Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-29
A GENIUS IN CID RAGS.
a MUSICAL seceAR THRILLS 4
CROWD WITH HER SKILL.


being Refused aims she Recalls Her
Early Life BY some Mastery operate
Aira--A Dcpiorabie Picture 81 Way
ward Tscanty-~It Was but Mood.
would you please give a little assist.
anee to a poor woman Chat hasn't had a
mouthful 20 eat since yesterday mornings"
The speaker was a woman not YOUNGER
than IS nor older than -, but it would
have been difficult 70 make anything like
an accurate guess at the age 81 the I'M
kempt and hedragglcd creature that stood
before the little group whining ont her pc,
tition for aims, which seemed to haze soin
grained itself into her speech that it woald
have been difficult to have imagined her
giving forth anything beyond that dismal
hypocritical monotone.
Her face, THAT once might have been fails
and girlish, was coarse III feature, and al
most devoid Of any expression save that o,
stupid, callous mendicancy. Her eyes
that still retained something Of TINT deeg
blue Of the midsummer Sky, were beared
aud watery and half shaded with swoller
and inRamed lids that still showed deep
silky fringe Of golden lashes
Beneath the tattered and soilea mop o.
lace which she wore over her head ana
shoulders, after the manner of a mantiila,
two or three little faded yellow curls were
peeping out in strange contrast with the
furrowed and weather beaten forehead,
over which they seemed inclined 20 stray.
a SAD PICTURE.
Her dress was sOiled aud battered, her
small shoes were discolored and broken in
many places, and her hands were hidden in
the ragged mantle Of dirty lace which they
held in place upon her head and shoulders.
She waited, staring stupidity ut the trio foI
a reply, and as none seemed inclined to
give one remarked (as If to excuse himself
for giving nothingl that he thought she
was more thirsty than hungry after all.
like enough yer right" she remarked
carelessly, turning away AS il to quit the
store, but when half way around she hest
tated and cast longing look at a huge,
old fashioned grand piano Of Continental
make, which had just been tuned and put
in order In the storeroom before which she
stood
She looked intently ut the piano for near
ly minute, while her back was turned to
the group, and then facing about toward
them, with a softened look in her face and
a curious, nervous huslSiness in her voice,
she rsAarkcd
I'D like to play on that piano If nobody
objects"
Nobody did object, and, in fact, all were
anxious to see how this tattered and
bedraggled creature would perform at the
piano.
They were not long in doubt. As the
woman seated herself Mt the piano the dirty
mop Of lace fell from her shoulders and re-
leased tangled mass Of faded yellow hair,
which still rippled aud flashed in the sun
light as it streamed over her shoulders and
down her back.
Her hands, which were now seen for the
first time, were small and daintily formed,
and except that they were not quite free
from CRIME, and that the nails were far
from being tidily kept, they would have
readily passed for those of Il high bred girl
of 20 who had always lived life Of ease and
luxury. These triiles lrrriAed the gentle.
men; but though they wondered Mt the
change wrought by the fall Of the old wrap
they were lost In amazement as the dainty
but grimy little fingers struck the first two
or three chords with touch firm, master
full and yet delicate
Then the little fingers wandered swiftly
about among the keys as If in search of a
theme. md then with infinite pathos
breathing through every note came the
plaintive aria from I'll Trovatore," "Ah,
have sighed TO rest me"
CLASSIC MUSIC
Not sound passed the motioness but
slightly parted lips but the coarse, hard
lines in the discolored face seemed seftened
as ii by some miraculous TRANSPORTATION,
The watery mists seemed to pass from the
azure tinted eyes, and as the notes rang
out theme of immeasurable melancholy
those kindling eyes seemed speaking every
thought in Manrcos desparng wall
Who shall say that any stricken lover
ever more earnestly sighed for that dream
less sleep Of his last dark and narrow bed
than did this poor wretch 50 long, SO far
and so irrcyocahly divorced from home,
from love, from faith, from father. mother,
brothers or sisters, from the reverence due
TO her sex and from all that could be
desirable, and whose inseparablc compan.
ions were shame and hunger and thirst?
Forgetful Of all around her, she drfted
from the operate TO the classical, playing
unhesitatingly from memory in the most
brilliant style selections from Mozart,
Beethoven and Chopin Suddenly some
thing seemed TO call her back to herself,
and stopping MS suddenly as she had COM
meneed she gathered her rags about her
and prepared TO 90. A small collection
was made for her from the little crowd
that had been attracted by her playing,
ard as this was handed to her she thrust
II into her pocket with the same Gallons
air with which she had first ask ed for aims.
The evanescent reflection Of pure and
happy past fiickered aud went ont of the
faded, weather beaten face rs suddenly as
it had come there and in minute more a
blear eyed and bedraggled woman was
drifting out upon the street To beg from
door TO door and all too anxious TO drown
the food of memories that she had heed
lessly awakened as she struck the first
chord on that piano. New Orleans Times
Democrat
m.