature of the night. And at the close
OF the concert she was again and again
called before the curtain to receive the
rapturous plaudits of the Bloomington
pubic.
"Where's Phebep" said Mrs. Mar
chell, standing on one of the benches to
look around her. HAS any one seen
Phebe hereP"
81 have" said Charley, dryly. Shall
/ take you to her?-here in the little
room adjoining the stage"
"But what is she doing thsreP" said
l..