The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-07-01

found him in the choirS OF DIR. Dwight's or
DIR. Chickering's churches, until his services
were secured by Father Macdonald for St.
Dominick's Catholic Church, over which Bish-
op Fitzpatrick, of Boston, presided.
AN INTERRUPTED JOURNEY.
In the city of Portland he followed his pro-
fession with assiduity, accumulated money,
and during seven years residence there taught
all that desired a knowledge Of mu-
eic. California being the land of promise and
the haven to which all classes turned their at
tention at that time, the blood of the old vi
kings coursing through his veins impelled him
onward once more, and with the rest he de-
termined to try his fortunes in that Ell Dorado
for the time. He converted all his property
into specie, sent on his library and manuscripts
to Baltimore, determining to ship from this
port to San Francisco.
Stopping for the night at Joness Hotel
Chestnut street, Philadelphia, his wife was
taken sick, and here he had to remain and
await the advent of her convalescence Dur
ing this time he was sent for by the celebrated
Mrs. DR.. Rush; attended her Saturday musical
unions, ,iand translated Mehuls oratorio, "Jo-
seph and his Brethren" dedcating and pro-
ducing the same with entire acts, recitations
and marches before the dilettante of the city,
Mrs. Rush being the patroness of the occasion.
Know -Nothngism'' being the political
bug-bear at the time, the marked for proscrip-
tion we're the foreigners, consequently after
while teaching was not to be found, and lee
turing produced no results but failure and
gradual diminution of the resources gained in
the East. His belt of fifty dollar gold pieces
becoming exhausted, new fields had to De ex-
plored, and new associations formed.
FORTUNE SMILING ONCE MORE.
By DIR. Cunnington's interest with friends in
Washington, ID. c., he started successfully in
that city, and fortune smiled once more. He
became the musical director of st. Matthew'S
choir, taught the elite of the city, and carried
success for a time with high hand during the
presidency OF General Pierce; but when Bu-
chanan succeeded him, new brooms made
clean work aud among the debris swept away
was found the buoyant spirit of the author Of
kathleen Mavourneen.' In Richmond, Va,
we next hear of him singing in st. Paul's
church, under the Rev. DIR. NIinnegarode, the
success attending him in his professional pur-
suits.
IN ARMS FOR THE CoNFEDERACY.
Reputation and money went Ihand and hand
and the big bonanza looked for in the intended
voyage to San Francisco was apparently with
in his grasp, when the Federal invasion Of
Virginia, by Col. Ellsworth, the murder of
jackson at Alexandria, the dismeinberment of
the States, and the call to arms throughout the
length and breadth OF the land fred the blood
OF the Englishman. and he is next found
private soldier of the 1st Regiment, Richmond
Grays, quartered at the Academy in Norfolk
after the destruction of the Navy Yard, ship
ping, &C., previous to the evacuation of that
important point bv the Federal Officials.
From this primary opening-of hostilities to
the surrender of Gen. Lee, at Appomattox
Court Hohse, through exposure, hardship PEN
ury, starvation and want, the lion heart Of the
man never failed him, and during the years Of
conflict, he was never known to be reported
sick or away from his post, nor did he once ac-
cept the furlough preferred him. The certifi-
cate of this fact signed by several command
ing generals of the Confederate army he still
holds.
MEMORIES OF THE PAST
From the battlefield, the last on record, he
made his way after a time, with three broken
ribs and his right hand badly mashed, to
buckingham Courthouse. Here, when able,
he entered the service of Mr.. Perkins as gar
diner and farmh md glad to earn a crust of
bread, and here he remained until the belliger-
ent spirit of the two armies died of inertia.
Sometimes he wonld steal into the drawing
room where stood the pianoforte, and sitting
before it, the recollection of bygone pleasures,
and the dormant memories OF many a molder-
ing contemporary would flash before his minds
vision; melodious strains would strike the tym-
panum of his ear; hot tears bedim his sight,
and solace was only found in the outpourings
OF extemporaneous thought on the instrument.
These outbreaks (albeit not often INDUCED in)
reopened the desire to resume his profession.
For this purpose he again sought Richmond,
but the spirit of the place had changed. The
gray was no longer worn, and the buttons
which thousands on thousands had shed their
best blood to defend, were uow looked upon 40
the mark OF rebels, and for these there was no
solace now but the Confederate burying ground
with the plain wooden slab containing but one
word, unknown"
IN BALTIMORE AS A MECHANIC.
This cold blooded return from those whom
he had stood foremost in every danger to de-
fend'', drove him out of Virginia (where he
had literally lost everything, books, manu-
scripts and al) into Baltimore, but we no long
er meet him in his professional capacity, bnt as
plain mechanic, toiling at the bench from
sunrise to sundown, no thought now passing
the pent up avenues OF his once fertile brain
but the closing sentence of the Moorish gener-
al, "Othella's occupations gone!"
The above unvarnished tale has been gath
cred from the lips of the man himself and
may be regarded as truthful one in every
particular. As the News representative gazed
upon his marked and most expressive coun-
tenance, with his lron-grey hair now fast be-
coming silvered by the SHOWS OF nearly eighty
winters, and looked around the meanly fur
nished room, SO Parkin street, his heart was too
full to speak for moment, and he could only
think of the words of Scotland's noblest writer
of fiction,
..For, well-a-day! their date had fed
His tuneful brethren all were dead
ANA he-n9glected and oppressed
Longed to be with them and at rest"
ADRIFT IN THE WORLD AGAIN.
For the last two years Mr.. Crouch has sup
ported himself and family by working in .
factory as varnisher, &C., and during that pc
riod has only had two employers. On Friday
last he, together with four others, was
discharged, not from any fault found, but ow-
ing to a desire on the part of his employers to
reduce expenses; and he finds himself once
more adrift upon the world at the worst sea-
son of the year for getting fresh employment,
and with wife and five young children, the
youngest only fifteen months old, looking to
him for daily foodl
Mr.. Crouch would like to resume his pro-
fession once again as teacher of music. Can
nothing be done to give him a lift in that d.
rection?