Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-05-18

cultivated
"Pshaw!" cried Mrs. Marchell, and sh,
bounced out of the shop in rage.
But if Mrs. Marchell was the cbild'
temporal mistress, music was her sniritua
one. Poebe Lockett went quietly about
her work, In the years that followed, bu
she could not forget the divine strain.
which the well-rosined bow had drawn
out OF the antique violin, in the red glow
OF the winter sunset, that January after
noon, in the garret.
Mrs. Marchell had done I'D her from,
halr In papers, assumed her gray fannel
dresslng-gown, when. CHANGING 90 look
out OF the north kitchen window, she saw.
or thought she saw the glimmer of a hight
In the top window of the barn.
81 can't have been mistaken" said Mrs.
Marchell; sit amt the time o. wear for
nre- flies, and will o-the-wisps don't &c
dancing and twinkling round our barn.
Its tramps-that's what it is.''
''Fiddlesticks!" said MIR. Marcheil, sleep.
lily, from the exact ceptre of a downy
feather pillow.
| There was two men asked for drink
OF milk, at the buttery door, just about
dusk, added the lady, sand l didn't much
like their looks at the time"
'1ts all right, dare say, yawned Mr..
Marchell
WELL" cried tie farmeress, energet-
ically, IF you don't go into it, l will.''
And fiinging her husbands shaggy over.
coat around her, and taking the lantern IN
one hand, she started for the barn.
She was right. There was dim tallow-
candle burning In the barn chamber, and
by Its fiickering light, Phoebe Lockett was
busy practicing on the violin, from some
sheets of torn and well-thumbed music.
She started up with cry at the appari-
ton of Mrs. Marchell in the doorway-an
evening spectre, with a shaggy overc ,ai
and dark lantern.
''Ung-ateful girlln tragically cried out
Mrs. Marchell; ''how dared you to dis
obey mel''
Il meant no harm, p" faltered poor Phe-
be. Il hired the violin from the village
music store, with the dollar Mr. Marchell
gave me for finding his gold spectacles,
and Mrs. Musard gave me the music; and
l came out here of night, so that the
noise shouldn'; disturb you"
''PhOebe.' said Mrs. Marchell "what 6
goose you arel Why don't you stick t.
your needle, and your rolling pin, and
your scrubblng- brush, as other girls dol
How do you ever expect to find bread in
the strings of fiddler
Phoebe hung down her head, and said
nothing IN reply.
"We NAV as well break the charm al
once" said Mrs Marchell, ''Pll take you
to the concert at Bloomington tomorrow
night. They tell me there's to be CIR
violinist there, as plays like playing; and
if that don't cure you of your silly ambi
tion, don't know what will.
Phoebe Lockett crlmsoned to the very
roots of the hair.
IL can't goi" said she. "That is,
not with you. promised Mrs
to go to her house; but perhaps she will
take me. The Musards are all going te
the concert"
at don't matter how you go" said Mrs
Marchell, ''nor with whom so long as you
see real excellence and learn the folly Of
your silly aspirations"
''But," faltered Phoebe, ''why shouldn't
be good player some time, too?"
"Why shouldn't the sky fall, and we al
catch larksi" contemptuously retortsd Mrs
, Marchell. ''As for you, the best thing
!, you can do is to go into the house and g
to bed as fast as possible"
And crestfallen Phoebe obeyed.
Mrs, Marchell dressed herself in hel
best black silk, to 60 to the Bloomington
concert, the next evening.
''For l suppose it Will be something
very fine" said she. "Where's my eye
glasses, Charleyl l must take them along
If expect TO see anything, for | do declar,
I'm getting binder every day
II expect, mother" Charley had an
swered, with little laugh, you'll see 1
lot of things to surprise you"
, The concert had proved an unusually
, great attraction in the neIghborhood, anC
the hall was crowded when the Marchel
party arrived, so that Mrs. Marchell wa
! forced to be content with campstool a
J the very back of the ROOM
'.Dear, dear, how provoking this is.
said the old lady. 'And Charley didn'
; find the eyeglasses after all. l shan't SCI
thing,"
''But you can hear" SAID Charley.
, ssHush- -sh-sh" SAID his mother. ''Isn'
that the violinist-a pretty, light-complex
ioned girl, in white, with roses in he
, hairl Now, do hope Phoebe Lockett
here to see this"
The violinist was greeted with shouts o
applause which died away into silence a
the delicious music rose upon the air, float
ing upward like the halos we see in ancien
pictures.
= 1t was a short capriccio and, when
ended, Mrs. Marchell was In tears.
q never thought before that cared S
' much for music" said she to Charley. Blu
S such music as that! DO you know
Charley, it seemed to me exactly as if m
, little baby that died twenty years ago wa
1 whispering in my earl Oh, if Pheb
l could only hear this"
The female violinist was certainly IN
e feature of the night. And at the close
the concert she was again and again calle
+. before the curtain to receive the rapturou
plaudits of the Bloomington public.
: sWhere's Phebel" said Mrs. Marchell
a standing on one of the benches to loo
r around her. '.Has any one seen ou
6 Phebe heres"
r II have" said Charley. drily. "Sha
T l take you to her?-here, in the little room
# adjoining the stage"
tBut what is she doing theref" sal
: Mrs. Marchcll, perplexedly.
Counting her bouquets, L suppose,
e Charley said, with the same odd httl
laugh. ~,
!. And. without further ceremony, DIR
Marchell was ushered into the presence
II the female violinist herself. all in whit
with deep red roses glowing in her han
~ and cheeks ahame with happy triumph.
IS ssPhoebel" calculated Mrs. Marchei
r fairly out of breath with astonishmen
:. "This is never-you =
Phoebe flew into Mrs. Marchell's s arms
o "Yes, dear, dear friend" she cried'
is l." -, =,
| x-n,r foil mPfp said III