Year: 1874

UPSTAIRS lived the musician all alone.
Downstairs lived the old shoemaker all
alone. In the lady's chamber, with the ladY's
parlor opening out of it, lived the lady, like
wise all alone-eXcepting her maid, but she
doesn't count you know. In other words,
the house was let to dodgers in stories, and
the shoemaker had the first story, the lady
the second and the musician the third, which
was also the attic, and gave him the privilege
Of the roof.


All three of them led quiet and discomfort
ed lives The musician had to play in nm Or
chestra, where nothing was required but
what he called trashy light music, and that
he abominated. Moreover, he had to give
lessons on the violin to several pupils, none
of whom had any genius for it, and all OF
whom. would have failed to master 1t, even
with genius because they had no application.
This he disliked more than the orchestra; and
he used to retire to his solitary lodgings and
revenge himself upon society by fierce medi-
tations, now and then, of starry night, seat
ing himself on the roof and conhding his
restless feelings to the sky by means of wall
ing melodies upon the violin. have no doubt
he thought this was music of high order,
and wondered why such strains were not APP
preciated by the public In truth, however,
it was not much better than that he played
in the orchestra. One was trashy and light;
the other was trashy and heavy; that was all.
Yet the musician could have composed heay-
enly melodies if he had tuned his soul first.
Nobody can set to real music and song to his
fellow men the theme: Behold how much
more refined | am than you arew This was
what the musician was forever doing; and
no wonder people didn't appreciate him. lie
didn't deserve it.


The shoemaker downstairs was lonesome
too. Not that he spent any time bemoaning
his lot, or really knew what was the matter
with him. He was industrious and sober; he
earned good wages, saved large part OF
them and put it in the bank. His only pleas
ure was to see in his handbook how the de-
posits were accommodating. Yet he was not
naturally miser, nor did he cherish any
plans as to the disposition of his money. He
had no thought of spending it or bequeath-
ing it to anybody. He had merely got into
the habit of doing nothing but work and save
While he worked he neither sang nor read,
nor thought much. When he was younger
he had done all three, but that was years ago
and he had got out of the habit of it, though
if anything had shaken and stirred him up L
think he would have surprised everybody with
his native good sense and shreWd wit. AS it
was, nobody in the world knew what there
was under his crust Folks called him Old
Pegs; and | recollect how, once upon time,
when few of us were talking of a wonderful
new invention for making shoes by machinery,
somebody said "Talk of shoe-making
machinei Old Pegs is the best one that will
ever be found-warranted to run all day with
out watching, do good work, make no noise,
dneed no repairs"


Then there was the lady on the second floor
She was a widow and well off as to money
matters; but she had lost her only child as
well as her husband, and she wanted to get
out of the world SO she had rented the sec.
ond floor, and there she lived with maid to
wait ON her. One of the maids duties was to
answer calls at the door, and tell everybody
that the lady received no company. The lady
gave her the necessary instructions for each
day the first thing in the morning, and then
spoke to her no more.


The rooms were handsomely furnished, for
the lady nursed her sorrows in refined and
elegant way. The parlor was full of books
and engravings A picture of the lady's hus-
band on one wall faced picture of her child
on the other; but both were covered with
Grape, because she couldn't bear, she said, to
look upon them. A piano stood there, too
but it never was opened. The curtains were
always down. and blinds closed the rooms
were somber and gloomy, though little sun
light would have changed them marveously
There was nothing the matter with them eX
cept the lady's mournful life.


As for her, she read and unused a great deal
and was convinced that her existence was
blasted. Her health failed somewhat-she
said by reason of her grief but the doctor
said from lack Of air, exercise and amusement
At these words, when she first heard them, she
gave q shudder of horror; but the doctor in
y
sional rides in close carriage.


Thus up stairs. down stairs, and in my lady
chamber there was loneliness and unhappi
ness, which, the sufferers charged on Heaven
but which was really all their own fault. The,
were naturally good people, too, which made
it all the worse; since they had no excuse TO
allowing themselves to fall into their presen
condition. Selfishness--that was what troubles
them. Selfish refinement upstairs; sell
ishlabor downstairs; selfish grief in my lady
chamber And thus it ithappened in that house
what trust was not the case in any othe
mouse OF Christendom, that Christmas morn
ing came, and no one paid much attention I
IL. no one, that is to say, except the lady
maid, VINO appeared before her as usual, wit


a curtsy; but instead of waiting to receive il
structions as to dinner, and SO forth, she SAID


very quickly, as if she had thought it all owe
and put it in the best words beforehand: I"
you please ma'am, Pm going home for tt
day, and will come again in the morning.


got up early, and swept and busted, and e