The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-19
THE WONDER-CHlD.
By Constance D,Arcy NIacI1away

By Constance D'Arcy MacIEaway. Copyright, 1906, by Homer Sprague) In the tenement where he lived, Rafael Josepheski. the Wonder-Child. was decidedly unpopular. Every morn ing the high, quiVering notes of his violin smote athe air and proclaimed that he was learning a new concert piece.
 'Td like to be after learning him." Mrs. O'Halloran would mutter. 'Thir- teen years old he is, and dresses like six with thim sailors suits and long hair!"
 The boys of the neighborhood longed to annihilate him, but dared not be- cause of his father, Israel Josephski, a tall, dark Russian whose long arm could stretch out India-rubber-like and deliver blow with marvellous celerity. And Israel Josephski was his sons shadow. Everywhere that Rafael went he went too, and all the satisfaction the boys could get was to follow them and jeer at a safe distance.
 But distance was no handicap to Ber- nardo, the organ grinder. who lived in the tenement basement He came home
 in the twilight when Rafael was prac- ticing, and deliberately played all the vehement tangling tunes of which the organ was capable The violin kept on likewise, and after few moments or this clash and discord Israel Josephski would lean out the window ana shout at the Italian and call him A dago init a monkey"
 And Bernardo would grin, and re- ply that Josephski had monkey, too
 "a little sheeny monkey with long hair" Then the tenement windows fll- ed with heads. Barando and Josephski were at it again! And non participants listened with relish and heard Joseph Kg- T-a A. md have his eyes put out and Bernardo's equally urgent desire to have Joseph ski come down that he might pull his nose. Thus they wrangled till supper fumes were waited on the air, and the on lockers disappeared from the win dowS
 Later Josephski would issue forth, bound for the East Side concert hall. They were an odd looking pafE--the small, pale boy with the gaunt, fierce eyed man striding at his side; Rafael clad in his faded velvet suit Joseph ski in greasy evening dress display ing a shirt front of uncertain white ness where two glass studs twinkled for all the word like "real ailments" A man can make himself believe al- most, anything, and even in the privacy of his own room Josephski always smoke solemnly of mine gems"
 Josephski loved the concert hall and all that pertained to 1t: The applause. the packed rows of benches, the dimly flarinE lights, and that moment of all others when a great frilled bouquet of wax paper roses was handed up to Rafael over the footlights. It was al- ways the same bunch of roses, and though Rafael twirled 1t carelessly enough on the stage. at home 1t was kept reverently In a hat box for fear that the gaudy flowers would fade.
 Many and varied were the artists" who took part in this nightly pro- gram, but 1t was always Rafael who played tle last piece. and when 1t was done the women folk would crowd around him and pet him and say that he was real cute, and give him pennies to buy candy, while Josephski hovered in the background, crying: Ladies and he is so young, so young; Mine little baby boy, he Is a shenius! Now you hears him sheAp. but already I makes engagements that he plays on Broadway He is a wonder, mine Raafelr And going home at night Jossphski clattered up the tenement stairs talking loudly or his sons sue cess that every one might know and envy.
 To be sure there had been nights of