Connecticut western news., 1883-12-12


 there. I saw him. A soldier, I knew by his bearing, with crael. hard, gray eyes: and she sang, I knew it. l de- tected 8 tremble and gratitude in the notes. I felt she was to suffer, as I had suffered; not that I sang. l had no voice. A harsh, gnttural sound was all I could give utterance to. l could whistle like bird, and often and often have lain for hours in the shade of 8 tree and joined the concerts in the woods. --
 One day I was whistling. when I was tapped on the shoulder by an old man, the cobbler of the next parish.
 "Sam, where did you learn that?" E
 "Learn what?"
 "That tune."
 s'At church"
 'You've good ear, Sam"
 .I've nothing else good, but I can whistle anything" f"
 "Can you whistle me the Morning Hymn?"
 I did so.
 "Good; very good. Know anything of music, Sam ?'' -.
 "Nothing."
 "Like to?"
 sT'd give all I have in the world to be able to play anything. My souls full of music. can't sing a note, but I could play anything if was taught. :"
 :sSo you shall, Sam, my boy. Come home with me. Garry these skins, and you shall begin at once."
 went home with him, and found that he was one of the players in the choir of his parish, his instrument being the violoncello. I took my first lesson, and from that time commenced new life. Evening after evening, and some- times during the day, wandered over to his little shop. and while he sat, stitch, i stitch at the boots and shoes, l played over and over again all the music l could get from the church.
 sYou've beautiful lingering, Sam, my boy, beautiful; and though it does look little awkward to see you lowing away with your left, it makes no differ ence to you. You ought to be fine player, sam."
 was enthusiastic, but was poor. I wanted an instrument of my own, but had no money and I earned none-I could earn none.
 "Sam, my boy" said the cobbler, one day, "you shall have an instrument, and kyour father shall buy it for you, or the whole parish shall cry shame upon him."
 "But he don't know word of this, , I said.
 "Never mind, Sam, my boy, he shall be glad to know of it," and he told me his plans.
 On Christmas Day it was customary for the choirs of neighboring churches to help each other, and it was arranged that the choir of our parish should play and sing on the next Christmas morn ng at his parish church, and that he and his choir should come over to our parish for the evening service.
 "And you, Sam," said he, ''shall take my place in your own church; and, please God, you do as well there as you've done here, it will be the proud. est day shall know, Sam, my boy, and your mother and father will say so too." The evening came; and there, in the dimly-lit gallery, I sat waiting, with my master beside me.
 "Sam, my boy" said my master, ''it'' great risk; it's getting very full There's the squire and my lady jus come in. Keep your eyes on your bool aud feel what you're playing, and thinl you're in the little shop; I've brought [ bit of leather to help you," and he pu s piece of that black leather that has , peculiar acid scent in front of me. Th' 8 scent of it revived me; the memory O the many hours had spent there cam' 7 back to me at once, and felt as calm a
 if were indeed there. t She came at last, and service began 7 Oh, that nightl Shall I ever forget it @ pleasures ?-the.. wondering looks of tn t friends and neighbors who came ant
 found in me, the despised, awkward p left-handed saddler's apprentice, tn @ prodigy of which they had reard rumors @ Oh, it was glorious2 The first fe,
 strokes of my bow gave me confidence y and did well, and knew it, through tn u hymn, through the chants and on to tn o anthem before the sermon. This wa y to be the gem of the evening; it wa 0 Handel's then new anthem, 'sI kno,
 that my Redeemer liveth." d It began-harsh, inharmonious, out ( l. tune-I know not why or how;, but as 's progressed spell seemed upSn all bt n her and myself; one by one the inssss l. ments ceased and were silent; one
 one the voices died away and were los Id and she and I alone, bound together an n driven on by an irresistible impuls,
 went through the anthem; .one.soul, or le spirit seemed to animate both. Fl whole congregation listened breath1ei ct as to an angel; and she, self-absorbe s, and like one in trance, sang, fllir sd me with delicious sense of peace ar lg exultation, the like of which I ha,