Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-06-02

verses; but the musici ., my friend
where can | find words to describe to
you the inexplicable sadness which
pressed my poor heart as that entranc-
ing but hellish music shook the air?
There was nothing of earth in il, but
neither was there an echo from Heaven
in that voice, filed with tears and sobs
| heard the groans of men doomed &c
torments eternal: the gnashing of teeth,
the screams of hopeless despair. and
deep sighs, coming from breast worn
with sufferings. When in the midst OF
a laundering crescendo composed OF
the very widest and most discordant
sounds, Lauretta stopped on q sudden,
a general and reverberating bravo was
heard through the the hall. and mum.
ber of voices called out:
'Signora Baldusi, Signora Baldusi!
show yourself to us; remove your
mask.
''Lauretta obeyed The mask fell TO
her feet; and what did see? Merciful
God! Instead of the young and bloom
ing face of my Lauretta, l saw dead
and dried skull l was dumb from
amazement and horror; but the other
spectators spoke all at once, and raised
a great cry.
"'Ah, what charmsl" exclaimed they,
with enthusiasm; look, what a skull
just like ivory! But the mouth, the
mouth A wonder; it extends to her
ears! What perfectionl All. how
charmingly she gnashes her teeth at
us! What nice round cavities she has
for eyes, Oh, she is beautiful"
'Signora Baldusi.' said Mozart.
rising, grant us q favor-sing Bion-
dina, in Gondoletta'
"'But that is impossible said the
director OF the orchestra. 'Signora
Baldusi sings the cayatina Biondina,
in Gondoletla, only with a guitar; and
there is no such instrument here
"'You are mistaken, maestro di
capella,' answered Lauretta, pointing
to me. There is guitar before
YOU
THE leader of the orchestra cast a
quick glance at me, opened his owls
beak, and laughed so malignly that tho
blood grew cold in my veins
But really said he, pass him
this way; we can make a good guitar
out of him.
Three Of the spectators seized me.
and from hand to hand passed me to the
leader of the orchestra In half n min
ute he wrenched my right leg off, tore
the flesh away, leaving nothing but
bone and dry sinews; the latter he be-
gan to stretch out like strings
II cannot describe to you the unen-
durable pain which this preliminary
operation caused me; and although my
right leg was torn off still, when the
villainous leader began to tune the in
strument, all the nerves in my body
were straining and ready to snap. But
when Lauretta took from his hands my
poor leg, and her bony fingers ran along
the stretched sinews, forgot all pains,
SO beautiful and sweetly sounding were
the tone and music of this uncommon
guitar.
After 4 brief ritornello, Lauretta
sang her cavarina in low voice. Often
had 1 heard her before, but never
had she produced on me such a
wondrous effect | seemed to myself
to have become all hearing; and what
was more strange, not only my soul,
but all parts of my body enjoyed the
enchanting music, Independently Of
each other. But my remaining leg was
the most delighted of all; its enthus
iasm reached such degree of ecstasy.
each sound of the guitar produced such
inexplicably pleasant sensations, that
it could not stay still for one instant
Every movement too, of the leg an.
swered to the time of the music Al
one moment its movements were slow
and serious, at another it jumped
quickly; then it trembled slowly.
"All Mt once Lauretta blundered. O,
my frlen,s, previous pain was moth
ing compared with what / felt then II
seemed that my skull was breaking in
pieces, that they were tearing all my
nerves out at once; saving me with
wooden saw, and hacking me with
dull knife. This hellish torture could
not endure long lost consciousness
and remember only as dream that at
the moment when all seemed to grow
dark in my eyes some one called out:
Throw that broken instrument
into the street."