Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-02-23
WHOLE NUMBER 1882.
A TOUCH OF NATURE.
AN EVERY DAY SCENE IN A
GREAT CITY.
Grape Was on the Dsor.Bell, So the
Aged Organ Grinders Wheeled
Their Organ Away.

Grape Was on the Dsor.BelI, So the
Aged Organ Grinders Wheeled
Their Organ Away.
From an upper window OF the stately |
Waldorf hotel playful child could
have tossed ball upon the stoop of a |
contiguous mansion on Fifth avenue,
before which there stood a man, a
woman and large street organ, says
the New York World. The instru-
ment, which was upon four wheels,
was of modern construction, and is
the envy of the Italian colony in Null
berry Bend. The airs which the old
man in the brown velveteen suit
ground out of it-all very fetching and
popular-were rendered in manner
entirely superior to those emanating
from the old, wheezy, jarring barrel
organs, which, for while, the Board
OF Aldermen banished from the streets
some years ago. The woman wore
faded purple gown, coarse, ill-shaped
shoes, red worsted stockings, and over
her shrunken shoulders a gaudy and
embroidered little shawl. Her glossy
raven black hair, tightly plated, was
coiled and held at the back OF her bare
head by huge brass comb OF curious
workmanship. Her face was bronzed
and wrinkled, like that of her good
man, who played the organ, and in her
wasted fingers she held we'll thumbed
tambourine, into which the kindly dis
posed dropped their small aims. 1t
was with weary sigh-for the couple
was old and the organ was very heavy
to draw-that they halted opposite the
mansion. Here, at least, they would
receive few pennies, for had the kind
lady ever failed in the many months
to send out a pretty domestic in the
smartest of caps? Did they not know
what tunes the great lady liked and
what she did not like? Had not the
great lady once paid their monthly in
stallment upon their new organ, when
otherwise the maker would have FORE
closed his chattel mortgage and taken
their instrument away from them?
They did not know milady's name, and
they marveled that the sweet and sad
faced lady had not husband or chill
dren. Surely, one so rich could afford
children!
On wet and cold days she had used
to send out to them with the pennies
neat paper parcel containing tooth
some sandwiches, and, if it were very
cold, tin pail filled with hot coffee,
with sugar aud rich cream. Yes, the
good God and Santa Marie would re-
ward their benefsctress; but now that
the cover had been folded back over
the organ, they must play the great
lady's favorite tunes. Expectantly
their eyes sought the upper windows,
from which their patron almost daily
looked down and smiled on them.
How was it that the sweet, pale face
did not appear? Why were the shades
drawn upon THE beautiful day?
They looked inquiringly at each
other, and whispered as the first strains
OF music were ground out. The quick
eye OF the woman had hardly rested
upon Grape emblem upon the door
bell when the pretty servant hurried
out OF the area gate, with fearful eyes
and black ribbon in her cap.
Hush! Go away, please! My
mistress is dead!" she said, and was
about to re-enter the house, when sud-
denly she paused, fumbled in her
dress pocket, and taking out little
kid purse, placed it hurriedly into the
palm of the old woman's hand, say.
ing:
"Never come again, please; the
music reminds us too much! Good.
bye"
The man stopped playing, the wo-
man drew the cover over the organ,
and then by common impulse the
old couple knelt with their faces TO-
ward the Grape, and devoutly made
the sign of the cross.