Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-21

jerks to the head of the room, intro
ducing him to the cello, the mouth or
gan and the floor manager
"Now, boys" said he, when the
committee had turned away, leaving
him with his fellow musicians, who re-
garded him doubtfully, "let's have an
understanding. amt in this like you,
for a dollar "a head and free drinks, but
I'm doing it to oblige a lady. / expect
to make some pretty bad breaks, and
the first one Of you that smokers will
eat his instrument right here. Are you
ready?"
jerks is not afraid of any individual
man, perhaps not very much afraid of
any woman, but when he stood up on
that platform with the fiddle in his
neck and faced the crowd he was badly
ratified.
"Play waltz first, said the floor
manager, ''and play slowly" With
sigh Of relief and the thought "What'll
1 do when they demand fast music?"
Mr.. jerks began that classical strain
which fits the words 'Where, oh, where
is my little dog gomez" the cello and
mouth organ struck in, the girls chose
the best walters, the floor filed up,
feet shuffled, boards creaked, and the
ball was opened.
Accomplished speakers have recorded
the difficulty experienced in learning to
think upon their feet, but jerks, facing
an audience for the first time and saw
ing away desperately at the first bars
and repeat of a slow waltz, had no such
trouble. He told me afterward that his
thoughts chunk themselves and came
a-running," and that he was conscious
of three distinct trains of thought run
ming on parallel tracks. The first con-
cerned Mr.. Smith, the delinquent mu-
stefan; the second subject was "what a
very pretty girl when she laughs, " and
the third, accented to waltz time, ran:
"Oh, never can play them that second
strain. I know I'll break down if I
try"
To anticipate difficulty is to insure it,
After repeating the first strain some 20
times jerks made desperate effort to
strike the second movement, failed and
collapsed The cello and mouth organ
hammered along uncertainty for a time
and ceased. The stranded walters dot
ted the floor like boats becalmed on a
miniature lake.
The walters had been SO engrossed in
their own efforts, and the rest of rs in
looking on that the quality of the mu-
sic had apparently received little atten-
ton. When the player broke down,
there was only general movement Of
Impotence at the interruption, and |
looked to see the persistent jerks start
up again OH the same eight measures.
But he had entirely recovered his self
possession. Laying the fiddle aside, he
advanced to meet the girl at whose re-
quest he had made the effort.
Don't you think" he asked, "that
I have proved that cannot playa"
"Well, it does come pretty close to a
demonstration, she answered, "but I
thank you very much for helping us out.
Mr.. Smith has come and will relieve
you"
So Mr.. Smith took the fiddle and
jerks took the girls hand for the first
dance, and perhaps for others, and the
evening was success.
Many hours afterward, as we rode
sleepily homeward in the gray light of
morning, jerks said to me, "What a
very pretty girl when she laughs. %
"What did she say about your play
ing?" I asked.
"Said | must play at the next leap
year dance-1900 is not leap year,
you know-would give me eight years
to practice.
"Did you promise?"
II promised not to; told her l had
something better to work for now
Rhine jerks is rather taciturn fell
low, and l am not in his confidence,
but know that he goes pretty often to
Richmond's Hill, and he has traded his
fiddle for cow I have also noticed
him studying a book entitled Com.
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