Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-05-08
BLIND TOM.

Many years before the war, when
the chief wealth of the south lay
In Its slaves, little blind baby was
born in the quarters" of one OF the
big plantations. He was as black
as the ace of spades, and with his
huge mouth and fat nose and wide
open, unseeing eyes he was indeed
a grotesque-looking object. As he
grew older he grew uglier, and, worst
OF all, his mind was stunted, so poor
little Blind Tom" was not looked
upon as valuable possession, and
very little notice was taken of him.
for he was allowed to roam where
he would, and many time he skip
ped the quarters" altogether, only
to be caught stealthily creeping into
the "big house" and hauled ignomini-
ously back to where he belonged.
Still he persisted, and at last one
day when no one was looking he
succeeded in crossing the threshold
and 1t did not take his simple mind
long to determine where he wished
to so. He went straight to the par
Ter. where piano stood wide open
some one had been playing, for
Blind Tom had been listening out
side, just under the window, and the
tune was ringing In his ears when
he crept In. He climbed upon the
piano stool and began to finger the
black and white keys, timidly, for
he was afraid Of being caught.
At first he picked out the tune he
had just heard, note by note; then
by degrees the whole melody rush.
ed to his small and grimy finger tips,
and Blind Tom, him big bullet head
thrown back, let himself go In his
ecstasy and forgot there were such
things as forbidden premises-for-
got everything, in short, save the
music which was waking the echoes
of the quiet, drowsy house.
One of the young ladies of the fam
lily heard the unusual sound and
crept downstairs to listen. When
she saw Tom at the piano she stole
softly away and called the others
the half-witted child seemed inspired
and played on and on. astounding
everybody by his brilliant perform
ance.
That was the beginning of Blind
Toms career. He became a cele-
brated figure In the musical world
through his heaven-sent gift of imi-
tation. A piece of music once played
was forever impressed on Toms i'm
perfect brain, and the result was mar
velous.
He turned out to be the most price
less treasure his white folks" own
ed, and even after freedom he stayed
with them going from city to city
on concert tours where he made i'm
mense sums of money.
His nature, like his brain, was of
strange mold. He was particularly
cruel. He loved to hear of pain and
sickness and even death, and though
he had the best of masters he could
not bear correction patiently, and
thought no more of knocking down a
teacher who was brave enough to
find fault with his playing than of
turning around on the music stool
That was his way of showing dis.
pleasure, and after some specially
brilliant performances, when an en-
thusiastic audience went wild, Blind
Tom always applauded himself and
danced around the stage in an &C.
stasy of glee.
For many years he toured the coun-
try, always accompanied by one of
the same family, always showing the
same marvellous air and wonderful
knowledge of music, and although to-
day there are many musical prodigies
there has never risen one quite as
remarkable as our ungainly, ugly,
half-witted old "Blind Tom."-Belle
Moses, in the Washington Star.
unyxy Du1CCrr, r1Onn.xvr,