The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-02-25
When Mr.. Sulsky Played
Angel
By MARTHA s. BENSLEY

Mr.. Snlsky was dlscontented. Should the beau.
tiful scheme which he had been celebrating since
the day before fail for such cause? But his com.
mercia ingenuity brought him saving idea
"Pay the music for me again, already" he
commanded, and at the end Of the Santa Lucia he
stopped Giovanni and inquired the name Of what
he had played and wrote it down in his note book.
After every piece he wrote its name till he had as
complete list as the boy was capable Of giving Of
his repertoire
That night Mr.. Sulsky brought home two bum
dles-One contained the music Of as many Of Clio
vannl's pieces he could find. The other contain
ed clothes for the boy. In the purchase of these
clothes Mr. Sulsky's forid fancy had been curbed
only by the limitations in color and cut Of the ready
made clothing market. And it took all Giovanni's
sumptuous coloring to keep in the background the
blue trousers, pink shirt and crimson tie in which
he appeared before Herr Klaff
At that interview Mr.. Sulsky exhibited mas
terly generalship, and proved himself worthy the
proud place he was destined to occupy in the cloth
ing trade. The master arranged the music stand at
the proper height for the boy and stationed him
before it; then Mr. Sulsky placed upon it the first
pI''' VI
Santa Lucia, Giovanni" The master had taken
up his own violin to accompany the boy, but as the
little fellow swung into the air and the beloved
voice Of Italia spoke from under his bow the mans
instrument dropped and he merely beat time Mr.
Susky was watching Herr Klaf with the eyes Of
cat and they glittered when he saw the musicians
pleasure. Quick as Giovanni stopped he was ready
with another sheet of music and placing it before
the child, announced its name. and the boy obed-
iently played what the man told him without in
the least understanding why the paper with the
black spots was put before him. He played on and
on whatever the man who had befriended him asked
for and the old bearded master kept time with his
bow, and with half-shut eyes drank in the purity OF
the sound. When the voice Of Italia had at last
died away the old musician turned his back on the
boy and looked out of the window over the roofs of
New York for long moment Then he pressed
tervid German kiss upon the boy S cheek
"Yes-yes-I will take him, Mr.. Sulsky-he shall
study-he shall play-It shall not only be the voice
of Italy that speaks through him. but the voice of
all the world-Oh, yes-I will take hm-Herr Gott
Will not?"
On the way back to the clearinghouse "by
Madison Avenue" Mr.. Sulsky watched his little
protege with mixture of peasurable sensations
Foremost among them was the feeling of the spec
ulator who views what is likely to prove profitable
investment but there was also the Jewish love of
children, and the sef-congratulation of one who is
doing praiseworthy action
"Oh, Yetta Mia" laughed the boy to the girl
that day, "is it not as I saidf 1t is that I shall
never make black the shoe of the man or of the lady
once more-but always to be with you-and play
play 1t was all that little candle to the Virgin
Her eyes say it clear from Italia Yetta Mai"