The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-06
eROUL.llKE REYtNGE.
Fearful Because il $ Worked on the Rails
Ing Geaetation.

Washington S:ar: HIS eleYen-year-old
daughter was practicing the plano in
the parlor. His nine-yenr-o!d son was
practlclng the violin In the back room
up stairs. HIS eight-year-old daughter
was practlcing the Violin in the front
room up stairs, He himself sat avid
dllng his thumbs in the sitting room.
He didn't look so mean as his remarks
to the friend who happened in upon
him showed him to be.
"Lovc music, don't you?" said the
friend.
Not much, don't" replied the father
OF the family.
Huh? What's your idea, then, in
starting all three OF the kids on in
music 20 early in the gamer"
"Retenge." said the father Of the
family
"Reveuge2 What the dickens are v
talking about?"
Revenge. Sins Of the tatE<,s.' you
know. I'm engaged in hitting back az
my immediate pr0genitors through my
children. Pretty mean, isn't It? Ger
talnly It's mean! But swore solemn
oath when my people began putting II
on me from the tender age OF seven
that I'd Rel hunk with some one for Il,
and that's what I'm doing right now.
you see, when l was a kid there
wasn't any more music In me than there
Is In a Moot owl. ! couldn't even whistle
through my teeth. ! couldn't tell the
difference between a gospel hymn and
] me Sailors Hornplpe' and I'm not
much better down 10 the present mo.
mept of speaking. But my father, who
had had a fiddle for thirty years With
| out being able 10 saw three tunes on 1t,
was bound mat ] should be violinisi,
and my mother. who knew her two
seminary commencement pieces by heart.
was equally bound that should be a
pianist.
II was the first kid in the bunch,you
sec. and so ! got it in she neck NY
father started me at the violin. and my
mother started me an the piano Be-
/ tween 'em / was about as miserable
small boy as traipsed around the CONT
nent. l was naturally an 0ut-ot-doors:
shlnny-playIng. Understanding sort OF
n young one, but the muslc-pract'elhs
cniwded this all out OF me. il was
/ nFACtlCGt UFdGllEEt plaANhANN 80 80
/ had 10 practice the fiddle an hour be-
| fore going 10 school In the morning,
had 10 practice the plano half an hour
when returned from school for Eome'
thing to eat at nobn. When / got home
\ from school at the finish OF the aiter.
noon session-and / got warmed good anu
proper Il / didn't return on time 70
| dot--I had to practice both the piano
and the violin for couple Of hours be-
fore supper.
THE boys would all be out In front
whtstllng for me, but I'd have to SO
right on practlcing Just She same. II ia
| sneak over TO the front window to tell
'em l couldn't come out, my motner
would notice the momentary suspension
/ OF the prncticlng. and she'd come AFTER
me. After supper my father woulu re-
| view me on my violin work FOR ha1t an
hour, and my mother would pass upon
my piano development for anotneI hhlt
an hour. Then was permitted 70 80
| out to the vacant lot and play With ina
other Kids for awhile, but usually, when
/ came in. I'd find my father saving
ownY on his fd1le, and he'd corral mo
and make me play duets With him until
IA toppie over with sleepiRess. They
simply couldn't pound any music what
soeyer into me, though This used TO
please pI me a great deal It pleases me
"After while had regular violin
teacher and q regular plano teacher
/ and had to practice harder than before
but never learned anything about mu-
sic. Il wasn't in me. For Ave cold
wears I was glued to a plano stool and
| 10 a Violin music rack, and at the END OF
| that time / was an out-and-out duHer
OF both Instruments. Moreover. l had
TO lick hoy every dag for guyinG me-
because had to stay In and practice SO
much.
| grandmothers place, about eight Nun
deed miles away. and firmly declined %
| return home until l had my folks pro-
misc that The music was to lie cut out
While l was away from home the piano
teacher and the violin teacher had
formed themselves into a committee OF
two and informed my peonlc in a neat
little speech, that they wouldn't be able
TO teach me anything about music IN
ten thousand yearsand, so when ! went
| hack home. I was given a show for my
white alley. But the sufferngs ! eXper-
fenced during those five prncticing
years were surely something fierce
'Nell," put In the visitor 81 should
think that the dose YOU had womb
prompt sou TO lot your own young ones
nione, unless they are natural muss-
clans"
Natural musicians? There isn't a
bar OF music in the whole three OF them
NV wife thinks they're all genluses but
| there isn't one OF them that can hum
yankee Doodle" without mixing II up
with "There'il Be a Hot Time" And
ns for going light on them. never!
like to sit he.e and listen to EN- serape
and bang. / stay In ~ nights just TO
hear 'em. I particularly enjoy It when
the two teachers, Violin and piano, are
here The kids can have anything they
want that's within my menns-but
they've got to learn music. itll sort
Of even up the game for me. you sec.
MY plano daughter Is playing Mon
| asteTy Bells, you'll notice D'le ever
hear anything 20 atroclousF Well, l
had TO practice that piece f''' two hours
n day for months when was Young
one Hear that boy numbering the
,NIserc' from II Tr1vatore'? ] mad to
practice that until I fall kcr'lop to the
moor from exhaustion Moreover, ike
10 make mv neiEhbo"s suffer Ike to
got nv neIghtors In here by strategy
and then have the three Kids play for
thor, MI NJ once Let me bring en- In