The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1895-03-21
1T WAS JUST LIKE HIM!


During the great annual festival at
Vienna the immense park is crowded
day and night. 1t is grand time for
organ. grinders, and vendors, and beg
gars. Among them once sat an old sol
der, with one leg, and with but two
fingers on one hand. His hair was
very white, and his face and clothes
showed every mark of poverty. He
was working away for dear life upon a
violin, while dog lay at his feet,
holding hat in his mouth.
There was so much of that sort of
thing going on, however, that the
happy throngs, in passing, paid very
little attention, and late in the after
noon, with only three. or four copper
coins in the hat, the old man let the
violin drop upon his knee and leaned
back against the tree behind him with
a deep sigh, followed by two or three
tears that would not be suppressed.
The dog, the hat, the master, and
the violin all looked very disconsolate.
when young fellow, not very we'll
dressed, who, perhaps, from symathy,
saw more than the passers-by, stepped
up and asked:
"My good man, why have you
stopped playing?"
Even a kind word brought some
thing like a smile to the old man s
face as be replied:
MY poor old arms too tired to push
the bow I've been at 1T since early
morning. I've had no dinner, and you
can see if my prospect for supper and
breakfast are very encouraging, he
added, pointing to the hat.
The young fellow handed him gol /
coin, saying:
"Will you lend me your violin for
half an hour?'
THAT is more than the whole thing
is worth, sir,' the old man exclaimed
looking at the gold, but the stranger
took the violin, remarking, at does
not matter. I only want to hire it for
little WHILE" and he carelessly
touched the strings with his fingers,
and brought them into better tune.
Then he took the bow and drew it
across them.
The old man started and looked at
him in amazement, for he had loved
music from his boyhood, but he had
never heard a strain like that from his
old violin.
"Now, partner" said the young
man, with smile, you take the
money and I will play. I think we
can make the people give us some
thing"
The first piece was not finished be-
fore several people ha stopped to lis
ten, and some had dropped coins into
the hat
Still the crowd increased, still the
coins fell into the hat-gold, silver,
copper. Still the stranger played, ever
and again looking with smile into
the old mans upturned face, but not
seeming to know that there was an.
other mortal in the world.
When the hat was almost full sec
ond time the violin suddenly broke
into the well-known strainssof "God
bless the Emperor Francis"
All hats were off in an instant ant
such an enthusiasm had been reached
that, spontaneously, the entire Grove
began the national air. and sang it az
it has rarely been sung before or since
Only those in front noticed thai
while they were singing the last lin,
the stranger quietly laid the violil
across the old soldiers knee, and will
a parting smile disappeared in tn,
crowd.
Where is he?' "Who was hep
asked hundred voices, when the sing
ing ceased and they missed the mu
stefan.
Someone in the crowd replied, II
was Alexander Boucher!" Then every
one knew him, and with a will the,
gave three rousing cheers for one of tn
most celebrated violinists of the age.