The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-16
Stories of an Inland State.
"a second series and beginning the story Of
the man music-teacher.)


frontier, and Drawing its hardships. clear a
space and build a cabin. 1t is something
much more valorous to forge further west
with q plow and break the treeless prairies
and bring something from the nothingness
of the level unwatered steppes. 1t is some
thing, more valorous yet to come to the
village Of which the first settlers house is a
neucleus and start general store and let
your books swing heavy from credit to
debit and back again, erradcally, with the
luck" and bad luck Of your customers.
And 1t Is still brave deed to set up shop
there as "a Doctor and be charged with
murder at every death.
But the heart of Napoleon beats in the
breast of that man who. possessed Of a
puissance above all his fellows, first hangs
out gilt-lettered sign as music teacher.
This Is a terrible introduction to a west
ern community. On that sign the men and
women, the hardy pioneers. read con-
fess:on of effeminacy, of semi-idiocy, OF
physical, mental and moral inferiority.
The adarant prejudice which is virgin
in all frontier minds against man music
teachers, gives away IN years, it is true,
but the greatest heros this world has ever
seen are the men who have faced it down.
For two years now Algernon Burr had
been facing this monster. He had two
friends in Gaylord, the town of his choice;
one, the square piano with its slumbering
solace to be awakened at the touch of his
long women" fingers when ne was alone
and teart-sick; the other young girl, a
pupil who "felt'' for him and understood
why he played Chopin when he was alone
and "Silvery Waves for visitors, who un-
derstood the passion in the nonsenically
tangled themes of the classics, and respond
ed in her heart to the majesty of their
wordless messages.
The pioneer west is man. He Is king. He
must subdue the "front" by manliness, by
muscle, by mental vigor. His good wife
by his side responds also to this necessity.
She, too. is manly, vigorous. A fractions
horse feels her steady. iron rein and Is
subdued. A bucket is lost in the deep well.
She Goes not wait for the Homecoming of
John to rescue the vessel. She is down the
wells rough sides as quick as flash with
the rope and cures the fault forthwith. She
is not afraid of the wolves at night or the
Indian scares. This man and woman bring
forth a child. The place has changed; a
town has grown up; there are parties; the
children have Accomplishments" the chill
Gren love strange things and catch cold"
easily. The boys become effeminate, and
the girls delicate. So Clara Drew was deli
cate. delicate because she was unlike her
great strong mother, not from any lack of
health.
She was Algernon Burr's favorite pupil.
When it was not pupils hour she would
slip up and together they would play duets,
classical duets which made every one else
in the town yawn and frown.
This day Algernon Burr had three visi-
tors, John Hearn, Mrs. Hearn and Dolly
Hearn.
ing hard at Algernon, as if he were bar
gaining with a criminal. Were thinking
of giving Dolly music lessons. We'd like to
hear you play"
Algernon did not tell him that his play
of the child. He had tried that once with
disaster.
Have you any favoriteT" he asked.
music"
cal taste, said:
"Plsy Silver Waves.'"
aggerated fiourishes ran through the piece
peIl- nell.
Mrs. Hearn looked on critically. She did
not hear Hearn was Indifferent
How much lesson" he asked.
zone dollar here" said Algernon meek
~. And one dollar and half If 1 come to
your home
Hearn almost started. That man music
teacher come to his homeI Never, He
looked at the music teacher contemptu-
cusly and conveyed his thought In his tone
I'VE don't want you to come to our
home" he said. She'll come here"
DO you furnish a guarantee? Will she
be able to play those waves and jump up
and down those keys like you, say, in six
months?"
Algernon had learned TO lie. In a month
when the child failed to come to the prom
lsed degree Of proficiency, the parents
would have to go on in self-protection from
the scales
Yes, Mr.. Hearn."
"An right" said Hearn. PUT her
through. I haven't much confidence in
you, because I hate man music teacher.
Put her through"
'Ill give her her lesson now" replied
Algernon.
The parents left. Clara Drew came in
and sat back in the room while Burr prop
ped his pupil up to the piano beside him.
MY papa says you're an idiot, Mr.. Burr"
Dolly said.
That's all right. Now see this staf"
Them" asked the child.
YES"
Them board fences?"
THAT is not a fence. my child. That is
the staff. See this note?
That thing?''
''Yes"
THAT black crow sitting on the fence7"
at is not crow, my dear, ii is a not
a quarter note"
What's its tail hanging down behind
for?"
That is a quarter note; this is a half:
this is a sixteenth. Now a sixteenth IL
short. like that See?' He struck the key.
But the child Gid not see. They were not
notes 10 her. They were crows sitting on
fence. She could not understand. She
wanted to play piece night off and not
pay any attention TO the crows on the
fence.
She was a wilful child, and after half
hours tedious explanation. the nervous Al
gernon was ready to throw up his hands.
Then she seemed 10 be doing better. He
took hope. But the child relapsed again
and looked listlessly at the crows not hear
ing his explanations.
Run along hine now" he said. tired out.
And come back next Thursday.
Mr.. Burr she said seriously. 'I'll not
ccme back 1 think my papa is right. You
are an idiot"
The worm turned. For two years Alger-
non had stood eyerythir g-the snubs. the
tests. the insults OF the town-but TO be
OF idiocy BY this brainless baby
MAS too much for a weary patience. The
child would go home. tell her side OF the
- /. 40 A11E. f -