The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-05-12
=, LOVES STRATEGEM,,
On THE DARK-EYED STRANGER AND THE
WRINKLED OLD MAN.
BY MARLEY oowEN.


It was little village called Blunder-
not in Fairy-land, but in Maine-land-
just out of the shadow of the solemn for
ests, and where it could see and fash
back the smile of the restless, dancing, |
moaning sea- and perhaps that was the
reason that it was such busy little viii
lage; for, though it had only one street
aud n church, and.a school-houso (oh!
and a blacksmith's shop), it was the most
uneasy little place imagirable-a SO
conceited.
In the middle house of the right hand
row lived the musician of the place-a
little wrinkled old man, with wooden
leg, ratty hair, aud hooked nose. and
II face that was always wrinkling up, as
If it were making a net to catch ideas.
They called him "the professer;" 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 tine minister's
''oliye branches" took lessons of him.
And on summer evenings, when he 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
another:
"What great man is the professor,
and what a wise, aud enlightened, and
noble, and art loving people are we
Blundernarians!'
He was very absent man, this pro-
fessor; for bis brain was so full of
crote4rts aud quavers that he couldn't
tell cup of coffee from sheet of music,
and wore his wooden leg upside down
half the time; and whenever his daugh-
ter Martha (who was a sort of Maine
fairy. and kept house in order, and his
queer cid ideas Strengthened out), would
say, Father, The sqnire's daughter, or
| the doctors daughter, is waiting for you" "
faded dressing-gown streaming in the
wind, his ratty locks uncovered. and his
sound foot without shoe or stocking,
horping through the streets like mad
and then all the Blundernarians would
raise their hands and say once more, one
10 another:
."Ob, what great man is the profes-
sor!"
| But, after awhile. there found his
way to the village young man, with
dark, thoughtful eyes, and long, curling
hur, who unpacked his trunks and set
mp huge sign, announcing that he was
professor also. and all the neighbors,
as they went by, used to sniff at it and
sny:
Il guess be can't play Herr Worstan-
1drnm's pieces!' Aud there was 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 the neighbor had finished the
adagio movement in G double sharp
minor, he sat down to his piano; and all
the Dlundernariaus laughed-for the
first few notes were not bit like Herr
Worstanadrum's.
He heard the laugh, but he played on
Il.
window sounds like the rustling of pines
and murmur Of water. and the songs o
birds. and shouts of children, and tink
ling Of bells; and all the Blundernariani
who didn't carry haudkerchiefs fell tC
wiping their eyes on their aprons anC
jacket sleeves; and bang! went the win
dow of the professor, who had been lis
tening. And all that night be sulked il
his easy chair, and wouldn't speak {
word to his daughter Martha when sh
urged him to 90 to bed,
After that, the squire's daughter fount
out what handsome eyes the young pro
fessor had, and told the doctors daugh
ter; and then all the Blundernarians dis
covered that the old professor was out Q
date, and shabby, and crusty, and queer
and goose instead of q swan; and in
little while his pupils had all droppe
of. Aud the crowd was around tn
young mans window, who had alway
something new to play; and the old ma
sat scowling in his sOsy-chair, or playe
Herr Worstauadrum with the loud pedN
and half sufiocated Martha and himse
because he wouldn't have the window
opened.
q Poor little Martha went around wit
her blus eyes swimming in tears, and be
lips luiyeriug all the time; aud wheI
ever she passed the young mau's vii
dow, she used to dart such sayal
gltuces at it as. if they had been pist'
balls, would certainly have made an en-
OF hun as be always happened TO
there when she went by.
So matters went on, till one evening
when Martha was almost as sulky as h'
father-beeause that day she had lost oil
of her two handkerchiefs-in her indi
nation at the professors presuming
bow TO her, the door opened, and Il