Year: 1874

sical skill. confess, however, that
had not heard of him until last month,
but since then | do not think day has
passed when this child's face has not ris
en up in my memory,-the little half.sad
face, as | saw it once, with its large, Sc
rious eyes and infantile mouth.


One morning last January, when told
Charley and Talbot, at the breakfast. Ia
BILE, that Prince Rupert and his court
had come to town,


Some in jags.


Some in rags,


And some in velvet gowns"
the news was received with great glee, as
you may imagine; for this meant that
we were to 60 to the play.


am not going to tell you much about
the play.


What interested me most, and what
pleased Charley and Talbot even beyond
the Naiad Queen herself, was the little
violinist who came to the German Court
and played before Prince Rupert and his



bride.


1t was such little fellow! He was
not more than a year older than my own
boys, and not much taller He had
very sweet, sensitive face, with large grey
eyes, in which there was deep settled
expression which | do not like to see in
a child. Looking at his eyes alone, you
would have said he was sixteen or sew
enteen, and he was merely baby.


do not know enough of music to as
sert that he had wonderful genius, or any
genius at all but it seemed to me he
played charmingly, and with the touch
of natural musician. / thought " The
Last Rose of Summer the sweetest
strain of music in the world, as it foated
up from the small violin.


At the end of his piece, he was lifted
over the foot-lights of the stage into the
orchestra, where, with the conductor 5
stick 10 his hand, he directed the band
in playing one or two airs. In this he
showed carefully trained ear and per-
feet understanding of the music.


/ wanted to hear the little violin again,
but as he made his bow to the audience
and ran off, it was with halfweared
air, and did not join with my neigh
bors in calling him back. There's an
other performance tonight" said to
myself, "and the little fellow is mt very
strong" He came out and bowed, but
did not play again.


Ali the way home from the theatre my
children were full of the little violinist !;
and as they went along, chattering and
frolicking in front of me, and getting
under my feet like couple of young
spanieis, | could not help thinking how
different the poor little musicians lot was
from theirs.


He was only six years and half old,
and had been before the public nearly
three years. What hours of toll and
WEAKNESS he must have been passing
through at the very time when my little
ones were being rocked and petted and
shielded from every ungentle wind that
blows. And what an existence was his
now,-traveling from city to city, prac-
ticing at every spare moment, and per.
forming, night after night, in some close
theatre or concert room when he should
be drinking in that deep, refreshing slum.
ber which childhood needs. However
much he was loved by those who had
charge of him,-and they must have
treated him kindly,-it was a hard life
for the child.


He ought to have been turned out in.
to the sunshine that pretty violin-one
can easily understand that he was fond
of it himself-ought to have been taken
away from him, and kite-string placed
in his hand instead. IF God had set the
germ Of great musician or a great com
poser in that slight body, surely it would



have been wise to let the precious gift
ripen and flower in its own good time.
This is what | thought, walking home
in the glow of the wintry sunset but
my boys saw only the bright side of the
picture, and would have liked nothing
better than to change places with little
James Speaight. To stand in the midst
of Fairyland and play beautiful tunes
on toy fiddle, while all the people
clapped their hands, what could quite
equal that?


The next morning at the breakfast
table, when l opened the newspaper
which is always laid beside my plate, tbs
first paragraph my eyes fell upon wa;
this:


"James Speaigbt, the infant violinist
died in this city late on Saturday night
: At the matinee Of the Naiad Queen, on
the afternoon of that day, when little
james Speaight came off the stage, after
giving his usual violin performance, Mr.
Shewell noticed that he appeared fatigu
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