The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-17
GEORGIA SCENES
O N G

! fine. Her enunciation was clear and dis
tinct, with just emphasis enough to give
the verse its appropriate expression with
out interrupting the melody of the music
land her modulations were perfect.
She had closed. and was in the act OF
rising, before 1 awoke from the delight
full reverie into which she had lulled me
I arrested her, however, and insisted upon
her proceeding, when she gave me one OF
Allan Ramsay's best, to measure equally
appropriate, This she followed with Tan
nahilfs Gloomy Winters now ava,
and was again retiring when my friend
Hall observed, See, Miss Mary, you We
brought tear to Mr.. Baldwin's eye, and
you must not cease until you chase it
away with some lively air" My friend
was right The touching pathos of Mary's
voice, conspiring with a train of reflec-
tons which the song inspired, had really
brought me to tears. l thought of poor
Tannahill's fate. He was the victim of
a booksellers stupidity. With men of
taste and letters his fugitive pieces, par
ticularly his lyrics. had gained him a
well-deserved reputation; but he was not
exempt from the common lot of authors.
He was attacked by the ignorant and the
invidious; and with the hopeless design
of sileneing these, he prepared a volume
or more of his poems with great care and
sent them to a bookseller for publica-
ton. After the lapse of several weeks
they were returned without a compliment
or an offer for them. The modification
and disappointment were too severe for
his reason. 1t deserted him, and soon
after he was found dead in a tunnel of
the burn which had been the scene of
nna Of f. rnf1 ~ ata1rr
in his madness he destroyed his favorite
works.
Such was the train of reflection from
which Mary was kind enough. at the re-
quest of my friend, to relieve me by
lively Irish air. Had 1t not bAen admir-
ably selected 1 could hardly have borne
the transition. But there was enough of
softeninG melody mingled with the
sr ighti.ness of the air, to lead me gent
~ to a gayer mood. In which she left me.
In the meantime most of the young Ia
dies and gentlemen had formed circle
round Miss Aurelia Emma Theodosia Au-
gusta Crump, and were earnestly en-
gagged in pressing her to play. One young
lady even went so far as to drop on her
knees before her, and In her posture to
beseech cher dear Augusta just to play
the delightful overture of - some
thing that sounded to me like Blaze in
the frets." This petition was urged with
such a melting sweetness of voice, such
bewitching leer at the gentlemen and
such a theatric .heave of the bosom, that
it threw the young gentlemen into trans
ports. Hall was rude enough to whisper
in mine ear that he thought it indicate
to expose an unmantled bosom to a per-
pendicular view of a large company;
and he muttered something about IRE
publican simplicity" I knew not exactly
what But / assured him the fair petit
TONER was so overcome by her soicitude
for the overture that she thought of moth
ing else, and was wholly unconscious
that there was gentleman In the room
As to his insinuation about points of
view" I convinced him by an easy argu-
ment that 1t was wholly unfounded; for
that this was the very point of view in
which an exposed neck must always be
seen while men continue taller than
women; and that, as the young lady must
have been apprised of this, she would
hardly take so much trouble for nothing.
But to return.
Miss Cruinp was inexorable She de-
clared that she was entirely out of prac-
tice. "She scarcely ever touched the
piano.; Mamma was always scolding
her for giving so much of her time to
French and italian and negleoting her
the other day that it really was so irk-
some to her to quit Racine and Dante
and go to drumming upon the piano that
but for the obligations of filial obedience
she did not think she should ever touch
1t again"
Here Mrs. Crump was kind enough, by
the merest accident in the world. to in
terpose and to relieve the company from
further anxiety.
Augusta, my dear" said she, ego and
play a tune or two; the company will ex-
euse your hoarseness."
Miss Crump rose Immediately at her
mothers bidding and moved to the piano,
accompanied by a large group of smiling
faces.
Poor child" said Mrs. crump as she
went forward, "she is frightened TO death
1 wish Augusta could overcome her diff
denee"
Miss Crump was educated at Philadel-
phia; she had been taught TO sing by
Madame Piggisqueaki, who was pupil
of Ma m selle Croltifroggietta, who had
sung with Madame Catalan; and she
had taken lessons OF the piano from
Signor Buzzifussi, who had played with
Paganini.
She seated herself at the piano, rocked
to the right, then to the left, leaned for
ward, then backward and began. She
had placed her right hand about mid
way the keys and her left about two &C.
taves below it. She now put off to the
right in a brisk canter up the treble notes
and the left after 1t. The left then led
the way back, and the right pursued II
in a like manner. The right turned and
repeated its first movement; but the left
outran it this time, hoped over it. and
flung II entirely off the track. 1t came
in again, however, behind the left on Its
return, and passed 1t In the same style.
They now became highly incensed at each
other, and met furiously on the middle
ground. Here a most awful conflict en-
sued for about the space OF ten seconds,
when the right whipped off all of a sud-
den, as / thought. fairly vanquished.
But l was in the error against which
Jack Randolph cautions us: ut had only
fallen back to stronger position" 1t
mounted upon two black keys, and COM
menced the note of a rattlesnake. This
had wonderful effect upon the left, and
placed the doctrine of "snake~charming"
beyond dispute. The left rushed furious
ly towards it repeatedly, but seemed in
variably panic-struck when it came with
in six keys of It, and as invariably re-
tired with a tremendous roaring down the
bass keys. 1t continued its assaults,
sometimes by the way of the naturals,
sometimes by the way of the sharps, and
sometimes by zigzag through both; but
ell