San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-18
THE WOODEN SHOE.
Pretty Story of Paganini, "a Fair
Maiden and Her Lover.

| LII u Ellld dJ ThEls, WIN S0Verai OtleL
invalids, lodged the renowned Paga.
mini, who was seriously i'll. The
great musician was seldom seen: he
would not be drawn out of his soil.
tude, and hardly saw any ono but
! NIcette, q harmless, merry country
girl, who waited upon him, and often
cheered him up in hours of sadness.
One morning Nicette appeared with
weeping eyes, and waited upon the
musician without saying word.
Paganini, who was carving a piece of
ivory for the handle of dagger.
noticed this, and said:
whats the matter, childo Has
any misfortune happened to you?"
ALIAS! yes, sir.n
She was silent. Paganini fixed his
eyes an the troubled countenence of
the girl.
Now, out with it," said he. 1T see
it all clearly enough. After he had
made you thousand promises, he
has forsa ken you. Is it not so.
"Alas poor fellow he has drawn
bad number in the CONSUMPTION,
and must go Off for a soldier. shall
never See him again :" sobbed the
poor girl.
But, can't you buy a substitute
for him Pr
Monsieur is joking How could I
get such large sum-"
lis it, then, so very much ,"
sit is very high this year, for there
is report that a war will soon break
out. Fifteen hundred francs is the
lowest price,
The musician did not reply, but
when Nicette left the room he took
out his pocket book and wrote on an
empty leaf;
"Mem.: To think what can be done
for poor Nicette
In winter Paganini got much better
and every DOW and then passed his
evenings in the saloon, but scarcely
ever speaking, and taking no notice
of the remarks upon his mOroseness,
which were purpOsely uttered close to
his ear. Thus the Christmas festival
at which season it. is
D custom in France among young peo-
pie to place a wo ,den shoe in the
corner of the hearth. On the after
noon of the Oath of December Paga-
mini eat, as was his Gus tom, on the
sofa in the saloon, slipping his sugar |
and water, when an unusual noise
was heard below. Immediar ely after |
NiCette came in, and said that a box
had Just arrived addressed to Sig
Paganini. The box appeared and he
proceeded TO open it. The FIRST thing |
which the musicians hand pulled |
out was O packet in strong brown
paper, sealed several times. The
curious eyes of about twentyrersOns
present beheld O gigantic wooden
shoe, cut out of ash, and almost large
enough to put child inside OF.
"a wooden shoen said Paganini, [
smiling. 81 can not fancy from whom
1t comes. Some of these excellent |
ladies wish to compare me with a
child, who always receives presents
and never gives any. Well, who |
knows whether this shoe may nos
earn its weight In goldw
For three days nothing was seen Of |
him. The most inquisitlve only |
learned that from morning till even
ing he was busy working
with csrpente tools. And, In fact,
during this time the musicians won
derfully clever hand had created |
4
ment out of the awkward looking |
wooden shoe. He had stretched q
few silver strings across 1t. The |
next day 1t was announced that Psg-
antni would, on New Years Eve,
give concert in the large room Of
the villa where he boarded. The
great master gave notice that he
would play ten pleoes-flve on q vio-
lin and five on wooden shoe. The
ticket cost 20 francs. Only 100 were
issued. They were instantly pur-
chased by persons of the highest
rank.
At last Psgsnini appeared smiling
cheer ully; he bowed, aud began to
play more beautifully than ever, to
the delight of his hearers, on his old
violin, And now he took up the
shoe, which he had made into q
violin, but which still had somewhat
of its former shape, and began one of
those fantasies which never
failed to charm his whole audience.
Is it music? L. it poetry? One
seems to behold the departure of the
recruit, to hear the sobs of his intend
ed bride, that follow bis noisy life In
the camp, bis deeds in the battle: |
his return. Triumphs-re-
joicings-msrriage bells ring out mer-
rily at the end. Applause followed |
this performance, which seemed as I'll
It would never end. But there Is
weeping in the corner OF the room
It was poor Nicette, thinking OF the
departure Of her recruit.
"Here, Nicette," said Paganini,
when the company had left the room,
'are 1000 francs, 500 more than you re.
quire to purchase a substitute, in ex-