The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-05-26
THE TRAMP MUSICIAN.
He literally Poured Oct His soul
HUSic-

Music.
The household goods Of q ruined mil
Iionaire were being sold at auction and
a fashionable assembly of bidders were
present. The auctiOneer came to q
handsome grand square piano. and. az
he opened it. he observed that the max.
ers catalogue price for the instrument
was S1.400. Then he invited anyone
present to try the instrument. so all
might hear it's tone.
please come forward and play some
thing. sOmeOne-anyOne." he urged. no
ticing nobody seemed inclined to accept
the invitation.
At this second call there was a stir
the door. and then a man advanced-a
man who seemed strangely out of place
among the elegantly attired people as
scmbled in that grand parlOr. 1t was d
ragged, sOilcd tramp, on whose face
hardship and dissipation had left their
imprints.
y nUrnur of establishment and dis
gust ran around the room. How came
such a creature there? What right had
he in hat room with decent people?
How did he gain admittance?
The faultlessly attired men fell back
as the tramp approached, and the
women drew aside their skirts. as if the
touch Of such a being were cOntamina-
ton. Some looked around for the
auctioneer's assistants, and one man
half-lifted his cane as If to strike the
y~agabOnd.
Put him out"
The words were uttered by more than
one pair of lips.
Needless Of the looks or words Of those
around, the tramp walked-or rather
,taggered-toward the piano. His step
va that of a drunken man, but his
cheeks We're sunken and pallid, as if
hunge: gnawed at his vitalS. and his
eyes CLEANED with a wild. unnatural
llght-a light hat caused the auction
ecr to shiver and fall back with a hand
half appraised.
Without a word, the vagrant seated
himself at the piano. and his fingers
touched the ivory keys. For a single
moment he seemed to hesitate. his
fingers wandering aimlessly, yet pro-
ducing a few soft and harmonious
notes. Then, of a sudden. a burst Of
melody came from the pianO-a food of
music that thrilled the souls of all who
heard. 1t was BeethOyen'S grandeSt
march, and it was rendered by IL mas
ter musician. Never before in that
magnificent parlor was such music
heard. Could it be the ragged tramp
who was playing?
Amazed, stricken dumb and motion
less by what they saw and heard. tine
people who had gathered there stared
allG liste6Gd, holding their breath while
thyiz Gars drank in the soul-intoxicat-
iur strains cOniured from the fauItlrSS
Instrument by the wizard musician in
rags. The march ended. but the flood
OF music still poured from the piano.
beethoven. Mozart, Wagner. LiSzt-the
strange mar knew them al. and their
best work he rendered with a inAstar's
touch.
"WOnderful, AE.azing.."
The ]enthrallcd listeners looked into
each others faces and whispered the
words:
"WhO is he?"
No one could answer but one thought
he must be some great musician mas
querading.
Listen! He is ~improvising low. How
sweet is the strain. Soft and low. yv-
full of JOY and sunshine it flows - ~ and
on like Il laughing. dancing brook.
Slowly a touch Of sadness creep into
the melody. 1t is like the gentle fail of
summer rain on a neW-made grav"-it
is like the faintIy-heard sobbin| of Il
mother as she bends above the dead
face of her first-bOrn. 1t moves the
heart Of many a woman as she listens.
and more than One pair of Eyes are diIE
with unbidden tears.
At length comes the sweetest. sad
dest, grandest tune ever composed
Home, Sweet Home All elsr is for
gotten now. One of the WOmen is sob
bing softly in the depths of her hand
kerchief. Softer and softer. slower and
slower the strain is s~inking-dying. 1t
is like the last effort of n soul passing
from earth. Finally it ceases, and then
the tramp musician sinks forward on
the Instrument and remainS mOtiOnle>~.
\ sigh runs around the room. The
auctiOneer touches the tramp on the
shoulder. The vagabond does not stir.
They lift his nerveless body and look
into his face.
He has gone hOme.-William q. Pat
ten, in Detroit Free Press.
BURIED ALIVE,