Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-01-08

y
general. A musician. great musician?
I" What instrument does he play?
inquired the general
" The-the-er-that is-why, Of
course, the cornell He plays the cor
netr
Are we in need of cornet player?'
said he, turning to the leader Of the
band. Five seconds, five eternities, be-
fore the answer came:
+" Yes, general; one is needed.
Well, then, continued the general,
remove that man from the ranks and
let the executions proceed at once.
Then I caught you in my arms and
brought you here.
Scarcely had Ramon ceased speaking
when I arose. trembling, and between
laughter and tears embraced him, say
ing:
81 owe my life to you"
Hardly that replied Ramon.
"What do you mean?" exclaimed.
Scan you play the cornet9" he asked.
s"No."
"Then you do not owe me your life:
rather it is that / have compromised
my own safety without securing yours.
I felt my heart grow cold within me.
"And music, he continued, edo you
know anything Of that?"
every little You will remember
what they taught us in college,
=. LITTLE z. ir5seed, or, better said, moth
ing.'' replied Ramon. "You will die,
without the slightest doubt, and / also
as traitor. just think of it In 10 days
the band to which you belong is to be
organized"
Fifteen daysP'
ssNeither more nor less. And as you
will not be able to take your place in it
(for God will not work miracle) we
shall both be shot.
"To put you to death!v cried.
You, for my sake; for me, whom you
have risked your life to savel All, heav-
en- will not permit it. Within 15 days I
shall learn to play the cornetp'
Ramon burst into laugh.
What more shall I say, my children?
In Is days-oh, power Of the human
will-in Is days, with their Is nights
for slept no more than nature COM
PEELED in half month-in 10 days
had learned to play the cornet.
What days those were! Ramon and ]
left camp early each morning and passed
hours with musician who came from
neighboring village to teach me.
ESCAPED can read this thought in
your eyes, All, nothing more impossi
ble.. was prisoner. They never re-
laxed their vigilance. and Ramon did
not wish to escape without me.
It seems to me now as if in all that
time could neither eat nor sleep nor
think of aught save my cornet. I was
insane, and music was my monomania.
I was resolved to learn, and I did.
And if I had been dumb should have
spoken; and paralytic, I should have
walked; and blind, should have seem
because willed it.
Oh, the will answers for ALI Resolu-
tion is power. Children, learn this great
truth-to will is to achieve.
saved thus my life and that of my
friend. But went mad, and my mad
llcSS w as U1lC ttIU L 4ldu 4OdlAOus IL 1u1S5Au
be said that in three years the cornet
never left my hand Do-re mi-fa-sol-la-
si-behold my world during that time.
But Ramon did not abandon me. To-
gether we emigrated to France, and
there continued my playing. The cor
net was myself-it seemed to ring in
my mouth. The people, the notabilities
in the art, allgathered to hear me. 1t
was a wonder, marvel. The cornet
seemed toyield to my fingers; it became
elastic; it moaned; it wept; it cried
aloud; it initiated the birds, the wild
beasts, the human sob
Thus passed two years more. At the
end of that time Ramon died. Gazing
upon my friends dead body, I recovered
my reason, and when, then in my right
mind, one day took up the cornet and
tried to play, found to my astonishmeut
that the power had left me.
Will you now ask me to play tune
for your dance?-From the Spanish in
Chicago Tribune.