The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-18

y
bright eyes that perhaps the half commas
Innate critic who first dubbed him tha,
sobriQUet in print may be acquitted of any
malicious intention. At all events the |
nickname stuck to him, and by il he was
known throughout the length and breadth
If England, although the posters which an
rounced his periodical performances in
London and in the provinces continued
naturally enough, to describe him as the
marvellous juvenile pianist, Franz Oster
mann" Not that that was his real name
for the Numerous business letters received
hy his father and impresario were ad-
dressed 10 Mr.. John Robinson; stin. his
late mother had been Fraulein Ostermann.
and 1t must be obvious that a juvenile
PIANIST should hail at least nominallv from
The Fatherland.
II may not be equally obvious to every
body that the father of a juvenile pianist
should be entitled to pocket the whole of
than juvenile pianisps earnings, and at the
age OF Is this, somewhat suddenly. ceased
10 present itself in the light of an absolute
necessity 10 Master Franz. He was quiet
and tacltuTn child; but chat of course. did
Mt prevent him from having his own
thoughts and his own ideas, nor even
when favored by opportunity from giving
startling effect them. Upon several ocea.
s0ns he had shown himself recalcitrant:
upon many occasions he had been soundly
whipped; upon a few he had carried his
point He was. therefore, by no means
without hope of success when, lust as he
was about to be led TO the platform to
perform before large audience at the we'll
known watering place of Winchoombe, he
sat down resolutely and declared, in his
little high-pitched voice, that unless twenty
pounds were given to him then aud there to
90 what he pleased with be would not play
at ALL
This was really terrible, for the nobility
and gentry OF the neghborhoud were wait
ing and immediate corporal punishment
out of the question and the sympathies
OF the small assembly In the artists retiring
room were entirely with good MIR. Robin
son, whose seowls and Establishments
proved alike unayailing to move the young
rebel. 1t was case, Mr. Robinson felt
Tor provisional concession, and he accord
ingly promised his dear little Franz that
the sum demanded should be paid that very
evening. But Franz shook his head: his
terms, said be, were money down or no per-
foTmance. Finally his father produced two
fye-pound notes; somebody lent him a
third and somebody else made up the total
with five soveregns. Thereupon the mu-
elCdi uOuSe assumed MS PROFESSIONAL smile,
appeared before the audience and for the
next hour aud half fairly enchanted all
who had the privilege of listening 20 him
with his exquisite renderings of the best
OmpoSers."
The following is a transcript from the
Winchcombe Sentinel of the following day
AS a matter of fact be did not do much ex-
Quisiie or otherwise, in the way of rem
dering, although his technical proficiency
was beyond dispute. and would have been
astonishing in q nlapiSt If frvio nr
three times his age. In any case, his hear
eTs were enchanted; they applauded with
all their hands and feet, and as soon as the
recital was over not a few ladies found
their way into the little room behind the
platform for the benevolent purpose OF max
ing themselves personally acquainted with
the youthful enchanter." This was
far from being a novel experience OF
Franz O>terman, who submitted to femi-
nine caresses with the smile which he
had been Taught that good manners re-
CURED him 10 put on at such times, but
did not express extreme qualification.
Feminine caIesses, indeed, were not agree
able to him; he would very gladly have dis
posed with them; even the advent of the
Dowager Lady Winchcombe herself-that
wealthy and powerful local ceiehrity-failed
10 stir his emotions In the faintest degree.
He had been kissed by empresses and
queens, not to speak of duchesses, mar
chiOBesses and coUDtesses innumerable,
and he had long ago arrived at the conclu-
SUN lHaL lntlS Is DO StIE OIL pleasure IN
being kissed by old women, however exalted
their rank. Besides, some of them had
boards.
Lady Winehconlbe had the advantage over
some Of them. inasmuch as she was not only
beardless, but made no offer to kiss the
young gentleman for whose talent she pro-
fessed the sineerest admiTa ton. She was
handsome, middle-aged. motherly looking
woman, and it was in a very kindly and
sympathetic voice that she said:
Poor little man. how tired Won l0oki A re
you tired ?"
ION. yes; 1 am always tired" answered
Franz, meaning rather TO state TACT than
to make any appeal for additional pity.
But that l. quite wrong; that will never
do! How are you 10 60 on giving concerts
If you aren't allowed TO run about and have
plenty Of fresh air, like other childreDa
Come back to tea with me and be intro
dueed to my little daughter, who is about
your own age. 1suppUse you ran be spared"
Lady Wincheombe supposed, and had z, cd
reason for supposlng, that every wish of
hers could be complied with. In this in
stance she was not disappointed. although
Mr.. Robinson. while bowling obseQuiously
and thanking her ladyship for her kindness
and condescension, thought il right to NEIL
ton that Franz had not been at all good
boy that day.
"He is an overworked boy" said Lady
WiueheOmbe, rather severely, land every
body knows, or ought TO know. that an
overwOrked boy cannot be a good boy"
her softly cushioned carriage she asked:
''Well, what have you been about? Why
did your father say that you had been
nsughty?"
Franz put his hand into the pocket of his
velvet knickerboekers and frightened his
fingers upon the notes and coins which con-
stituted his entire personal assets. This
lady appeared to be well-dsposed person;
but this preeOeIty had taught him to dis
trust appearances, and he doubted whether
il would be prudent to let her into the
secret of plan which the accident of her
Invitation had rendered somewhat moro
easy of execution than II otherwise would
have been. 80 he limited himself TO the
confession that he had for a few moments
refused to perform that afternoon.
Dear mel' exclaimed Lady Winch
c0mbe, laughing land IL you had persisted
there would have been no concert. How
amusing that would have beenI However,
as you didn't persist, there wasn't much
harm done. and your father won't punish
you. hope"
Nothing was more certain than that his
father Ut be got the chance) would both
punish him and pick his pockets, but it is
always difficult TO explain domestic situa-
tons TO outsiders. and Franz abstained from
,Rny effort in that direction. He answered,
with perfect truth, that he did not think his
father would punish him this time, soon
after which he was spared all further need
for equivocation by the pulling I'D of the
carriage beneath the portico of the Winch
combe Towers.
WinchcomDe Towers is not quite so grand
an edifce as its name might seem to imply,
although IL is by far the largest and most
imposing among the many villas which are
scattered over the hillside of the fashion
able watering-place that IL dominates
Such as its magnflcence and luxury were,
the produced no impression of awe or won
der on Franz OstermanD, who had seen
plenty Of big houses and Conservatives,
and powdered foOtmen, and Persian carpets
EpfOFp Ihpca affrlDUfHs of WEALTHY exist