The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-06-02
broken name Of which was stopped with

broken pane oil which was stopped with
hrawn paper. A. III lighted his two
inches I'll Ian camille Ind showed these.
lie nll nan snt tlaN,i upon the chair
md bent his gray head npon the table.
M tear WIS ii Ills yes when lie lifted
them. H.. ,ir.,w his siolon lilo clossi e.
him !; ln l1ng.ed il rs he might 4 iavor
ito child; then lie tent his hen once,
more Upon the little ttJia, ana Ills hua
slipped to the flor from the nunlbe.i
fingers which clns, L il.
Lower mud lower burned the candle.
while outside, upon the hars Of tie
winlow-pancs, white snow gathered
higher and higher ~ the fakes kept
falling.
Nr.n the hlanel,ed face WINS again mp
turned the eyes were moi.tencd
$50 we've come "a it ut last, have we,
old ti,ldle!" the old man moaned in
apostrophe Of his beloved violoncello,
us lie stopped to pick mp the bow "We're
od now, nuta ut us; we're ITO use now
You're patched and cracked and yonl
mastcr's deaf: they don't want a pail
like liz nowadays. We're ready almost
for our last engagement. Yes, old tid
die you've been good servant to your
old master, ana You could 10 soinc-
thing, too, in your day; hut not much
longtr--not very much longer. We're
old now /; they can do without us.
A tear dropped upon the tinger-board,
and the old nun wiped it carefully of
with his coat-sleeye.
Yes, old FRIEND" he continued, gaz.
ing aiiectionatelv OH his battered Conn
panion Of wood and strings, "we've
been friends for long, but we're coming
to our lust engagement.
While the snow-tiakes fell thicker and
thicker against the window, softly aud
noiscl.ssly, tho old man drew his bow
halfunconscious way, bending down his
head to the instrument just rs III always
dill. Though his ears were deaf to
aught else, they never failed to drink in
the tones which sprung from those Vi
brating cords. Slowly. weirdly, pathet.
irally the music rose and fell in gentle
nipples around the room, 50 hushed and
low thut it awakened naechoes i'll the
silent house. Only in that poor ch M
Der would il wander: only around tim,
poor old couple, instrument and player.
would its sweet melody tloat. As h
played, the old man 5 eyes gently closed,
md from his face the lines Of settled de-
s,,ir gradually clear, 4 away. till only a
happy smile was left beaming around
wrinkles. The players thoughts were
far away; to HIM the cold room and
snowy window were become rs naught
Back in the little garden Of fifty years
ago, III the arbor scented by the pinks
and roses, with tho dark velvet panoies
clustering the little plot ut his fe.t, h.
WAS listening again to that same old
tune rs lie heard it first, when the wife,
long dead, sang the words, and he
played tho air upon that well-remem-
beied violin. He could hear her voice
lie could smell the roses pt rfnme. Sure
IL it was tat same violin he was playing
nov From his closed eyes. down tn.
white cheeks, tears dropped warm all,l
asst upon the string, If the yiolan,ells,.
lie hooded them not his thoughts wvr,
tar away.
So the tune rose and fell, and the snow
gathered thicker and thicker on the win.
low panes. till the candle on the little
abb. ilica, d out. Yet the arm in the
rusty sleeve did not weary in it slow,
regular notion: the cold fingers Still
pressed the strings; the player did no,
..aska IL the darkness Of the room.
"Wc're old now" he murmurei
"they doa't want us anv longer"
His Yves were still shut. hut the tun.
waAea shaver md slower aud slower. til
| il died altogether Tie how slippe,
'fon the oil mans fingers: the pra,
head sank upon the table: the vielon.
c,..lu rested soundiess against the hr,a>.
oil the rusty black coat. :
When the morning came and brlgh,
sun rays struggled through the snuu-
| blocked Window pms, ys,-y snai.- u,wr
tiny table, a square white bed, fire.
less crate, patched and diney old vio
| lencvilo. Blu: the bow had fallen upoi
the floor, and the PLAYERS neryele,s lin
| gers hung white anu stitched upon Ill,
strings.
Old Violoncello had gone to his las,
engagement.