The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-02-04
CHAPTER ".

1t was a covered wagon; a fine cook
got out with all the apparatus of fine
dinner.
at is from the person whom Mon
sieur Wofgang Mozart met at the edge
of the Forest" said the cook, entering;
and he placed on the table, as soon as
his companion took them from the
wagon, the dishes all prepared, lovely
bottles of wine, and everything which
went to make up fine meal.
"Could you tell me, my good friend,
who the person is that sent your"
asked M. Mozart of the cook.
81 am afraid / can not enlighten
you" replied this man, in respectful
tone.
The master of the chapel insisted.
Sir, your son knows who has sent
me-"
eyes," says Wolfgang, and Fred
erika knows, too. 1t is the messenger
and friend of the great Saint John Ne
pomuk."
" Pardon, but explain this mystery"
added M. Mozart, seriously.
"The cook replied: Monsieur, /
can tell you nothing more than that the
dinner is paid for. You can eat it
without fear. If you wish to know
more, make your son play on the piano
and improvise a sonata-then the per-
son will appear. Don't ask me any
more questions, for | would not know
how to answer them" The dinner
served, the cook withdrew. He re-
mounted the wagon and disappeared,
leaving the Mozart family quite stupe-
fed.
The little Mozart, after the cook left,
broke the silence:
"Well, what did tell you?"
I" firmly believed they wanted to
make fun of us, my poor brother"
said Frederika. " see now that the
Monsieur is truly the messenger of the
saint of Bohemia"
MY dear children, let us sit down
to the table," said Monsieur Mozart
"Tbe generous man who has sent us
our dinner is truly representative of
saint. Drink to his health; his name
is unknown, but his memory will al
WAYS remain in our hearts"
Just think, young readers, how gay
that meal must have been; it had been
long time since the Mozart family
had dined so sumptuously. AS to the
children, they had never witnessed such
feast, and were enjoying it heartily
when a clock from neighboring con-
vent struck two. Wolfgang leaped
from his chair.
"Where are you going?" asked his
mother of him.
" To compose a sonata, which ought
to make the Monsieur appear at din
ner," and Wolfgang drew towards the
piano little stool upon which he STOOD
He was so small that his elbows scarcely
reached the keys. "Ah! | never for
get anything, DON'T" said he, begin
ming to play.
He first played few gamuts with
self-pOs session and extraordinary pre-
ciseness for child so young. Warm
ing himself up by degrees, from the
gamut he passed into chords; then he
began to improvise theme so sweet,
30 soft, that the master of the chapel
and his wife were mute with surprise.
Very soon, abandoning the richness of
a capricious and juvenile Imagination,
he made his fingers fly over the keys,
scarcely touching them. Some, how
ever, struck hard, vibrating with force,
others seemed to caress the KEYS, and
rendered the tones so expressive that
tears came to the eyes of M. Mozart and
his wife.
Softened and moved beyond express
sion by the ravishing notes that Wolf
gang drew from the instrument, all for
got-not only the dinner but the sight
of the stranger who ought to appear at
the first chords of the improvised
sonata.
Come, let me hug you; come, Mas
ter Wolfgang," exclaimed the master
of the chapel, with the enthusiasm of
master and an artist.
'Gol with the aid of God, Notre
Dame de Lorette, and the great Saint
John Nepomuk, you will be some day
great master, great composer and
great man. But who will push you
through the world, poor ignorant child?
Who will bring you from obscurity,
into which my wretched poverty has
plunged you?'
IL" exclaimed a voice from the
outside.
Ii was the stranger. AT the sight of
him, Wolfgang ran and took him by
the hand.
"Here is the friend of the great
Saint John Nepomuk." But scarcely
had the master of the chapel perceived
him when he came for ward and with
the profoundest respect inclined him
self, while saying:
His majesty, the Emperor of Aus
tria, Francois"
CHAPTER V.