Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-28
POOR BLIND TOM.
HOW THE ONCE NOTED MUSICIAN
oASSES THE SUMMER.

HOW THE ONCE NOTED MUSICIAN
eAssEs THE SUMNER.
Feeling the Sunlight and Initiating the
Church Bells on the Piano-Angry with
m Unmusicai serv..t Giri-whius and
Emotions.
In old fashioned st. Marks place, Just
east of the bustling Bowery. stands an
old fashioned. marble stopped dwelling
that is o marked spot in that noisy quar-
ter of the town At varying intervals
daily the music of q sweet toned piano
floats softly from the interior of the old
house and mingles delightful harmony
with the duh hum of traffic In the popu-
lous .horoughfare. Men and women hur.
rying to and fro in the street stop often
and listen to the strains. The fingers
that SO deftly touch the keys and draw
such wondrous symphonies from the In
strument are those of . strapping big
negro who sits at the piano In the spacious
back parlor. and for hours sometimes
those residents who are fortunate enough
to have living quarters in the houses In
Ninth street whose back windows look
upon the rear porch Of the old fashioned
dwelling have q rare and delightful treat.
Every once In q while the stalwart Afri-
can will start up from his seat and rush
out upon the porch. and pace up and down
chest and moaning piteously. A railing
a. -. LOT 81
cuts off egress to the little garden patch
that blooms In the back yard. and he runs
his hand along 1t as II he were trying to
find stairway to the garden
''How are you. Tomf What's the mat
teri" some one who has been listening Is
sure to say when the musician makes
such sudden appearances on the porch.
Their greeting Is always CHEEKY. for all
the listeners know well that the big
chested negro Is none other than Blind
Tom. the famous Ethiopian pianist. Tom
never appears in public. He Is suffering
from some nervous complaint that rem
ders q repetition Of his stage perform
ances impossible.
For hours daily he tramps up and down
the porch in his slippered feet. clad in
blue trousers and q dark flannel yachting
shirt. bareheaded and uneasy. He behaves
like an imprisoned bear, at times crouch
ing on all fours or dancing up and down
In a mysterious delirium. He has worn
Q ridge In the flooring Of the porch sear
the hand rail by his restless promenade
to and fro. Music or harmonious sounds
seem to be the only influences that ever
divert him from fem these capers on the
porch.
One Sunday recently the chimes In
Grace church steeple on Broadway began
to ring, and the echoes, softened by the
distance they had traversed, struck Toms
ear with . sweet naturalization that
reproduced note by note the beautiful
hymn. Nearer. my God. to Thee"
In an instant the blinded giant ceased
his tramp on the porch. and. resting his
hand on the railing, raised bis sightless
eyes to the sky and, turning his head in
the direction Of the chimes, stood like Q
statue. listening with rspt attention to
the melody. The echoes died away
finally. and, waiting some moments to
hear II they would continue. he groped
his way through the open window into
the psrlor. and. seating himself at the
piano, ran his fingers over the keys In .
sudden inspiration. What he played was
an imitation. as perfect as the piano
would allow, Of the music Of the chimes.
Tom repeated the same stirring imitation,
when little later the chimes again eaaR
out upon the June breeze.
Then he rose from the piano. went sut
on the porch and listened In . curioussy
intent way. to the noise made by the Hap-
ping wings Of q flock Of pigeons, whose
cote is built against the wall of an i'd
joining house.
The sun meantime rose so that its hot
rays broke past the shade Of tree in the
garden and beat against the side partition
Of the porch. The big negro leaned on
his hand against the partition. He with
drew it the moment he felt the heat. The
sensation seemed to puzzle him, for he
placed his hand on the partition again,
withdrew it Q second time and began to
stroke it and to ponder. He stood In this
Then he looked up and smiled. 1t had
dawned upon him at last that what he
had felt was sunshine. He held both
hands alofe and groped in the until he
discovered by his sense Of feeling that he
was standing in the rays Of the sun. He
remained on the spot motionless, with his
sightless orbs opened wide to the golden
rays. and laughed with the glee Of child
who had found new plaything.
One day last week when be had found
the sunlight in this same cropping way Q
servant girl. with high Keyed, discord.
ant voice. began to sing white Wings"
as loudly Is she could. She was st work
in dwelling some distance from Toms
house. but he heard her voice distinctly.
1t appeared to CRATE upon his nerves ter
ribly, and he dashed up and down the
porch in rage. and finally turning his
face in the direction Of the singer, he let
loose the vocal batteries Of his wrath full
upon her.
shut up. can't your" he screamed.
You ought to be ashamed Of yourself to
make such Q frightful noise"
He poured out rebuke in this frantic
style for many minutes, while tenants of
surrounding houses. who had Q strongly
grounded prejudice themselves against
the servant girls vocalization. rosred
with laughter.
His method of complimenting good
musicians is as fattering as this rebuke
of discord is severe and maddened. There
are some cultivated vocalists and pianists
in the Ninth street fats whose rear win
dows look out on his porch. and he stands
and listens. smiling whenever the trained
voices practice. or the pienists. who, in
this instance are young women. play.
Then he dives into his parlor and plays
the music Of the song, or repeats the
piano air on his own grand piano. 1t is q
mighty popular way Of showing his sp-
probation.
Day by day passes thus In the old