Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-02-12
HOW "RUBY" PLAYED.


goes TO hear Rubinstein, and gives the fol-
lowing description OF his playing.J
Well, sir, lie had blamedest, biggest,
catty-cornedest pianner you ever laid
eyes on; somethin' like distracted
billiard table on three legs. The lid
was hoisted, and mighty well it was.
If it hadn't been he'd tore the entire
inside clean out, and scattered 'em to
the four winds of heaven.
Played weH7 You bet he did; but
don't interrupt me. When he first sit
down, he 'peareG to keer mighty little
bout playin', wisht he hadn't come.
He tweedle-leedled a little on the treble,
and twoodle-oodled some on the base
lust fooln' and boxin' the things jaws
for bein' in the way. And | says TO IA
man settin' next TO me, says l, "What
sort of fool playin' is that?" And he
says, "Heish !" But presently his hands
commenced chasing one another up and
down the keys like Il parcel of rats seam
perrin through garrett very swift.
Parts of it was sweet, though, and re-
minded me Of sugar squirrel turnin'
the wheel of a candy cage.
"Now," says to my neighbor, "he's
showing off. He thinks he's doing it,
but he ain't got no plan of nothin. If
he'd play me tune of some kind or
other -"
But nv neighbor says, "Heish!" very
impatient.
was just about to get up and go
home. being tired Of that foolshness,
when | heard little bird waking up
away off in the woods and call sleepy
! like to his mate, and looked up and
see that Ruby was beginning to take
| some interest in his business, and l sit
down again. 1t was the peep Of day.
The light came faint from the east, the
breezes blowed gentle and fresh; some
more birds walked up in the orchard,
| then some more In the trees near the
house, and all begun singing together.
People began to stir, and the gal opened
| the shutters. Just then the first beam
| Of the sun fell upon the blossoms, lit
tie more and it techt the roses on the
bushes, and the next thing ii was broad
| day; the sun fairly blazed; the birds
sung like they split their little throats; :;
all the leaves was moving, and flashing
diamonds of dew, and the whole wide
world was bright and happy as king.
Seemed to me there was good break
fast in every house in the land, and not
a sick child or woman anywhere. 1t
was fine morning.
And | said to my neighbor, "Thars
music, that is
But he glared at me like he'd like to
cut my throat.
Presently the wind turned; it began
to thicken up, aud II kind of grey mist
came over things; got low spirited di-
rectly. Then silver rain begun to fall.
/ could see the drops touch the ground !:
some flashed up like long pearl ear
rings, and the rest rolled away like
round rubies. 1t was pretty but melan-
choly. Then the pearls gathered them
selves into long strands and necklaces,
and then they melted into thin silver
streams running between golden gravel
| aud then the streams Joined each other
at the bottom of the hill. and made a
brook that flowed silent, except that
you could kinder see the music, specially Y
when the bushes on the banks moved as
the music went along down the valley.
| | could smell the flowers in the meadow.
But the sun didn't shine, nor the birds
/ sing; it was foggy day. but not cold.
The most curious thing was the little
white angel boy, like you see in pic
! lures, that run ahead of the music brook
and led it on, and on, away out of the
world, where no man ever was, certain.
could see that boy just as plain as
see you. Then the moonlight came,
! without any sunset, and shene on the
graveyards where some few ghosts lift
! ed their hands and went over the wall ,
and between the black, sharptop trees
splendid marble houses rose up, with
| fine ladies in the lit-up windows, and
men that loved them, but could never
git a-nigh them, who played on guitars
under the trees, and made me that mis-
erable | could have cried, because L
wanted to love somebody, don't know
who. better than the men with the gui.
tars Sid.
Then the sun went down, it got dark,
the wind moaned and wept like lost
child for its dead mother, and | could a
got up then and there and preached a
better sermon than ary ever listened
10. There wasn't thing In the world
left to live for, not blamed thing, and
vet didn't want the music TO stop one
bit. 1t was happier to be miserable
than to be happy without being miser-
able. couldn't understand it. hung
my head and pulled out my handker-
chief, and blowed my nose loud to keep
me from crying. My eyes is weak any
way. l didn't want anybody to be a.
gazing at me s-snivling, and its no
body's business what do with my nose.
It's mine. But some several glared at
me. mad as blazes. Then, all Of sud-