Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-12-13
THE STORY OF ssBLIND TOM.v

A few days ago l accidentally learned
| that lady whose home is in New Orleans,
but who is temporarily visiting in this city,
could tell me something about Blind Toms
early life, and accordingly went to see her.
TO the first question that would naturally
be asked, she replied:
"Yes; can tell you all about him. Blind
TOMS father was foreman of my fathers
plantation in Georgia. "A foreman, you
will understand, is one who is placed over
the other slaves where they do not have
white overseers. Toms mother was our
cook, and as such her room adjoined the
kitchen. The slaves, as you know, had
separate quarters, and lived a short distance
and Toms mother, the cook, was frequent
ly in the rear rooms of the house, and sew
eral of the children, of which she had an eX-
traordinary large number, would follow her
around After Tom had familiarized him
self with his new surroundings, he became
bold enough to creep from the kitchen out
in the hall towards the parlor, where his
acute ears would catch the sound of a pi-
ano. His mother in the kitchen would then
miss him, and run and drag him back, each
time administering a severe beating. But
the child went back all the same, and listen
ed. After while fathers attention was
to let him stay where he was. When we
let him come into the parlor, the little imp
went wild with delight. Before he could
stand alone, he would draw himself up and
commence striking the keys"
"How old was Tom when he began to
show his musical skill?"
''Tom could play any ordinary music and
few more difficult compositions before he
was years old. He would creep to the
l,n1I .,h1 tn IL
and could sing Scotch ballads before he
could talk enough to ask for bread. All he
needed was for some one to play 50 that he
could hear and he would Immediately play
the piece without varying Il particle. l
remember we'll, a few years after, when
Tom became more proficient and had learn
ed to talk, seeing Tom grope his way into
the parlor, and approaching the piano, say
to the lady who was then playing, 81 can
play that better than you can. Use a
genius, is And sure enough, he did, al
though he had never heard the music
BEFORE"
"Has he ever tried instruments other
than the piano."
"Oh, yes. He can play on anything.
The flute is his special favorite. He has
beautiful silver flute with silver keys, of
which he is very proud. When he gets
started he will sometimes play all night
until the chickens crow in the morning.
Next to the flute the piano is his favorite,
| but he can execute music on any species OF
| instrument he can get"
"HaS Blind Tom had or needed any as
sistauce in his musical achievements ,"
"He has the very best kind of instructors,
although it has been at times difficult to OBJ
| tain teacher who would not be less prof.
cient than the pupil. All that Tom wants
| is some one to play new music for him, and
he only needs to hear it played once. Some
years ago father took him to Paris to see If
he could not be made to see and no effort
has been spared to give him a good educa-
ton. The story that Blind Tom is an idiot
in everything but music is a popular error.
His eccentricities when on the stage are
mistaken for idiocy, when in fact Tom is
frantically delighted or beWtched, if you
please, over the music he is making or
hearing. Blind Tom is not only we'll edu-
Gated, but refined. He does not use the ne
gro dialect, and can carry on an intelligent
conversation with anybody. He is affec-
tionate in disposition, and is devoted to all
the family, who are equally as fond of him.
When my boy was born Tom was much
afraid that his place in the family would be
taken by another, and he felt very badly
about it.n-(0r 4Niicuttkee Sentinel.
S1,pERsrITIolS MORMON WoMEN.--A
chastity burial ceremony that is practiced by
the Mormons rivet the hold polygamy has on
the superstition of these creatures. Every
wife that is buried has a black cloth laid on
her face, and the Mormon women are taught
to believe that on the resurrection day, when
the righteous are called into the joys of
their Lord, no hand but that of husband
can remove the CLOTH and that unless the
cloth is lifted by his hand she must remain
! in outer darkness forever. A woman who
believes that-and the Mormon women be-
lieve it-can't help behaving herself, no
matter how many wives her husband takes.
She has to keep on the right side of the only
man who can take off that CLOTH (hirngo
] Yt.IIiIIn