The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-03-27


"Rossini? Yes. give US that"
The men sat down The boy stood !
with his back against the door, twirl-
ing a shabby Tam O'Shanter in a pair
Of nervous hands, and out Of the little
room fioated voice, pure, silvery, un-
faltering-such q voice as neither of
those two men had ever heard i'm that
room before. Through all the delicious
mea -urcs Of that Incompatible melody
II rose and fell, and when at last it
died out in wavy cadences, the tenor
glanced toward his friend with some
thing like very tears shining in his eyes,
and the friend, jumping 70 his feet. ex-
claimed in nervous haste:
IL know he's your friend. Billy, but
must share him ! want him for my
choir Wouldn't you like to sing in
choir. boy?"
Yes. sir"
Anthony's face became crimson with
delight. and the poor old Tam O'Shan-
ter suffered more than ever at his
hands.
II 20 TO the Advent every Sunday
I've picked mp lots Of things they sing
there"
only there? Have you had no other
training?"
"Oh. yes, = good deal from my IA
Their. but he died more than year ago,
1 Just after we came to this country.
| There are only mother and me LEFT,
and I've been out Of q job for over
/ week"
'.wen, Mr.. Whiting here will soon
/ give YOU new one the tenor said.
"Will you put him among the re-
serves. Whiting"
with that voice? No He can 90
| in almost at once. l have two vacan-
cies anyway. The last was that little
Scott Payne boy. He died on Satur-
day
what Mrs. John Scott-Payne's boy?
Why. he's all she had"
YES: like this little chap. lie was
the only son Of his mother. and she a
| widow-but under nightly different
circumstances"
s.Ah. we'll, well! All her ducats can't
mend broken heart, and she will have
that know. He was such . noble,
gentlemanly lad"
- es. and fine voice. have missed
him badly. but think with very little
training this boy can take his place.
And so II came to pass that before
Johnnie Scott-Paync had been q month
in his little grave at Mt Auburn.
Anthony Kramer was singing in his
stead al the Church Of the Nativity; and
while Johnnie's mother wandered
through the desolatc rooms Of the cost
ly house which she no longer called a
home. finding comfort nowhere, An
thongs mother. selling small wares be-
hind the counter Of little shop on Win
ter street. rcjoiccd unspcakably that
her boy had 30 providentially found his
vocation.
She had no doubt whatever as to its
being his rightful vocation. for. though
she herself was quite as gently born as
Mr~. scott Payne. and had lived in the
purple till she had lost her heart % her
young music mas4er and fled with him
from all the associations Of her youth,
the music master had come Of a family
who were all musicians. and, unprofit-
able as the profession had proved 70
her throughout her married life she
had never lost faith in il. Anthony had
been named for the father whom she
had deserted. but her father died with
! out forgiving her and leaving all his
wealth to distant relatives; So. having
only his name as an heritage from his
! mothers side Of the house, II seemed
but fitting that the boys living should
! come 70 him by means Of the gift
which had descended 10 him in such
liberal proportions from his father and
his fathers people.
As the winter wore on Il became
more and more apparent TO the poor
young thing that this gift would soor
BE- the sole possession Of doubly
orphaned life for she had never beer
robust. and New England climate
made rapid inroads upon her feeble
remnant Of strength. and the coming o
the foe who robs and dcsolatcs ant
rever restores seemed to be mers
question Of time. For herself she has
no dread Of his coming. but her hear
was sore at the thought Of parting will
her boy, and however hard she tried 4
nerve herself for the effort, she lackes
courage to warn him Of the trial in stor'
for him.
In the old days he might have guessed
Il for himself; but he was 50 happy ant
busy now. basking in the sunshine Q
his bencfactor's increasing approval
earning q steady income among tn
= fraternity Of which the kindly teno
was but one, and throwing himself witt
Y boyish fervos into hischoir work. that b
. never noticed how the pretty. pale fac
Of his mother was growing daily pale
!, and thinner, or II he did notice II, b
> Quilted himself by thinking: Even
She isn't quite as strong as she used
y BE-. I'm growing stronger all the time
\ and By and BY she needn't work at all.
Y For long while after his father In
4 been taken from them, the world ha
a seemed 70 the poor little fellow yer
y full Of death aud sorrow, but now. r
!. joicing as he did r. the new condition
u his life, almost the only time the 81