The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-08-03
I2O Reward
To Compliant Pianer Player.


This he stuck up on the music rack,
and though the inscription glared at the
irequenters of the room until midnight,
it failed to draw any musician from his
shell.
So the merrymaking went on: the
hilnrlty grew apacc. Men danced aud
sang to the music of the squeaky fiddle
and worn out guitar, as the Jolly crowd
within tried to drown the howling of the
storm without. Suddenly they became
aware of the presence OF white-haired
man crouching near the fireplace. His
garments, such as were left were wet
with melting snow, and he had half
starved, half-craHed 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 if in search Of something, and his
presence cast such 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 ele-
ments. Goskin, mixing up cup OF
egg nog advanced and remarked cheer
! lily:
"Here, stranger, brace up This is
the real stuff
The man drained the cup, smacked
his lips and seemed more at home.
"Been prospecting, Ell? Out in the
mountains caught III the storm? Live
ly night, this"
pretty bad said the man.
"Must feel pretty dry?'
The man looked at his streaming
clothes and laughed, as if Goskin's re-
mark was a sarcasm.
"HoE long out?'
"Four days
"1ungry?'
The man rose mp aud walking to the
lunch counter, fell to work on roast beef,
devouring it like any wild anirral would
have done. As meat and drink and
warmth began to pcrm"nte the stranger,
| he seemed to expand and tighten up
His features lost their pallor, and he
| grew more and more content with the
| idea that he was not in the grave. Az he
underwent these changes the people
around him got mclrier and happier, aud
threw off the temporary feeling OF de-
preston which he had laid upon them.
Presently his eye fell upon the piano.
"Where's the playcr?" he asked.
"Neyer had any" said Goskin, blush
ing at the confession.
81 used to play when was young"
- I ....l -
sion.
stranger. do tackle it and give us a
time. Nary man in this camp ever had
the nerve to rastle with that music box"
His pulse beat faster, for he feared that
the man would refuse.
"I'll do the best can, ;" he said
There was no stool, but seizing a can
die box, he drew it mp and seated him
self before the instrument. 1t only re-
auired few seconds for hush to come
over the room.
"That old coon is going to give the
thing rattle
The sight of man at the piano was
something so unusual that even the faro
dealer who was about to take i'll $50
bet on the tray, paused, and did not
reach for the money. Men stopped drink
ing with the glasses at their lips. Con
versation appeared to have been struck
with sort of paralysis and cards were
no longer shnllled.
The old man brushed back his long,
white locks. looked up to the ceiling
half closed his eyes. and in mystic sort
of reyerie passed his fingers over the
KEYS. He touched but a single note, yet
the sound thrilled the room. 1t was the
kew to his improvisations, and as he
woye his chords together the music laid
its spell upon every ear and heart. lie
felt his wav along the KEYS like man
treading uncertain paths, but he gained
| confidence in his work like master.
| The instrument was not in exact tune,
but the ears of his audience, through
long disuse, did not detect anything
wrong. They heard succession OF grand
chords, a suggestion of paradise, melod-
les here and there, and it was enough.
"See him counter with his left !! said
the old rough, enrapt,ired. =,
"He calls the turn every time on the
upper end Of the board, responded
man with stack Of chips in his hand.
The player wandered of into the old
ballads he had heard at home. All the
sad and melancholy, and touching songs
that came up like dreams OF childhood,
this unknown player drewfrom the keys.
His hands kneaded their hearts ike
dough, and squeezed ont The Tears as
from wet sponge A. the Strains
flowed one upon the other. they saw