Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12

on hand Take him all in all, he is the stransest
conglomeration OF oddities TO be found In ths
state OF Colorado"
A Girl Who Did Not Learn Music.
From the Seattle Press.
E. Steinle tells the following story Of how
piano lessons are sometimes given:
"Once upon q time was engaged as teacher
for the daughter Of very rich man in San
Francisco, Mr.. W. learned that the girl
had already had several other teachers and I
hesitated to accept her as pupil. but the en-
treaties OF the mother, q fair. amiable LADY, and
the good looks OF the daughter, q real hand
some girl OF sixteen, induced me to consent.
when Lily that was her nsme) and seated
ourselves at the piano for the first lesson she
said %, would give a thousand dollars IL I
did not have to take any more piano lessonsr
why don't you stop il. then? / will talk
with your parents and try to relieve you from
the task
"'oh, no, no! Don't you do it, II wouldn't
help anything. have tried time and again TO
get rid Of 1t, but il il of no avail / am doomed
to continue the hateful work.
well talked with Lily. / found her 90
clever and as witty she was handsome and
OF the best natural disposition. She liked
music, but she didn't want 20 become q per-
former; she hated practicing. We talked dur
ing the whole time OF the lesson. When my
time was over told Lily that next time she
You will greatly enjoy il, am sure
The next time put on professional mica
and began to examine Lily in order 70 what
she knew of music. She had quite number
OF pieces. 1 requested her to play something
for me.
- don't plsy anything. sir. Really can't
"'Well, Lily, only begin something, so that
may form an idea of where to commence with
you
L assure you. professor, am not able 10
play single har Of that whola stuff tharas
"'Do you read the notesr
"'Well sir, know that L is ON the hsrt line
in treble, but that's about ALL
"'How long have you taken lessonss?
About four years or more
Lilly, aren't you ashamed Of yourselfr I
asked.
mo. sir; am not This is warfare be-
tween me and my mother. She compes me to
| take lessons. That's her advantage, but she
cannot compel me to learn anything That ID
my advantage
".well, Lily, we cannot sit here and do
nothing. We must do something or shall
leave YOU
".All right, sir, / am ready
Il succeeded at last in making her put her
fingers on the piano She made fun of the
whole thing and in this way a month went by.
1 then had a talk with her mother. told her
could not do anything with Lily aud that
intended to give her up.
The good lady almost began crying Oil
me. professor, she said, don't do that Please
have patience and go on with Lily. am de-
termined that she shall have a musical edu-
cation and continue to take piano lessons.
Please go on
Lilly came in singing and laughing.
"'Well Lily, don't you want 20 continue your
lessons with the professor? Don't you like
your teacher
"'oh. yes like him very much, and want
to 20 on with him.
"Now, you hear that SIR cried the mother,
triumphanty. That's a success
Il was, of course, proud OF that success, and
was weak enough to yield.
Another month went by in the same way.
At the end Of it did not say anything TO the
mother or to Lily, but went to her fathers
Office and presented him my bill-sixteen
lessons in eight weeks at 50 a lesson, cas-. He
paid it promptly. told him that should
stop giving his daughter lessons. He Was o
rather rough old fellow, an old forty-niner.
(We were then in the year 1861
mo- he said, you wouldn't do that sir.
You go right on
Il began explaining. / told him all about
it, and of my experience with Lily. / told him
that she never would learn anything in music,
and that the trial was nothing but a wasting Of
time and money.
He listened patiently. At last he said sYog
needn't tell me, sir. know all that myself.
know that the COMPOUNDED girl will never learn
anything, even il get her a teacher directly
from Heaven, though 1 don't know whether
there are any piano teachers there. dont
care. Dut uOW itt up STOP thlkluH
about the matter. You 60 right ON now With
her.
Il laughed. Well, Mr. W, how is that
l don't understand you
well sir, then will make myself UNDER
stood. Now, suppose you stop giving my
daughter lessons. Do you think would have
any rest when / come home in the EVENING"
My wife would tease me to death until en-
gagged another teacher. Don't you see? Now
you may just well put that money in your
nOckat an anyhOdy else WhQther aha
anything or not don't care q red oentl Now
you mind me, sir. Good-by.'
swell did mind him and went on with Lily.
How killed the time OF the lessons hardly
know myself. Most Of the time played some
thing for her. Sometimes she made lots of fun
with her innocent prattle.
This was in May. At the end Of June the
summer vacation came and We all went into
never went back to Lily. Later heard that
her parents had sent her 10 vassar College.
Three years later met Lily on the streets Of
San Francisco. She recognized me, bowed
and stopped
"'You bad man. she said, 4 should never
talk to you again. To take French leave Of NJ
as you did? shall never forgive you
"'Well, Miss W.
sob, say Lily she interrupted
"'Well. Miss Lily, 1 confess myself culprie
and stand ready for punishment But ! am
really very glad to see you again; and what .
beautiful girl you are. (She was 90 indeed)
But now tell me, how You got along with your
musical studies in vassar College
my mother she answered wrote 10 the
principal that she insisted upon my taking les
sons in piano playing. IL had 10 be done. But
you see, people have some sense there. had
q long talk with the lady principal, and the re-
suit of il was that she wrote TO NV mother that
could not have any lesson in music in her in
stitution. So at last ended the greatest trouble
of my life. But now, I guess, that's al you
want 10 know Of me. Good by"
--&OS--
Soon there will be no profession or trade len