St Nicholas [serial] . g, asusual, and did not notice us. Mabel went up tohis chair from behind and gently put her handsover his eyes, and asked if he could guess who itwas. He, of course, guessed all the names hecould think of except the right one. Papa, said Mabel, at last, restoring to himonce more the use of his eyes, Jamie and I havesomething we want to tell you. And what is it, my dear? asked the professor,turning round on his chair, and staring at us as ifhe expected something extraordinary. I dont want to say it aloud. said Mabel. Iwant to whisper it And I, too, echoed I. 214 THE OLD-T
St Nicholas [serial] . g, asusual, and did not notice us. Mabel went up tohis chair from behind and gently put her handsover his eyes, and asked if he could guess who itwas. He, of course, guessed all the names hecould think of except the right one. Papa, said Mabel, at last, restoring to himonce more the use of his eyes, Jamie and I havesomething we want to tell you. And what is it, my dear? asked the professor,turning round on his chair, and staring at us as ifhe expected something extraordinary. I dont want to say it aloud. said Mabel. Iwant to whisper it And I, too, echoed I. 214 THE OLD-TIME MINSTRELS. [Januarv And so we both put our mouths, one on eachside, to the professors ears and whispered. But, exclaimed the old man, as soon as hecould recover his breath, you must bear in mindthat life is not a play,—that—that life is not whatit seems No, but Mabel is, said I. Is,—is what ? What she seems, cried I. And then we both laughed; and the professokissed Mabel, shook my hand, and at last a] ANOTHER DAYLIGHT BLRGLARV. THE OLD-TIME MINSTRELS. By E. B. M. The English harpers, or minstrels, were thesuccessors of Englands first musicians, the Druidbards. Not only in England, but throughout allEurope, and especially in Denmark, the sacredscalds (or bards) first, and afterward the harpers,were persons of the greatest consequence. Theywere constantly sought to attend at the palaces ofkings, where, to the accompaniment of their rudeharps, they recounted for royal ears the praises ofkingly ancestors, or sang the stirring national an-thems, which should inspire to deeds of futuregreatness. In return, they were loaded with the richest honors and rewards, their vocation was coisidered divine, and in times of war they were uimolested, though traveling freely to and frobetwecthe encampments of hostile armies. Alfred the Great (and he was not the only 01who tried the experiment) found, as you know,the disguise of a harper, admittance to the cartof his enemies, the
Size: 2103px × 1189px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthordodgemar, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookyear1873
