Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-05
MISS PIPER,s PUPIL.

MISS PIPERsS PUPIL.
Miss Pandora Piper, teacher Of music,
who had hard work TO keep soul and body
together. but was not unhappy, because,
as she said, she was never left without a
new bonnet for Easter Sunday, and one
black silk, somehow, always lasted until
she managed 10 get a new one. received a
very singular note one Morning. note
which mad been handed in at the door, the
landlady's girl said, BY an ''Olderly
gentleman"
The epistle was enveloped in the cost
Lest and most richly decorated envelope
% be procured for love or money any
WEaEs. The paper, nearly as thick as
cardboard, was 70 match. A coat Of arms
was IN the corner and the words below
were as follows:
Miss PIPER: a person Of negluckted eder-
r2shun wshiul to be undertook. VIII kali
--a MISTER SLIGER.
MY EraciOus.' calculated Miss Pan
dora: me must have been neglected,
that's certain, / never saw anything like
that before in all my life Fatally for
gotten, i should say. Well, l wonder
what be can be like. He must be rich, 1
suppose. Poor people can't afford such
stationery as this. And a coat of arms,
TOO. >hOddy. l suppose; but so that he's
respectful, why should ! care for that?
Anne Eliza GTiggs by marriage, Just as
she was beginning to take variations.
'NOra, L shall be in if a new pupil-a
gentleman-calls at O'Clock"
Nora, who liked Miss Piper, who often
gave her little presents and who kept on
an upper shelf Of her closet some sOOth-
ing balsam which she was always ready
TO apply TO the poor girls awkward
fingers, which were always being cut or
burnt or pinched in something, gave an
amiable grin and offered to polish up the
CRATE when she had a minute, 'seeing a
stranger was coming
The morning wore away. Two little
girls had gone through their exercises and
a heavy lady who took lessons IN vocal
music had nearly burst blood vessel in
endeayOring to gain a certain high note,
which was the object Of her ambition.
Miss Piper had been around the corner
to give a lesson there and over the way to
see 10 another pupils practising.
She came home in a hurry, arranged
her nair, saw that the little parlOr was
neat, and awaited her guest with feyerish
anxiety.
At last he came.
Nora showed some one ups airs and
there entered at the door an elderly gen.
tleman Of benign appearance, dressed in
the latest fashion, but not without regard
TO MS age. who, bowling low, remarked:
Il hope 1 am not late, mum. L know
your time must be very valuable"
Il am sure l only wish everybody was
as punctual," said Miss Piper. 1T is eX-
actly O'Clock"
You're very kind, num- said the
gentleman. seating himself. as Miss Piper
motioned him to a chair. 'Pm an Oldish
pupil. ] suppose you think; but III eX-
plain. I think I've explained in my note,
but I'll explain again. I've been neg
lected. not from any unklndness-fOr my
mother did the best she could for me-but
we were very poor. / don't wish TO men,
ton the humble position I've always Oc-
cupied until year ago, when somebody
came from England and hunted me up.
Mother was dead, poor dear. but this is
how il was: Father was very rich and up
in the world; mother was hOusemald.
He married her, and his mother was tu-
riOus. and mother couldn't stand it. She
ran away; she came here, and AVed an
honest. hard-wOrking life. 1t was only
when she died she told me my name was
not NOggings, but Shger, and that she
had written to my father, or got some
lawyer 10 write, and he was dead, too,
and | came into the property and left the
humble position / won't allude 20, and
well. I'm rich, but I don't know anything,
and before l 20 to England l want to be
educated. You understands
Its a very laudable ambition, Pm
sure" said Miss Piper. 4 usually teach
music but. of course, l can undertake
the English branches"
eyes. num- replied the gentleman,
hastily. i want to begin with music
the pvauner. l have never known any
one i'm high life who could not play upon
TIE pvauner. Begin with that and 60 on
10 spelling, which l am conscious that l
sadly need
1t was not the usual course, but there
was a serious and Gignified manner about
this neglected person that made It impOs-
sible tor Miss piper to say so. she men,
toned her terms and set the hours for the
lessons, and so skilltully emphasized the
name Of the instrument that Mr.. SlIger
before his departure lad begun to call it
Ethe peearnO" instead of the ''pyanner."
AT the door, however he gave her
dreadful shock.
Il wish, num-" he remarked, ''to begin
with tunes"
Miss Piper was a conscientious little
teacher. but she felt that there were peO-
pie in this world who must have their own
way. and Mr.. Sliger's first lesson consist
ed Of the white COckade."
He had a very good ear; he was anxious
10 learn. From the ssWLite COckade" he
went on 10 Life Let Us Cherish" and
poor guilty Miss Piper, who felt that the
notes had very little TO do with his per-
Torrance beat time ana counted.
Meanwhile she found that. leaving edu-
cation out Of the question, the man was
very sensible-that he was very kindly
and amiaDle. Once corrected in the pro-
nunciation Of a word, he never became
backslider on that question. However, it
was he who arranged everything, not his
teacher.
As other lessons were added the ne
elected person set the hours for them;
finally be had six hours day. All the
pupils were dismissed but one. The SPELL
ing lesson. the lesson in geography, the
lesson in history, followed each other. All
the weekdays were his.
Poor Miss Piper had no power TO say
him nay. He paid well. he treated her
with actual reverence; but the last pupil
went when he elected to copy some very
fat Flower pieces which Miss Piper had
executed in early youth and call this a
lesson in painting. He had all her week
days at last. He certainly had improved
in pronunciation, but Miss Piper felt her
self to be a humbug. What they really
did was 10 spend the day together exactly
as he chose. Playing with educational
books. humping the piano, daubing bris-
tOl board with impossible flowers, scram-
bling through the lessons in French, of
which Miss Piper had had a quarter from
Swiss gentleman. For a long time she
was alone on Sunday and usually went TO
the Methodist Church TO which she be-
lOnged; but Mr.. Sliger soon altered that.
he began by asking her whether they had
these vespers OF theirs at the Cathedral
on sunday morning. And when she in
structed him that ''vespers" were in the
later part Of the day, said he would call
for her.
Accordingly she went to vespers at the
Cathedral in the afternoon and after that
regularly three times a day TO different
churches.
1t was then that the landlady thought
il her duty 10 call.
She appeared in Miss Pandora Piper's
apartment at tue awful hour Of 10, majes.
tic in her crlmping pins. and with very
serious colntenance, and was welcomed
l. - II. l..