The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-01

1t grieYss my wife for me to cay 50. but In
shcse days, back in 1872 was o clown in cir
Gus. Really, 1 wasn't anything. but was in
ehrysalis state. Just raindrop in dusty
street can scarcely be classified, but BY q little
exertaon may get into flowing gutter, then into
q river, and so become some day rs much OF the
Atlantic as any other drop. had been trying
to be musician, had given that MP TO be q con-
cert singer, abandoned that to turn my talents
toward poetry, and newspaper writing, and such.
until Joined merry crowd Of Bohemians and
lived as they did Their gatherings and the
money my father left me both ended together.
had written some jokes for minstrel troupe,
and when nothing else suggested Itself applied
for place in the company TO black MP and sing
rnournful ditties fabout graves and red roses1
In tho frat part. and do banjo act later
ON. The troupe came to grief out West. and the
best / can cay of what followed Is that
got home again to New York without walking.
No sooner had reached Broadway than went
4nto new business. I became clown The
frat acquaintance I met offered the opportun-
tty, saying that he was going to Cuba with
circus, and that there was pressing need for one
OF those useful butts whom the ringmaster per-
petua1ly cracks with his whip, and whom il is
the business Of everybody in the sawdust arena
20 naltreat and deride-often with perfect jus
tics, used to think before / put on the cap and
balls
Come he WAS kind enough to add, lyon
need have no doubts. You are natural. instinct
i've, true-born clown. And even il You were not
you can initiate any and every clown you ever
saw So pocket your pride, take sixty dollars
week, learn four songs and twenty very white
haired and round-shouldered old jokes, and come
along
The hackers and managers were Cubans and
lived in the Saragossa Hotel in East Fourth
street. while they were fitting cut for the voyage
] went to live there. ALSO for everything that
undertake do with intense enthusiasm, and
determined to learn Cuban quickly as possible
and astonish every one by singing song or
cracking some jokes in that language. In due
time we set sail on journey never shall for
get. We voyaged in sailing vessel. through a
summer sea, beneath perpetually cloudless
sky. We stopped at Nassau. and showed there
with great success, to float afterwards for days
in blue pathways, between white isles fringed
with palms. 1t is idle for me to dwell even for
this LOVING instant on that experience, and yet it
was so dreamful. so poetic, utterly certain
never to be repeated in its sensations, now that
am older and more practical that literally
tear myself from the recollection. There were
skirted the bold eastern palisaded end Of Cuba.
and then chung almost within the influence of
the breakers as the good bark with the madden
inRIy unpoet;c name of "The Obiiah Law
rence)," crept past the forest clad heights, the
white dyed bavs and curves, and the laughing
plantations of the gem of the Antilles. The
Journey was interrupted by long stands" at
GaAEtanamo, St Jago. and at Cienfuegos It
was bold OF ms to visit these places then. for the
kfafV
was unsettled, but never did rash experiment.
meet with richer reward. We played st Colon,
in the heart of the island and then we reached
Matanzas, where our vessel was to pick US up
and take us to Havana.
Let me say that up to the moment we left the
vessel on the other side Of Cuba had constant
lily sought the compaGionship OF my cornet.
had natural gift for playing musical instru-
ments. and this beautiful cornet was the main
thing had saved from the wreck of my fort.
sunes Upon 1t improvised what thought was
q sweetly pretty ARA hymn tune / suspect il
sounded like-and / often. il solitude, blow it's
soft liquid notes from out OF the bell-iike throat
or my cornet. Il was always in solitude. or
very softly. that played it, for deemed it ex-
trava9anty sweet and meant some day to fit
hymn to it, adapt psalm to its notes. or IN some
way utilize il to give me fame as / conceitedly
thought. Alas At Cienfuegos my cornet was
stolen, and never had the heart to play the
tune any other instrument
One day in Matanzas / was spending some
idle hours American man-of-war, whose
Officers had formed my acquaintance. A steam
ber fran New York slipped into the harbor just
at dusk and cast her anchor close TO the war
ship There was the usual noise and hustle aud
the little harbor boats that swarm like mosqui-
toes around such vessel. and by which passen-
gers are put ashore, obtained their loads and
faded away in the twilight At one moment
three of these little boats were moving almost
aide by side across the water close astern of the
vessel was on. could scarce believe my ears;
did not credit what they told me-yet, there
could be mistake for is was repeated and car
ried back TO me in long drawn whisper of
lutte and unquestionable invention, my pretty
hymn tune.
IieaDed into my small boat and ordered my
man to pull after the other vessels. Then
saw that I could not do more than guess at
which boat the melody had proceeded from.
changed my command and pulled for the steamer.
Alas twenty five women had come on her, no
one knew which were in that particular trio of
boats and all had Spanish names / know that
for copied every After looking them
over. to see II perchance any girl or woman
had ever known was among them, and finding
none, determined to keep the list and endeRvor
20 discover how in all the catalogue of mysteries
any one, particularly Cuban lady. happened
40 know my tuna. In leisure hours that fol-
lowed sought information about every lady on
but nothing of interest was introduced to
one who stopped at the same hotel with me, but |
she told me she never had learned q tune in her |
life.
might have forgotten the matter had it not |
been that one night as leaned against pole at |
the edge of tbs ring. ready for tho time when |
should crack my nrst Joke, Iady-one OF a |
large party of people passing by to their seats |
hummed phrase of that identical tune almost /
literally in my I turned quickly, the line /
of people passed along. and then called, MAD /
am, !" 'Senora," "Senorita." and sprang over the
rope, calling as l ran, to attract the singer.
Strangely, as it seems TO me. again / could not
tell who is among the half dozen women,
sitter another close together, that
had aung that snatch of my musical property.
touched the foremost one on the arm and said.
'.Are you Americana" when her escort a power
full, black muzzled man, struck mo squarely in
the face and felled me to the ground. I cannot
describe the excitement that followed; it was
almost riot. The ring master made matters
worse by explaining that was perpetrating an
American joke. Then he Gained the people by
saying that thought had recognized long
lost sister.
Two days afterward. as / was h1rrying TO
reach the shin, which was to take us TO Havana.
aos merely phrase of that mysterious
tune of mine, but the entire air rang out upon
NV ear