Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-11-11
MUSIC'S CHARM.

In the year 1888 u man named Iappan
moved with his family from New York to
the remote western country, said family
consisting, besides himself, of a wife and
six daughters. He had failed in business,
was broken in spirit; his children, he
thought, needed fresh air, so he accepted
as a gift from his brother a large tract of
land upon the edge Of the Wilderness and
settled thereon. Very soon enterprising
people began TO settle beyond him, ana
there came to be much travel past his
door, and as an act of humanity he fire.
quently entertained waylarerS. AS these
calls upon his hospitality became more and
more frequent he enlarged his house to
meet the requirements Of a comfortable
inn and put up the usual innkeeper's sign.
Not long after this a party of young
men, eight or ten in number, we'll mount
ed, were returning by a roundabout way
from an e~lectioneering expedition. They
had stopped at every tavern on their route,
and toward the middle of the afternoon
they refined up before Iappan's door, pref
ty well under the influence of various
kinds of fiery fluid, and, having dismount-
ed and secured their horses, they entered
the house and noisily demanded whisky.
Now, it so happened that Mr.. Tappan
and his wife were both away, and only his
daughters were in charge, and it also hap
pened that the host, being arigid and con-
scieptious teetotaler, had never kept any
s%pirituous liquors in the house, OF this
fact the visitors were informed by the cid
est daughter, a handsome, intelligent girl
of IS. But the riotously inclined invaders
had no care just then for female beauty,
nor We're they moved by the fear and dis
trust of the frightened girls, but they still
demanded whisky, and when they had be-
come assured that they could not have it
they resolved that they would cut down
the sign before the door, and the leader so
informed the young lady.
"You must do as you please, gentle
men, she said, shrinking, while her lit
tie sisters gathered around her for protec-
ton. 81 cannot prevent you"
ga tavern sign, and no whisky! Such
a sign is a base fraud"
"Aye-down with It'll"
"Where is your AK"
| woodpile, sir"
Three or four of the party made a rush
for the woodpile, cursing as they went,
| WIlllS tIlC ltutlSl VI lllS SttllS, d yOuuS llttll
who would have been decidedly handsome
If he had been himself, with others of his
companions took a notion to overhaul the
house, insisting that there must be "a
drop Of something somewhere. And
we may here say that the whole party con-
sidered themselves gentlemen. They were
well dressed and respectfully connected.
In "a small, well furnished apartment,
| apart from the guests room, was found a
pianoforte.
"Hallo!" cried the leader, ''who plays
on this? Can your"
st is mine, sir, " answered the girl thus
addressed.
"And you can play?"
eyes, SIR"
"Can you sing?"
IT sing sometimes, sir"
evil you play and sing for us?"
"With pleasure, sir"
She opened the piano and sat down and
played and sang "The Maiden's Prayer"
Her voice was clear, musical and sweetly
rich, and the accompaniment was played
with rare skill and grace. The little sis
tiers gathered in a semicircle close around
the instrument, and the heretofore riotous
1lcl-DuU Ilolouo uo llcttICI
and nearer upon the outside. Some Of
them had never heard a piano before, and
| not one of them had ever heard sweeter
music. After a pause, at the conclusion
of the piece, the leader spoke again, but
in a strangely subdued tone:
"Will you sing for us another songF"
And she played and sang that sweet
song, "The Old House."
The men who had gone to search for the
ak, hearing the music, had left the wood
pile and re-entered the house.
Other songs were sung, in several Of
which two of the younger sisters joined.
The riotous spirits were all subdued, and
half the party had wet cheeks. Their SYM
pathies were aroused, their hearts opened
and the best part of their natures brought
to the surface, and when they had taxed
the fair songstress SO far that they felt
ashamed to tax her more they thanked her
heartily and withdrew with AS much de-
corum as might have been exhibited had
they been retiring from before the throne
of a monarch.
A year after this event Mr.. Tappan
| CHANGED to be in Jacksonville on business,
where he was introduced to Philip St.
Clair, a rising young lawyer of the place.
"Is this the Mr.. Tappan who one year
ago kept a public house on the Cloud Hill
road?" asked St. Clair.
"The same, sir"
"And 1, sir" pursued the lawyer, "was
the leader of that party of riotous mon
who so shamefully frightened your daugh-
tiers. 1 suppose they told you of the Cir
cumstance9"
eyes, SIR"
"Well, Mr.. Tappan, from that day l
have not touched intoxicating drink.
would like to see your eldest daughter and
tell her of the blessing her sweet music
bestowed upon me-"
Mr.. Tappan knew St. Clair well by rep
utation and oheerfully invited him to call
whenever no could make it convenient.
St. Clair once more visited the wayside
inn, the result Of which was that in less
than another year the sweet songstress had
become his wife.
"My blessed angel" he said, c~lasping
her to his bosom when she was his own to
cherish and protect, ''never, never can
sufficiently thank heaven for the provi-
dence that led me within your saving in
fuence in that dark hour of my life. -
New York News.