, 1883-03-01
LOFE'S STH.fTiGLM.


csts, and where it could see and flash
back the smile of tHn restless, dancing,
moaning sea; and p.rhaps tina;
was the reason that it was such
n busy little village, for, although il
had only one street and church and q
schoolhouse (oh and blacksmith
shop, it was the most uneasy little place
imaginablc-and so conceited.
Ia the middle house of the right hand
row lived the musician Of the place-a
little wrinkled old man, with a wooden
leg, ratty hair and hooked nose, and q
face that was always wrinkling up, as il
it were making net to catch ideas.
They called him "the professor" and
the squire's daughter and the doctors
daughter and the lawyers wife, and the
two rich old maids that are to be found
in every village, and six of the minister's
"olIve branches" took lessons OF him.
And on summer evenings, when lie
used to sit playing Herr Worstanadrum's
adagio movement, in G. double sharp
minor, all the village used to gather
round his house, and say, softly, one to
anotho-.
"What great man is the professor,
and what wise and enlightened and
noble and art.loving people are We Bun
dernarians u
He was very absent man, this pro.
fessor for his brain was so full 81
crotchets and quayers that he couldn',
tell cup of coffee from a sheet of mu,
sic, and wore his wooden leg upside
down half the time; and whenever his
daughter Martha (who was q sort ol
Maine fairy, and kept his house in order,
and his queer old ideas Strengthened out
would say, " Father, the squire's daugh'
ter, or the doctors daughter, is waiting
Tor you," off went the professor like q
shot-his faded dressing. gown stream
ing in the wind, his ratty locks uncov-
cred, and his sound foot, without shoe
or stocking, hopping through the streets
like mad and then all the BIunder-
narians would raise their hands and say
once more, one to another.
"Oh, what great man is the pro-
lessor II
But after while, there found his
way to the village young man, with
dark, thoughtful eyes, and long, curling
hair, who unpacked his trunks and set
up huge sign, announcing that he was
aprofessor also. And all the neighbors,
as they went by, used to sniff at it and
say:
81 guess he can't play Herr Worst
anadrum's pieces p And there was q
greater crowd round the old professors
house than ever.
The young man, however, didn't seem
to take it much to heart but one even
ing, when lls naighbor had finished the
adagio movement in G. double-sharp
minor, he sat down to his piano; and
al the Blundernarians laughcd-for the
first few notes were not bit like Herr
Worstanadrum's
He heard the laugh, but he played
on; and, presently, there came through
the window sounds like the rustling Of
pines and the murmur Of water, and the
songs OF birds, and shouts of children,
and tinkling Of bells; and all the Blum
dernarians who didn't carry handker-
chiefs fell to wiping their eyes on their
aprons and jacket-sleeves and bang
went the window of the professor, who
had been listening. And all that night
he sulked in his easy--chair, and
wouldn't speak word to his daughter
Martha when she urged him to go to
bed.
After that, the squire's daughter
found out what handsome eyes the
young professor had, and told the doc
tors daughter and then all the Blum
dernarians discovered that the old pro-
fessor was out of date, aud shabby, and
crusty, and queer, and goose instead
Of swan and in q little while his pu-
pills had all dropped of. And the crowd
was around the Young mans window,
who had always something new to play;
and the oil man sat scowling in his
easy-chair, or played Herr Worstana-
drum with the loud pedal, and half suf-
focated Martha and himself, because he
wouldn't have the windows opened.
Poor little Martha went around with
her blue eyes swimming in tears, and
her rosy lips quiyeriug all the time; and
whenever she passed the young mans