Year: 1868

kingdom. Moreover, the duke nau
not learned the lesson so early taught
to little Baptiste, never to break a
promise; so he was first neglected,
and then forgotten. His place was
in the kitchen among saucepans and
stewpans, servant of the servants,
hard words and often hard blows his
portion and as to music, not even the
soft sweet tones of his native tongue;
at times the longing for it became al
most intolerable, and then he would
weep bitterly for his violin, his dearly
loved violin. But, he was brave lit
tie fellow, and quick withal, and not
easily dapnted. If he could not get
a violin, at least he had saucepans.-
He had observed that these, when
struck, gave different tone according
to their size and shape. To arrange
them in right order, to find their tones
by striking them was the work of
time at length he succeeded in pro
ducing music, wonderful and unique.


"The cook and other servants first
were amused as they saw the boy thus
employed every spare minute-they
were not many; then they surely tho't
he had gone mad. 1t became, how
ever, a different matter when the
saucepans were not to be found in
their places when needed, and when,
besides, sundry dints and bulges were
the result of az unusually long prac-
tice. The cooks anger was extreme
his abuse of poor Baptiste grew loud
er and fiercer, and the climax, which
proved also the crisis of his life came
soon, and thus it came.


"a great party was given by the
Duke of Guise; the entertainment
provided for the guests was the won
derful violin-playing of Michael Lam
bert, the celebrated musician of the
day. The guests had arrived, and
were enjoying themselves up stairs,
while in the kitchen preparations were
making for supper; when from those
lower regions most strange sounds
music certainly, but unlike any heard
before-interrupted by angry voices,
reached the drawing rooms. The
sounds were so loud, so continued,
that curiosity got the better of cere-
mony, and host and guests all rushed
down to ascertain its cause. Strange
was the sight that met theirs; a long
row of saucepans of all shapes and
sizes, before them a b0y-Our old
friend-jumping from side to side as
he struck them with a long stick, and
drew forth tones such as saucepans
never breathed before or since. There,
too, was the cook, frantic with rage,
as he exclaimed, Rascal! villain my
8aucepans how is supper to be got ?
Not one hour more shall you spend
bert, amazed and delighted, shouted,
Don't stop him; turn out the cook
What melody ! what time what taste p
Truly, it did seem as if all had gone
mad. When the duke could make
himself heard, he put an end to the
tumuIt. Not without shame was he
put in mind, by the child s answers to
his questions, of the little orphan
stranger he had brought with him to
Paris only to forget. He desired LulIi
to change his dress for a pages and
come to the drawing room. There
Lambert handed him his own violin
and told him to play. The kind ac-
tion, the sight of an instrument like
that so dearly loved and bitterly sor-
rOwed for. Ovcrcame him altogether
he burst into tears; gentle words and
bright encouraging looks SOOthcd him
and he took the violin, and from If
drew music that seemed TO tell the
story of his past sorrow as well as
present gratitude and joy. More than
one fair face was wet with tears when
he stopped. His fortune was made
at last; no danger that he should be
forgotten again; and it was unwil
lingly that the duke yielded to the
urgent entreaties of Madamoiselle
that he would give him to her care, but
she would take no refusal. Lambert
engaged to give him lessons: "he will


be a greater violinist than | am" he
said, land | will have the making of
him. and he lived to see his pupi


the first performer in Europe. Sc
great was his fame that the king him


self demanded him from Mademoisellt
and put him at the head of his OWL
band, Les PetitS VioJons.


"He was a great composer as vel


as performer. The king gave him the
profe8sorship of the Royal Academy
of Music. His life henceforth had al


that fame and riches could give. III,


died at the age of fifty-three; Of tina


death we know nothing, but that al


he lay on his dying bed he composed


both words and air of hymn begin


ming, Simmer thou must die" Hi


once powerful voice sung it faintl.


again and again, till the sweet tone


were silent in death" h."-London Chil


dren's Hour.


In Egypt, where sun stroke is oi


frequent occurrence, the Arabs dis


solve some salt in water, and pour i
in the ears of the patient. This al
r,ont "a Il 10 al " ,,nlinrnc tho ,,