Sharp County record., 1883-04-12
THE WHISTLER.


Tho father and mither and a should gae
mad;
Owhistle and I'll come to you, my Lad"
Some years ago at a Boston theater,
during one of the tedious waits when
the orchestra has finished its selection
and everybody had expressed criticism
on the play, there came one of those
dead lulls during which five minutes
seems an age, and Just at that moment
some one in the second gallery began
to whistle "Home, Sweet Home" The
low, clear notes were a' musical as the
strains of a flute, and they pierced the
air with their homesick melody and
touched ever heart. All heads turned
to look up, but it was impossible to dis
tinguish the whistler of the sweet
strains among the very ordinary look
ING people there, until a policeman ap-
peared and churlishly silenced him,
and then it was seen to be a slckly-
looking, poorly dressed man who had
entranced every ear with his plaintive,
tender melody and left a memory in
every heart. Nowadays whistling is
almost one of the lost arts. For good
ness sake stop that dreadful whistling,"
says some distracted mother to her
noisy offspring. She does not consider
that whistling is a safety-valve to the
boys feelings, relief to the pent-up
Utica OF his powers, AMI one OF the few
accomplishments natural to the genus
bov.
1.-The school-boy with his sachel in his hand
4..lr l.;
1t is fact that there are boys who
can not whistle. They will 60 through
the motions but only succeed in making
a frightful face, and no no Sc, while
others can cut the air with a sharp,
shrill, long dl avn inspiration, that will
starte eepy dog half dozen blocks
in the d stance, and bring all the other
bows out Ii rats to meet at one given
point Send boy on an errand and
ten to one he will whistle all the way
there, and al the way back, giving
every conceivable note that the human
whistle is capa lie of. Ordina ilv, peo-
pie do not notice this infection in the
air in the shape of free concerts, but
stop few moments some daY on a busy
co ner and listen to the whistling boy.
You don't here any whistling-you are
disappointed; but wait when it comes.
There's land that is fairer than day"
You can't describe whistle any more
than you can kiss; both are lab al per-
formances that lose much in deScrip-
ton. But look at the boy that is whist
ling that sweet and sanity tune; he has
q boot black kit, has = ace as shrewd
as ierret's, and is tesIlng a lead nickel
and speculating as to the best way he
can run it out again. He is followed in
little while by a tired looking mes
senger who is giving Peek-a-boo for all
it is worth and then you are almost set
to dancing as ST. Patrick's Day in the
Morning comes rollicking down the
street, with snatches of opera, Baby
Mine, The Wearing of the Green and
more fashionable snatcheS from the
latest operas. The sweetest whistler in
Detroit is colored boy who is INSOFAR
able from a wheelbarrow of clothes
which he is taking home to his mother
to wash. There was ne er anything
set to music that he can not produce in |
perfect time and with every note clear
and distinct. One day he whistles ne
gro melodies; another it is all church |
music. Then he gives medleys and
there is singularly plantive, almost
pain I'll sweetness in his tones. 1t is
said that bad boys do not whistle; they
are secretive and quiet.
There is story of woman who was
left alone in a temporary home on the
prairie with her little family while her
husband vert to a distant town after
provisions. She describes in heroic
verse her fear of the red man and how
she sat late at night by her window and
was terrified by the approach of foot
steps.
"Then knelt until lat in the evening,
And scarcely ali inch had stirred,
When su denly iar in the distance
sound as Of visiting he lrd.
started up drea1fully frigh ened
For fear twas an ln1ians call,
And then very soon remembered
The red man ne'er Whistles ut all.
1t was a neighbor's boy coming to
protect her who had whistled to let her
know of his approach, and she concludes
6y say ing
Since such goo1 reason I've given,
Why say shant care foi the music
Dniess there is whistling in Heayen2
Yes, often I've said so in earliest,
And now what I've said reheat,
That unless the re's a boy ther \a-w hstling
The music will not be complelf."
Boys sent 6at after dark aNe said to
whistle to keep their courage up. They