The Advocate and news., 1899-03-15

as a cow, and no more ear for music than
an oyster To begin the day with such a
pupil as JOnnie Jones was sure to sell
ones nerves on edge for the whole day.
But on this particular morning he was
worse than common, for as he explained
he had played football the past week which
had left no time for practice, and with
his hands so stiff that the sweet toned
notes of the guitar could not respond;
he played so out ct tune and his lesson
was such a dismal failure that he had
been compelled to send JOnnie skating
after fifteen minutes Of torture with the
injunction that next week Jonnie Jones
should take his exercise on the guitar
instead of on the ball ground.
Pupil number two was Nellie Jewell
who "toOk" on the mandolin. A bright
young maiden Of some fifteen summers.
Grace was in all her steps, heav'n in
her eyes," quite talented, read music like
print, but she couldn't get the "tremlo."
Now the mandolin without the tremolO
would be much like violin played with
out a bow. Eberhardt vowed inwardly
that young Miss Jewell should not de-
part from those four walls until that lit
tic feat of playing was accomplished.
SO metOphorically speaking he rolled up
his sleeves and pitched in; and for one
solid hour, the worst he ever spent, he
afterwards said, Mr.. Eberhardt endeav-
ored to make that pupil learn it right.
At the end Of the hour Misss Nellie had
learned to "tremlo" with the mandolin
pick, although 1t must be told 1t was still
little rocky.
On Wednesdays he generally lunched
at eleven as his time was taken up with
teaching at the noon hour, but two la
dies called to see about engaging a
teacher for their children, which deprived
him of even that short breathing spell.
The ladies wished to know IL 1t would
take him long to teach their children to
play, one on the mandolin the other on
the guitar-it would be so nice for them
to play duets. They were very bright,
did he think 1t would take over month,
they wanted so much to have them play
so that they could surprise their papas
when they returned from the east. And
when he mildly but firmly informed them
that it would consume time over fort
night even If the children were ever so
bright (Which he inwardly wondered
how they could be-. Which statement
caused the ladies to depart in high dudg
con, murmuring that they guessed that
he wasn't very good teacher IL he
couldn't teach their children to play the
mandolin in one whole month.
They passed little Effle Cook on the
stairs, coming to take her lesson. She
had been taking lessons for a year and
did not think that she could play yet.
In this however, she was mistaken; she
played like a professional, was Malcolm
Eberhardt's star pupil and his pet, too,
his other pupils said. He was never
cross with her, her lessons were always
learned, and as he said of her, she could
read any music put before her. 1t was
pleasing to see them together, she so shy
and modest and Obedient to his every
word; he looked down on her with the
pride of a mastiff protecting little kit
ten. Her lesson today was the only
bright spot in that wearisome forenoon.
He was thinking of that as he slowly
ate an orange in lieu OF better lunch,
and also of the contrast between his last
pupil and the one that was already half
hour late. Her tap was just then heard
dt Lu6 uOOI WudCH Hc udolCnSu W du-
swar.
Good afternoon, Miss Barnum, walk
in," said Eberhardt, throwing his shoul
ders back and trying to look very stern
and dignified, as Miss Barnum was much
inclined to be frivolous and let her mind
wander to every conceivable subject but
that of her lesson, and he wished to fore
warn her that to-day he was in no mood
for foOlishneSs,
"Oh howdy Mr.. Everhardt, isn't this a
fine old day, Oh come now, you're going
to be real cross and disagreeable, don't
please, it isn't jolly, you know. It's be-
cause I'm late of course, but really /
couldn't help it. I met Mr.. Mason, he
came down with me, and really he does
walk so SLOW My, but he's stunner!"
Come Miss Barnum, we will begin
the lesson; must not keep my next pu-
pill waiting"