The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-12-31
NELLER'S NOVICE.

ANIIIIiIiIil ~ wv IOiIs
My father formed part Of an English regi
mental band, aud I WAS born At Malta lie had
good musical knowledge aud gave Lessons to suCl
onicers Ia garrison as cared Tor instrumental insruc
ton lie was from the south Of England, and h
namo was Page. My mother was an Italian, hut sh,
died before ! was year old. was sent TO q sol
diers' school IN the barracks ana picked up som,
little education. AS Malta Is place where many
languages are spoken learned italian, French,
and n smatterlng OF German. When was thirteen
the regiment was ordered 10 Gibraltar, where Il
manned three years Tho school FOR soldiers chill.
dren was better there than at Malta and we bovs
were taught some little music. My father gave me
lessons on the plccolo aud the plano and ut fcen
was often called upon To- play 1T the ofccrs quarters.
MY father was very good To me- ana loved MIN
dearly. When of duty his Ouy amusement was
cards " not chg!Eou w Hvue game WIN hls COM
rades, When alone he played solitaire. must have
been not more than fifteen when found out, much
to my distress that ~ tathcr's pay lost ut play.
In those days had no liking for cards, FOR | had
been bred ina barracks, aud was tired OF seeing
them, for play was constant; hut TO umusc my
father learned the gamos he liked. Whether my
wits were sharper than my fathers, or luck was
against him, | always won FROM him. lie never
showed any irritation nor inyCighcd against his bad
fortune. was sharp enough tn sec that, although
clever ut many things, at cards lie had the simplicity
Of child. sometimes suspected that his comrades
neeced him.
bone player, who always won his money. After
parade father and the role would sit down to their
game OF pluuet aud It invariably ended Inv my
fathers losing. There FIRST lieutenant In one
Of the companies to whom father gave lessons tho
flute, and would play the plano accomplishments.
lie was very kind to went on crrandS for him,
and many were the siNpences aud shllings he gavo
me. one day at his quarters saw n French book
| remember Its title to-day, La Magic Blanche,
Devoiite (which told about tricks ut cards. with
his permission borrowed II and studied the book
carefully, taking one Of fathers packs Of cards to
illustrate the methods OF passes, shunes and deals,
From practice on the piccoo aud piano my fingers
were very supple, and soon mastered all the tricks.
II became mania with ne, and All my leisure was
IL,
cards. | suppose was even then an expert
watched the Poles method Of play aud the very first
time detected his tricks, which were very clumsy
ones. one day, when father had lost his months
pay rs usual the Pole being his opponent, I asked
permission to play with the trombone-player, aud
spread on the table two brand-new shillings tho
lieutenant had Just given me- The men, some half
dozen of them, who werc IN the room, laughed and
made small wagers against me-. The Pole consented.
lie had way Of getting what is called In plquet
"qudtnr-e,N or four aces or four kings much
more frequently than the probabilities OF chances
would allow. Still, he was skillful player. dis.
concerted his play once or twice by my apparent
awkwardness In upsetting the cards after he had cut
them. very soon found out that the cards were
marked. In the middle OF a game, just as he was
about collecting his cards, called oil for him al
most every card In his hand and openly accused him
VI cheating. lie srrang to his feet, lifted mp
heavy camp stool, aud felled me to the ground. |
afterward learned that the men had set ON him and
beaten him within an inch of his life. The matter
brought before the Dand-master, and the oncers
heard Of 1t. The upshot OF 1t was that had brain
fever for u month, When | was well and about
found out that the place had been made too hot FOR
the Pole FOR he had exchanged into another regl
mental band which went to India, so never heard
of him any more.
When was sixteen The regiment, band and all,
was ordered to England. As my father had served
through two enlistments, he ired of the service
aud was determined TO leave 1t. sone small amount
OF arrears was due him, Gi5 which was paid him.
lie set about making living. lie soon found
place In the orchestra OF minor theatre. But the
weakening effects of soiOurn In the Mediterranean
had undermined his constitution. one cold and
rainy March night coming home from his theatre,
he went to bed with chill, ana my poor father died
of pneumonia within the week. l was a lad barely
seventeen, with no profession, without penny In the
world, adrft In London, for there had been only
money enough left to bury my father Some theatre
was getting ready for an Easter performance and
advertised for lads who could play on wind instru-
ments Among other juvenile attractions mill
try band composed OF bows, wanted ON the stage.
| took father's pccolo with me, and applying for
the place. was asked by the stage manager what
conld do looked so small that ha doubted my
powers. | drew the octave flute from my pocket
and tried such n sharp treble that the sound must
have drilled through the mans ears, for was at
accepted. became leader of the band, and when
the piece was performed was advertised iuve-
nile prodigy. When the season was over was dis
missed.
Then came a life struggle. Sometimes | sang In
chorusps In elder cellars, played pccolu at subur-
ban fairs. | was thrown into every questionable
company, with mOuntehanks and wandering min.
strels | wandered all over England. | slept In
bitches, under haymows, or where hedge Kept of
the bitter wind. once in Manchester, Ia the window
OF Il small tavern saw pasted up ON bit Of paper
these words "Wanted, atrick-card performer, -
was reduced TO my last penny, and all had In the
world was my pccolo. What conld slip of lad
like me do, nnyhow?h was the question the landlord
put to me. ASKING him for pack Of cards. went
through several commonplace tricks, which seemed
to satisfy the proprietor of the - Free and Easy. ~
told him that was little out OF practice, but that
would improve in time. and had quite collection
OF tricks at his disposal. sat down at the misera
BILE piano and played - God Save the Queen, - and
engaged in probationary Kind uf way at -.
a night. proved quite success.
My landlord was by means n bad fellow only
adj lad in In,
ala tricks With cards. few acts of legerdeman
with cups ami balls, played the plano, aud blew tho
octave hutc. My salary was raised al 3s., had
a cuhhy hole 10 sleep IN, and my beer. found
was living In an atmosphere Of beer aud gin. Tho
pain In my head was often so severe that would
drown my anguish In drink. might have died be-
fore was eighteen OF mania a potn had not the
landlord himself been taken off by apUpleNy. The
place changed hands and | lost my place.
wandered about In a hopeless Kind Of way until
reached Liverpool. There found II circus company
going Canada and the United States, and Joined
passage to he paid and was to work with the
pany Tor two months for nothing. was shamefully
used on board, and. III TO death was made to groom
the horses. A week after landing took French
leave, and walking part of the way and stealing
casional rides on the cars reached Albany. 1t was
daring the last year of the Civi War. enlisted
drafted into the bi nd As tifcr, and was present
with Gen Grant before Petersburg. After the was
over drifted 10 baltimore, and now comes the par
ticular incident have been su long arriving at.
suppose have Bohemian instincts strongly devel-
Oped. That means a perfect reliance on ones self
anu ones ability To make living but not by the
binary or humdrum methods. 1t was in what In
America Is called a "diye, - III II wel-kn0wn street
In baltimore, where for dollar night was In
stalled as pianist. The house not disreputable
one. Near theatre, II was frequened 10y people
who had been vt the performance aud quite num-
her of actors would drop in. My piano. playing was
quite an attraction. | had worked hard ut 1t.
Though the pains In my head We're frequent, 1t all
noye me less to play the piano than to blow through
the plccoo.
One night in December. as | was banging away In
"A noisy heller Skelter way, who should come In but
heller. Everybody knew Neller, the famous pres
iidgtaieur. ! hardly think he was attracted by my
playing. He was, l suppose, simply thirsty and
wanted glass of beer. AS he went To the lar he
never rs much AS looked At me. once or twice, when
my regiment was stationed near Washington and
had leave of absence, had been to his performances
His plano playing, which was rather peculiar. had
made quite an impression on me, My ear Is a very
quick one. took my cue at once. Gradually tenn
pering the vgor of NY chords commenced a modua-
tion and worked into 1t theme of Neller's the one
he called Ihe storm. - His glass was TO his mouth,
he was blowing oil the foam, when he paused. left
the air al once, and commenced to improyise. Then
up went his glass again, and slid into his own COM
position Then Neler put down his beer untasted,
and turning To me said; See here, Young man,
dont like that kind of thing. My concert piece in
beer cellar though ateTng to my pride, Is quite apt
TO make it common-and then you havn't got it
exactly pat
''Nir. heller, know it is not correct, for only
heard 1t once three or four years ago, but may |
assure you that IL Is the homage of poor devil 10
great masterY''
''That's not badly turned, my boy, though it's
patter.'
''No, not patter. -
Lyon are not Yankee?''
ono; John Bull-bOrn In Malta,''
''And what can you dO?''
'Pretty much the same thing as you, sir play plano
and squeeze cards. "
~ brother, then? Bless me Suppose wanted
some one to help me, or, rather you wanted
To help yon. for you are very low down here. Now,
never go without my iools,'' and Neller drew pack
Of cards from his breast pocket and made the cascade
shuttle In his neatest style.
by this time the presence OF the seight- Of hand
performer was known to the inmates of the beer cellar
and they crowded around him. Neer took II all
pleasantly. "Dont crowd so, gentlemen, II you want
to the show; hut 1t is always that way at free
performance Now, tell you what viii do; with
the landlord permission VIII say beer all around
at my expense, or what you like, and though don
for an instant doubt this gentleman capabilities
'oh, Mr.. Neller | am entirely ont of practice,
and even II were quite up never could pretend to
cope with You, ~ said.
- aid not say You could, and, Indeed, do not
want TO put any slur you, for your panO-playing
is really excellent. Now, let's havo free and easy
Tor just ten minutes, and shall pass u hat around
and what In 1t goes TO the pianist and viii put In
the first half dollar. ~
The audience agreed, and taking bystander' shat
heller apparently dropped half-dollar In the hat
You heard 1t drop, and heller turned the hat upside
down there nothing In n, took the hall ON