Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-01-21

Jenks 20 tic head a. tie room, intro
dnciug him to tho cello. the moaih oT-
gan aud tho aoor manager.
"Now, boys" said lac. when ths
committee had turned away. leaving
him with his fcllow musicians, who re-
gardcd him doubtfal!y, lets have IA
understanding. / amt IN this Ike you,
for a dollar "a head md FREQ driaSS, lat
I'm doing it to otlige o lady. 1 osrect
TO make some rrc,ty bad breaks, aud
the first one Of you that euickoTs VIII
cat his instrument right here. Arc you
ready?"
jerks IS not afraid Il nry individual
man, perhaps rot very nuCh Ufraid Of
any woman, bus when he stood up on
that platform with the fiddle in his
neck and faced tho crowd he was badly
ratified.
"Play a waltz lrgt," said tho floor
manager, ''and play slowly." With Il
sigh of relief and the thought "What'll
1 do when they domsnd fast muster"
Mr.. jerks began that classical strain
which fts the words Where, oh. where
is my little dog gomez the cello aud
mouth organ struck in, the girls chose
the best waltzers, the foor Glled mp,
feet shufied, boards crcaked, aud tho
ball was opened.
Accomplished speakers have recorded
the difficulty experienced in learning TO
think upon their feet, but jerks, facinR
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-ruuuing,' - and that nc was conscious
of three district trains Of thought Kun
ming on parallel tracks. The fret con-
cernod Mr.. smith, the delinquent mu-
G%ioian; the second subject was "what a
very pretty girl when she laughs" and
the third, accented to waltz time, ran:
ooh, l never can play them that second
strain. l know I'll break down il /
try"
To anticipate difficulty is to insure it.
After repeating the first strain some 30
times jerks made a 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 waltzcrs had been so enGrosscd ia
their own efforts, and the rest of Us in
looking on, that the quality OF the mu-
sic had apparently received little atten-
tion. When the player broke down,
there was only a general movement Of
impetienoo at the interruption. and l
looked to sec the persistent jerks start
mp again on tho same eight measures.
But he had entirely recovered his self
possession. Laying the hddio aside, he
advanced to meet tho girl at wkose re-
quest he had made the effort.
Don't you think, " he asked, THAT
1 have proved that 1 cannot play?"
well, il does come pretty close TO 4
demonstration, " she answered, That
thank you very much for helping us cut.
Mr.. Smith has come and will relieve
you"
So Mr.. Smith took tho fiddle and
jerks took the girls hand for the first
dance, and perhaps for others, and the
evening was g success.
Many hours a~fterward, as VIC rode
sleepily hoIneward in tho gray light OF
morning, jerks said to me, "What q
very pretty girl when she laughs"
what did she say about your play.
ingl" l asked
Said l must play at the next leaI
year dance-l90o is not a leap year
you know-would give me eight year
to practice"
did You promise?"
II promised not to; told her / haC
something better to work for now"
Rhine jerks is u rather taciturn fel
low, and l am not in his confidence
but know that he goes pretty often e
Richmond's Hill, and he has traded hi.
fiddle for n COW. l have also noticed
him studying a book entitled Com
Portable Cottages For 5000. &c. 3
Durham in San Francisco Argonnut.