Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-11-08
The Unknown Minstrel


1922 in zoe royal garden at Wieshhden,
where maaY prinoe!y diguisries bad just
arrived for The hen, fl of tbs healing Itop-
el.ies of tie mineral waters. The bud and
! jJS ful iaut t6jer could be heard at the FL :
,Tai ca II .he garden. wnsro an Old blind
mac ~ u soldiers coat, was slrcking the
fiddle. Mkt 10 this picture Of risssy stood
little curs 1T AIDED eoy about years old,
aha ne q out is bat to passers by begging
tnsu for au otlerng. Bat this day nobody
listened 10 the squeakiug fiddle Of the inva
id, for the sky was so Gear and sunny that
every one thought only OF some pleasure
which be cGuld prepare for himself erd IN
ms boys old bat there fell not a copper.
Grandpa" the boy said, whinngiy, no
body bas given me anything aud [ am So
| hungry"
The old man replied, The dear Lord will
soon send some charitable person, George"
Al the same time one tear alter auotber fell
from his sightess Q e. 10 the earth. where
surely and angel picked them up to weigh
them on the scale of mercy. But the ittls
| fellow dieliked TO ses the old man weep aud
| said
'Graudps you should not cry vii! uot
grumhle. | would rather hungei But see !
mere comes foe geutiemsn-rlsy away,
ne ila looks as though he would give some
thug
ihe stranger was attired in choice, dark
clothing, and his intel ieeot eyes like his
round, 4 o. I'd patured face were ovsrsbadowed
by n daris, ler2e-rimmed hat. La vain the
boy held out his hat, he even ran few steps
after him, but he came back whimpering,
and complained He did not hear me,
grandfather. he ruos around like wild All,
\ .h..n t., lid ha al -
had returned. Suddenly the little hand
wi the hat made its appea. ance, and now
the Stranger heard toue5 when seemed 70
erete unpieasauiiy en- his ears, for he
f.owned and beckoned to The old man to
stop, but the boy said: Grandfather is
bird, sir J"
Bind, 0 great Lord and who srs ycu?'
Il am George Warner, the old maU s
grandson
The Stranger sighed end ihres a double
guilder into the boys hat. He then went
TO the blind man. "Wnat is you pame, poor
mau ~
"Conrsd mmerman isAtny name. am
an invalid and was in the Russian cam
paign ss Rhsuish confederate"
The stranger sat down 90 one of the
while washed stones which wars standing
along the road and said Tell me abouti;."
The old man began: When, iu the year
lisp. Napoleon lead his army over the
Rplne against Russia The confederation of
Rhenish princes had to serd the troops
aloug. originate from Bavaria. This
place bad u supply considerable contin
gent, so that |, although far over the years,
because was strong, vigorous and clever,
had 10 remain in the regiment Oh, sir let
me be- silent about the misery which I ex-
perieuced Like triumphal march we
went mo Russia uutil we reached Moscow
in jnblation. But then the fire broke out
and the misery bsgan. When the frost and
snow came there lay whole piles of SOL
diers in the morning frozen at the bivouac
fires
ITO my luck was taken prisoner, and
did not set foot in Germany until four years
afterwards. la the meantime my wife died;
nv only daughter married the stonecutter
Werner from here, clever man. l made
my home with my daughter, but she died
when this bay was born. Soon after his
father died, too. l was litbogrspher, aud
had plenty to Go. l met the sad tate to be-
come blind On account Of the basdships L
had suffered, and overwoIk. So sir, we have
become beggars."
Just then gay company Of guests came o
along. To ali appearances they were rich
people. Suddenly thought seemed to oc
cur to the stranger. Give me your vic.
lin," he said, and be tuned it clear as bell.
"Now, look sharp, boy, and collect di!igent.
ly among the gentlefolks." Then the bow
fairly flew over the strings, so that the old
fiddle sounded like an Amati, and thu blind
man asked, what, is that my fiddle % The
player cid not hear him bis sou! was in the
music he played. Il was march like
theme, irterwoven with manifold variations
at last this piece melted into lovely touch.
ing melodies. a large circle of foe ladies
and gentlemen had collected about the
group. All quickly comprehended that the
stranger was playing for the old man and
the child, and guiders, yss, even gold pieces
flew into the hat. Suddenly the air melt
ed into "What is the German Futhe. land ??
, and then died away.
The fiider gave back the instrument 10
the old man aud would ,st then have dis
appeared in the crowd nGd not the director
VINO had been whispering about the distin.
guished looking man, Stepped up to him and
said !;
"Sir, his Royal Highness, the Prince o.
Hesse. wishes 10 know your name"
He answered:
II am Ludwig Spohr, { om Brunswick ,
And low it was whispered from mouth to
mouth at is the celebrated Spohr ~
When be arrived at his hotel royal bun
ter appeared with note which read thus
skMv Dsar Herr Snohr: We were unnoticed
witnesses to-day of your noble deed aud ad
mired your extraordinary talent; the inya
lid and the boy will be supported, but you
we appoint director of the court orchestra
Your salary will be worthy of your art
Yours afectonately,
WILLIAM II, Prince of Hesse
The new music director folded bis hand:
"a ,.;d~ 8. a nd u,ithal naonIa n n pot hsl ave