Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-11-14

head and pulled out my handkerchief
and blowed my nose loud to keep
from cryin'. My eyes is weak any
way; l didn't want anybody to be
gain at me snivlin', and it's no
body's business what / do with my
nose. It's mine. But some several
glared at me mad as blazes. Then,
all of a sudden, old Rubin changed
his tune. He ripped out and he rared,
he tipped and he tared, he pranced
and he charged like the grand entry
at a circus. 'Peared to me that all
the gas in the house was turned on
at once, things, got so bright, and l
hilt up my head, ready to look any
man in the face, and not afraid of
nothin'. 1t was a circus, and brass
band, and big ball, all goin' on at
the same time. He lit into them
keys like a thousand of brick; he
gave 'em no rest day or night; he set
every livin' joint in me goin', and
not bein' able to stand it no longer, l
jumped and sprang onto my seat, and
jest hollered:
go it RUDE I"
Every blamed man, woman and
child in the house riz on me and
shouted, "Put him out! Put him
out"
Put your great grandmother's griz-
Fly gray Spanish cat into the middle
of next month? says, "Tech me if
you dare! l paid my money and
you jest come nigh mew
With that several policemen run
up, and | had to simmer down. But
l could fit any fool that laid hands
on me, for l was bound to hear Ruby
out or die.
He had changed his tune again.
He hop light ladies and tip-toed fine
from end to end of the keyboard. He
played soft and low and solemn. |
heard the church bells over the hills.
The candles of heaven was lit, one
by one; / saw the stars rise. The
great organ of eternity began to play
from the worlds end, and all the
angels went to prayer.
Then the music changed to water,
full of feeling that couldn't be bought,
and began to drop drip, drOp-drip,
drop, clear and sweet, like tears OF
joy falling into a lake of glory. II
was sweeter than that. 1t was as
sweet as a sweetheart sweetened with
white sugar mixed with powdered
silver and seed diamonds. 1t was
too sweet. | tell you the audience
cheered. Rubin he kinder bowed
like he wanted to say "Mucf
} obleeged, but I'd rather you wouldn'
! interrupt me-"
He stopt a moment or two to ketcl
breath. Then he got mad. He raj
his fingers through his hair, he shovel
up his sleeves, he opened his coat tall
leetle further, he drug up his stool
he leaned over, and, sir, he just wen
to that old pianner. He slapt he
face, he boxed her jaws, he pulled he
nose, he pinched her ears, and h,
scratched her cheeks until she fairl!
yelled. He knOckt her down and h
stamped on her shameful. She bel
lowed, she bleated like a calf, sh
5 howled like a hound, she squealeC
like pig, she shrieked like a rat
t and then he wouldn't let her up. H
t ran a quarter mile stretch down tn
low grounds of the base, till he go
} clean in the bowels of the earth, ant
1 you heard thunder galloping afte
, thunder, through the hOllows ant
l the caves of perdition and then h
t fox-chased his right hand with hi
a left till he got way out of the trebl
t into the clouds, war the notes wa
: finer than the points of cambri
S needles, and you couldn't hear moth
4 ing but the shadders of 'em. An,
s then he wouldn't let the old pianne
t go. He for'ard two'd, he crost owe
a first gentleman, he chassaed rightan
left, back to your places, he al
: hands'd roun', ladies to the right
n promenade all, in and out, here an
C there, back and forth, up and dowr
It perpetual motion, double twisted an
r turned and tackled and tied into forty
Y eleven double bow knots.
e BY jinks it was miXtery. An
t, then he wouldn't let the old pianne
e 60. He fetcht up his right wing, h
Is fetcht up his centre, he fetcht up h
n reserves. He fired by file, he fire
d by platoons, by company, by reg
e ments, and by brigades. He Opene