Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-01-13
f00R BLIND TOM.
HOW TIE ONCE NOTED MUSICIAN
PASSES THE SUMNER.

'ie sunlight aud Initiating the
chhreh Bell on the Piano-Angry with
an Unm"sic, servan, Giri-whim. and
Emotions.
In old fashioned St Marks place. Just
east OF the busting Bowery. stands an
oio fashioned. marble stopped DWELLING
That Is a marked spot In that noisy onar
yer OF the town AT varying intervals
oaiiy the music of sweet toned piano
hoats softly from the interior of the old
mouse and mingles delightful harmonv
with the duh hum Of traffic in the popu
lous thoroughfare Men and women hnr
rying TO and fro in the street stop often
and listen to the strains. The 6npera
that so deftly touch the KEYS and draw
such wondrous symphonies from the in
strument are those of strapping big
negro who sits at the piano in the spacious
DacR parlor. and for hours sometimes
those residents who are fortunate enough
70 nave living quarters in the houses in
NINTH street whose back windows look
upon the rear porch Of the old fashioned
dwelilng have rare and delightful treat
Every once in q while the stalwart Afri
can VIII start up from his seat and rush
out gu. upon the porch, and pace up and down
ilke an imprisoned animal, beating his
chest and moaning piteously. A railing
that reaches above his waist completely
cuts OIL egress to the little garden patch
that blooms in the back yard, and he rms
his hand along it as if be were TRYING to
lind stairway to the garden.
How are you. Tom? What's the mat
teri some one who has been LISTENING is
sure to say when the musician makes
such sudden appearances on the porch
Their greeting Is always CHEEKY. for all
the listeners know well that the bio
chested negro is none other than Blind
Tom. the famous Ethiopian pianist. Tom
never appears in public. lie is suffering
from some nervous complaint that rem
ders repetition of his stage perform
ances IMPOSSIBLE
For hours daily ne tramps up and down
the porch in his slippered feet. clad in
blue trousers and dark flannel Yachting
SHIRT, bareheaded and uneasy He behaves
IKE an imprisoned bear, at times crouch
nIg on all foGrs or dancing up and down
III mysterious delirium. He has worn
ridge in the flooring of the porch near
tie hand rail by his restless promenade
tO and fro Music or harmonious sounds
seem to be the. only influences that ever
divert him from en- these capers on the
porch.
One Sunday recently the chimes in
Grace church steeple on Broadway began
to ring. and the echoes, softeued by the
distance they had traversed struck Toms
ear with a sweet Naturalization that
reproduced note by note the beautiful
hymn. Nearer my God, to Thee"
In an instant the bl nded giant ceased
his tramp on the porch and. resting his
hand on the railing. raised his sightless
eyes to the sky. and turning his Head in
the direction of the chimes, stood like
statue, listening with rapt attention to
the melody The echoes died away
finally. and, waiting some moments to
hear If they would continue, he CROPPED
his way through the open window into
the parlor, and. seating himself at the
piano, ran his fingers over the keys in a
sudden inspiration What he played was
an imitation, as perfect as the piano
would allow, Of the music of the chimes
Tom repeated the same'stirring imitation,
when a little later the chimes again rang
out upon the June breeze
Then he rose from the piano. went out
on the porch and listened IN a cumously
intent way to the'noise made by the flap
ping wings of a flock Of pigeons. whose
cote is built against the wall Of an ad
joining house
The sun meantime rose so that its hot
rays broke past the shade Of a tree in the
garden and beat against the side partition
of the porch. The big negro leaned on
his hand against the partition. He with
drew it the moment he felt the heat. Tie
sensation seemed to puzzle him, for he
placed his hand on the partition again,
withdrew it a second time and began to
stroke it and to ponder. lie stood in this
way strol,ing his hand for many moments
Then be looked up and smiled II had
dawucd upon him at last that what he
had felt was sunshine He held both
hands aloft and CROPPED in the air until he
discovered by his sense Of feeling that be
was standing in the rays of the sun. lie
remained on the spot motionless, with his
sightless orb5 opened wide to the golden
rays and laughed with the glee of child
who had found new plaything
One day last week when be had found
the sunlight in this same CROPPING way
servant girl with high keyed, discord
ant voice, began to sing white Wings
as loudly as she could She WAS at work
in q dwelling some distance from Toms
house, but lie heard her voice distinctly
1t appeared to CRATE upon his nerves ter
ribly, and he dashed up and down the
porch in a rage, and finally turning his
face in the direction Of the singer, lie let
loose the vocal batteries Of his wrath full
upon her
shut up, can't your" he screamed
you ought to be ashamed of yourself to
make such a frightful noise.
He poured ont rebuke in this frantic
style for many minutes, while tenants OF
surrounding houses, who had a strongly
grounded prejudice themselves against
the servant girls vocalization. roared
with laughter
His method of complimenting good
musicians is as datteriug as tins rebuke
Of discord is severe and maddened There
are some cultivated vocalists and pianists
in the Ninth street fats whose rear via
dows look out on his porch, and he stands
and listens. smiling whenever the trained
voices practice, or the piauists, who. in
this instance are young woEen, play
Then be dives into his parlor and plays
the music OF the song, or repeats the
piano air on his own grand piano. II is
mighty popular way Of showing his ap
probation.
Dav bv day passes thus in the old
fashioned house, with the afflicted blind
musician awaiting the new delights that
come from unexpected haumonies Of sound
Watched by guardian, freed Of all care.
and giving himself up to the whims and
emotions Of an eccentric personality, this
strangely inspired black genius lives foI
all the world like some petted child In a
play house Alternately petulant ana
cheerful like a child, he plays when the