The Republican journal., 1882-04-06

do that she could not play Just as well
on the piano. Huldah had the ambition
and the elf-confidence which are the
fortune and natural Accomplishments Of
true genius. Slowly, very slowly the
beans found their way to the pan now,
for Huldah had left Bach and Beethoven
to do sum in mental arithmetic. If she
could practice half hour each day, how
many full hours would that make in the
year .? 1t wasn't hard to reckon, and she
had just found the answer when her
mothers voice recalled her to her work.
Huldah stopped short and looked into the
| pan.
Enough for a mess,' she said, and
hurried into the house.
"What in the world has kept you so
long?' the busy, busting woman inquir-
ed, snatching the beans from her daugh-
ter's hands. "Get to shelling as fast as
You can" she continued. "There is
somebody extra for dinner: some hifalu-
tin musician from the city. He's very
particular what he eats, 'spose; such
people generally are; and those beans
ought to be cooking this minute. They'll
be as tough as David's armour, I've no
doubt. Huldah Calhoun, couldn't you
have been little switter?'
The child said no word of Beethoven
or Bach She never spoke of her dreams,
and rarely of her wishes, to her mother.
She knew intuitively that she would not
have understood her But Huldah had
sensed very little of what had been said
after the one magic word musician
She had drawn chair to her mothers
side, and was sheiling beans with all her
might and turning things over in her
mind with equal celerity, She did not
ask any questions. That was not her
way, and she wondered where the musi-
clan would sit at the table, and if he
would play on the piano, and if he did
play should she hear him, or be in the
kitchen washing dishes.
"Mary Rich was in a minute ago" her
mother began again, ''and said YOU would
be dreadful pleased to hear the masiher
again. s'pose that's Dutch for musician.
l wonder Mary don't speak English bet
ter, after living in this country so long.
"Why should be glad Did Mary
say 2" Huldah had asked a question at
last. One long yellow pod was open in
her fingers, and the fingers trembled so
that Mrs. Blaisdell looked from them to
the pale face of her daughter in unfeign-
ed astonishnent.
"Well, | should like to know :" she eN-
claimed, and from the expression Of her
face it was plain that she spoke the truth.
Huldah emptied the pod and repeated
the question.
''She said he was the leader or what
ever you call it, of that concert she took
you to hear. and that You were quite
carried away by his music"
"You can leave now, Huldah, and tidy
up bit. the lady went on in a tone OF
unusual tenderness. The beans We're
not all sheled, but Huldah needed no
the long flights Of stairs to Der little room
in the attic, and once there, locked the
door for what reason she could never
have told-and sat down by the window
to think it all over.
"Mr Blaisdell may storm if he's mind
to-" said Huldah's mother as her daugh-
fer left her, "but shall send for Sophlo
ny West, and give Huldah a breathing
spell. Good gracious! how her little
hands trembled at the thought of the
music. She is just like her father If
he'd a'lved, nobody would have beat him
with the fiddle. | wish I'd thought a
little more of Carts playing at the time,
| wish to goodness had I've told him
many time that I'd enough sight rather
hear cat squaWk than that violin of his
a wailing and lamenting. 1t did use to
make my hair stand on end sometimes,
and yet Carl was accounted good play
ey. must try and make itup to lIuldah
in some way
The little girl was too restless and eX-
cited to stay long in the attic. She came
down looking very sweet and lovely. in a
light print dress, with pretty lace in the
neck and sleeves. She would iron the
napkins for dinner, and the one that was
to be beside his plate should be Just the
least bit nicer than any body's else. She
would put some of the late Jacqueminot
roses in it, the great red hearted, velvet
leaved roses which were her special ia
vorites. He wouldn't think it strange.
Roses would make a musician happy, she
was quite sure.
'Dld the music man play so very extra
nice 2" Mrs. Blaisdell inquired. Huldah
couldn't quite understand this new inter
est of her mothers, and the lady would
have been puzzled to have explained it
herself.
ale didn't play at all, mamma" the
child replied with a laugh "at least, he
had nothing but white stick in his hand.
1t seemed to me, though, he made all the
music. Mary says the stick is called a
baton, and the leader Of the orchestra, -
here Huldah put down her iron, and
waived an imaginary baton -'marks the
time this way, and they all follow him ;
but | told Mary he did a good deal more
than mark the time, and Mary laughed
and said yes, and the right kind of a
conductor always inspired his orches-
ira "
"Well, you and Mary do beat all =
Mrs. Baisdell replied, "and if your father
was alive he'd match the pair OF you"
Huldah had often been told that she
took after her father in her odd notions,
but this was the first time that the tone
of the communication seemed to have
either respect or interest in it. When
found she ''made a note ont as Captain
Cutie would have suggested, but it was
instinctively, and without the least design,
though with some natural curiosity. At
ter the table was set, and the musiker 5
place made as bright as possible, Huldah
went into the garden and picked three of
the fairest roses she could find. The stems
she tucked into a fold of her visitors
napkin, leaving the wonderful blossoms
exposed to view. She did not put them
in vase, because she feared he would
not know they were intended for him,
and then he might not feel at liberty to
take them away with him Huldah did
not eat at the first table, so she could not
see how the maestro received her tribute
but that was of small account. 1t was
quite enough that he should be pleased
with her Jacqueminots. The little girl
was in the orchard when the great family
of boarders poured into the dining groom,
At this time she usually washed her pots
and pans, and skimmers, cullenders, and
pudding bags-housekeepers only can
tell what did not fall to her lot on these
occasions but Sophrony had arrived and
Huldah was at liberty to enjoy herself as
she pleased. She had taken the sym
phony cut with her, and when the object