The Opelousas courier., 1883-09-29
TIE ADOPTED SON.

ILL ADO1 11D NO1Ns
The burgomaster frowned and knit
his heavy brows; he was perplexed as
to what should be done with the little
figure before him. There he stoodin
his wooden sabot and rough peasants
clothes, hat in hand, and under n
arm the precious possession of his life
"a little old black fiddle.
The child's face was what puzzled
the burgomaster more than the simple
question of what he should do. When
the boy looked up with his eager,
earnest eyes. it somehow seemed to
him strangely familiar.
Where had he seen it all before?
There was no fear in his manner;
only a restless movement of the hand
holding the cap, showed him to be Ill
alt ease. The week before he had come
into town with his little old fiddle
and strange accent, and until to-day
&MN& EtF t&#
had been unmOlested.
Now, for what reason he could not
guess. he had been seized upon sud-
denly by the town authorities and
brought before the burgomaster. A
part only could he make out of what
was said, for his own language sound
AN4 4AH
ell queer on those strange tongues;
and as TO the explanations offered,
they had seemed a perfect jargon to
the towns people; therefore the burgo-
master being a learned man and yersed
In the patois spoken in various sec
lions of the country, the lad was
brought to him. Their duty, at all
events, had been accomplished. They
had explained how day after day the
child pursued no calling-attempted
nd trade-but sat ona bench or by the
road, with the children clustering
about, playing his fiddle, content, if in
return they sometimes shared with
him their huge slices Of bread.
1t was d vagrant life, and would
teach their own little ones bad habits,
therefore must be stopped. Either he
must leave the place, or go among the
town people and learn an honest trade.
The burgomaster, a stout, red-faced
man, had long ago done with senti-
ment--therefote small leniency was to
be looked for from him.
So Carl was brought, and now all
alone, stood before the magistrate.
What had he done, or what was to be
done with him, he did not know.
After a silence, seeing the burgo-
master looking at him. Carl came a
step forward, and, with his impetuous
manner, exclaimed:
what is 1t i have done? Naught
but play upon my fiddle to the chill
dren. 1T did no harm. and they liked
1t. rs it an offense to make music? In
3ther places, / and my fiddle have
made friends with the towns folks"
Hse shaggy brows knit closer, and
away down in The burgomaster $ heart
stirred a chord that for long years had
lain 50 quiet its existence had well.
nigh been forgotten.
Understand what the boy said? Al
sound of that patois. SO strange to the
ignorant townspeople, there came to
him visions Of his youth, and q long
holiday in the far-of sunny hamlet
where this dialect to him had grown
the sweetest music in the world as il
feIl in liquia, cultural notes from the
lips Of d young peasant maid.
So well the memory came-so fresh,
il seemed but yesterday-when, over
worked with studies, he had gone from
home to gan health and strength, and
Ieaxs learning for awhile to its owl
devices Well had his fathers injunc
tons been carried out in all save th.
last. ana that truly had been through
40 spirit of d~isoEedience. It was nj
lore gained from books; it sprang Vi
Il h heart, and not until the lessor
hid Teen armed too thoroughly eve
to be forgotten, did he even guess o