The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-20

Harvey Switzerland. in Ainslee's Magazine
oh, listen TO the band!
oh. amt IL something grandY'
Popular song
How it may be in Europe I cannot pretend
10 say, but In this country a town without q
shamef 3dh1 lacking Ia IN ioeal pride 5 2Ra paSIf:
spirit, a town with no 'git-up' to 1t at all 1
i like TO think that everywhers in my ooun-
try they speak In an arectionate way OF the
musicians as the band boys and brsg about
how much better they can play than the Mt
Victory band. 1 like TO think that all the mer-
when the band was organised and the fellows
came around soliciting subscriptions for the
nTst payment on the Instruments. and that
when the other Lnstallments fan due everybody
buys tickets 10 the home talent minstrel
cause there WIN DC more fun than a it;ie, but
also because they wish them good luck. And
turn out FOR TIRE fret time in their new UNI
! nave seen bandsmen that would make him
I 1STor IS II ne had oysralis on, And the drum
Twins. and look the part and dress up like him
and walk IN front OF the band. tossing up my
way he does I Wouldnt SotSsr nv ~ assia the
being President OF the United States. Not for
a minute. L can just see the bandstand on
yard where on Saturday nights the band gives
concerts by torchlight and plays on Duty
No p in the Black Book while the farmers
country ten or fifteen miles. Fair-time, polit-
lcal rallies, hremen's tournaments. ball games.
ItttoIdllon days. FDurtn OF July. i can see she
DOys sWagger along the middle OF the street
and hear the drums roll: 'Prrrrrr-rompom"
home Colonel CIayburn's body and lea his
rlderleSs horse behind the hearse, IL was the
a handkerchief stuned between the snares ~
the tenor drum 10 muffie its sharp note that
made all seem so solemn. and who can forget
how lonesome sounded the melody OF taps on
one single cornet just before the grave was
'Inseparable from all our civic functions, the
DanS mas IN the country town nearer and moro
Squire Morgan and his wife celebrated their
silNer wedding anniversary. Everybody thought
garet and so. for a surprise. when IL got dark.
me p ana boys slipped quietly into The front
Young. Maggie II is a sweet old tune. and ue
all stopped our chatter TO listen. AS IL ioated IN
suckles. something clutched az our throats and
made them ache. nm
But Ts. now sgs, we !, are aged and gray. Masr.s
Let us sing of the days that are sOna
When you and / were young
The two old people stood listening. Their
lips trembled. and the tears stole into their
f tSSe otb a ! hands sought and clssped each
G hank squire t5s b0 went he out to, on the front porch %
only beckon to them. And then thew osms
trooping In. Charley Rodehaver. Frank and
M MyTii se anS CIR an aow hea I DysAr TIN and Henry
boy; he's out in Kansas now), and the whole
posse Of them, all laughing and wishing many
AA
fellows did make the ice cream and csSe van.
ish! You would have thought they were hol-
low TO their heels. Regular cut-ups, all OF
them. and Minnie de Wees put Clif's helmet
on and tried to blow on the tuba. Such a time,
i like 10 think that In every town in the
land tonight somebody is practicing on his
'tooby' out in the barn with a lantern-a tuba
makes such a noise in the house-and going
and thar
out on the Millville road road the tenor horn
is Shaping his foot on the floor for the ac-
cented beats and footing on the of beats: .Hoof-
Ia, hoof-ta. hoof-tatty-ts-ta.' that tho alto horn
has his book ca the Kitchen table, propped
against he coffee pot. and IS blowing: fTaa-
I a a-Ah-ta-ta.' and that the soprano cornet
is working at his part with his chest raised
and a surprised and swelled-up look on his face.
Each OF them from time to time wipes his
mouthpiece and then his pulled lips and saws
thing right?'
Il like TO think OF their regular practice night
CTuesoay, j think II iD In the upstairs OF Hook
and Ladder No. / Each fellow carries his in
strument 20 the hall done UP IN n bag and he
fore practice begins they all biest away. each
playing over his part. regardless OF what the
others are doing. BY and by comes the shan
rattle OF the leaders baton, and IN the suenos
the chairs scrape and squea1 as they are hitched
into semicircle on the bare floor. Now. we sot
a new piece, says the leader; but, now
guess we better start in on No. ls. Now. boys
quit your fooling. Attention. now. one. two
three. tat-ta-rat-tat-taai and away they Eo."'