Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-07-08
THE PIANO IN THE MINING
CAMP

CAMP.
1t was Christmas eve in a California min
ing town in 1865. and Goskin, according to
his custom, had decorated his gambling
house with sprigs of mountain cedar, and a
shrub whose crimson berries did not seem a
bad imitation of English holly. The piano
was covered with eyergreens and all that was
wanting to completely fill the cup of Goskin's
contentment was q man to play that piano.
christmas night and no piano FOUNDER"
he said. This is anice country for Chris
tan to live in
Getting piece of paper he scrawled the
words 500 Reward to a compliant Pianer
Player" This he stuck up ON the music
rack, and, though the inscription glared at
the frequenters of the room until midnight
it failed to draw any musician from his she'll
So the merry making went on; the hilarity
grew apace. Men danced and sang to the
music Of the squeaky fiddle and worn-out
guitar, as the jolly crowd within tried to
drown the bowling Of the storm without
Suddenly they became aware of the presence
of white haired man crouching near the
fire. place. His garments, such as were left
were wet with melting snow, and he had a
half-starved, half expression. He held
his thin. trembling hands toward the fire.
and the light of the blazing wood made them
almost transparent He looked about him
once in while, as il in search of something
and his presence cast such a chill over the
place that gradually the sound OF revelry was
hushed, and it seemed that this waif Of the
storm had brought in with it all the gloom
and coldness Of the warning elements. Cos
kin, mixing up a cup Of hot egg -nog, ad-
vanced and remarked cheerily
Here, stranger, brace up! This is the
real stuff"
The man drained the cup, smacked his
lips, and seemed more at home.
Been prospecting, eh Out in the noun
tains-caught in the stormy Lively night,
this"
Pretty bad" said the man.
"Must feel pretty dry"
The man looked at his streaming clothes
and laughed, as if Goskin's remark was a sar-
casm.
"How long outf"
-Four days"
Hungry Z"
The man rose up, and walking over TO the
lunch counter, fell to work upon roast bear,
devouring it like any wild animal would have
done. As meat and drink and warmth began
to permeate the stranger, he seemed to ex-
pand and brighten up. His features lost
their pallor, and he grew more and more con-
tent with the idea that he was not in the
grave. As he underwent these changes the
threw off the temporary feeling OF depres-
sion which he had laid upon them. Present
ly his eye fell upon the piano.
where's the player z" he asked.
"Never had any" said Goskin, bushing at
the confession.
Il used to play when was young"
Goskin almost tainted at the admission.
stranger, do tackle it, and give us tune
Nary man in this camp ever had the nerve to
IL. n. L.
faster, for he feared that the man would re-
fuse.
"Tll do the best can" he said
There was no stool, but seizing candle-box,
he drew it up and seated himself before the
instrument. 1t only required few seconds
for a hush TO come over the room.
''That old coon is going to give the thing
rattle"
The sight of man at the piano was some
thing so unusual that even the faro-dealeT,
who was about to take in a $50 bet on the
tray, paused, and did not reach for the mon
ey. Men stopped drinking with the glasses
at their lips. Conversation seemed to have
been struck with a sort of paralysis, and
cards were no longer shuffied.
The old man brushed back his long, white
locks, looked up TO the ceiling half closed
his eyes, and in a mystic sort of reverie pass
ed his fingers over the keys. He touched
but single note, yet the sound thrilled the
room. 1t was the key to his improvisation,
and as he wove his chords together the music
laid its spell upon every ear and heart. He
felt his ways along the keys, like a man
treading uncertain paths but he gained con-
tidence as he progressed and presently bent
to his work like a master. The instrument
was not in exact tune, but the ears of his
audience, through long disuse, did not de-
teet anything wrong They heard success
sion of grand chords, a suggestion of para
disc, melodies here and there, and it was
enough.
''See him counter with his left I" said an
old rough enraptured.
HE calls the turn every time on the upper
end of the board, responded a man with a
stack of chips in his hand.
The player wandered off into the old bal
lads he had heard at home. All the sad and
melancholy and touching songs, that came up
like dreams of childhood, this unknown play
er drew from the keys. His hands kneaded
their hearts like dough, and squeezed out the
tears as from wet sponge. AS the strains
flowed one upon the other, they saw their
homes Of the long ago reared again; they
were playing once more where the apple
blossoms sank through the soft air to join the
violets on the green turf Of the old New Eng
land states they saw the glories of the Wis
consin maples and the haze of the Indian