American library books ยป Fiction ยป Phil, the Fiddler by Jr. Horatio Alger (ereader for comics .TXT) ๐Ÿ“•

Read book online ยซPhil, the Fiddler by Jr. Horatio Alger (ereader for comics .TXT) ๐Ÿ“•ยป.   Author   -   Jr. Horatio Alger



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 41
Go to page:
with distrust, for he was often ordered away as a nuisance. He stopped playing, and, hugging his violin closely, regarded her watchfully.

โ€œYouโ€™re to come in,โ€ said the girl abruptly.

โ€œChe cosa volete?โ€ (1) said Phil, suspiciously.

(1) โ€œWhat do you want?โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t understand your Italian rubbish,โ€ said the girl. โ€œYouโ€™re to come into the house.โ€

In general, boys of Philโ€™s class are slow in learning English. After months, and even years sometimes, their knowledge is limited to a few words or phrases. On the other hand, they pick up French readily, and as many of them, en route for America, spend some weeks, or months, in the French metropolis, it is common to find them able to speak the language somewhat. Phil, however, was an exception, and could manage to speak English a little, though not as well as he could understand it.

โ€œWhat for I go?โ€ he asked, a little distrustfully.

โ€œMy young master wants to hear you play on your fiddle,โ€ said the servant. โ€œHeโ€™s sick, and canโ€™t come out.โ€

โ€œAll right!โ€ said Phil, using one of the first English phrases he had caught. โ€œI will go.โ€

โ€œCome along, then.โ€

Phil followed his guide into the basement, thence up two flight of stairs, and along a handsome hall into a chamber. The little fiddler, who had never before been invited into a fine house, looked with admiration at the handsome furniture, and especially at the pictures upon the wall, for, like most of his nation, he had a love for whatever was beautiful, whether in nature or art.

The chamber had two occupants. One, a boy of twelve years, was lying in a bed, propped up by pillows. His thin, pale face spoke of long sickness, and contrasted vividly with the brilliant brown face of the little Italian boy, who seemed the perfect picture of health. Sitting beside the bed was a lady of middle age and pleasant expression. It was easy to see by the resemblance that she was the mother of the sick boy.

Phil looked from one to the other, uncertain what was required of him.

โ€œCan you speak English?โ€ asked Mrs. Leigh.

โ€œSi, signora, a little,โ€ answered our hero.

โ€œMy son is sick, and would like to hear you play a little.โ€

โ€œAnd sing, too,โ€ added the sick boy, from the bed.

Phil struck up the song he had been singing in the street, a song well known to all who have stopped to listen to the boys of his class, with the refrain, โ€œViva Garibaldi.โ€ His voice was clear and melodious, and in spite of the poor quality of his instrument, he sang with so much feeling that the effect was agreeable.

The sick boy listened with evident pleasure, for he, too, had a taste for music.

โ€œI wish I could understand Italian,โ€ he said, โ€œI think it must be a good song.โ€

โ€œPerhaps he can sing some English song,โ€ suggested Mrs. Leigh.

โ€œCan you sing in English?โ€ she asked.

Phil hesitated a moment, and then broke into the common street ditty, โ€œShoe fly, donโ€™t bouder me,โ€ giving a quaint sound to the words by his Italian accent.

โ€œDo you know any more?โ€ asked Henry Leigh, when our hero had finished.

โ€œNot English,โ€ said Phil, shaking his head.

โ€œYou ought to learn more.โ€

โ€œI can play more,โ€ said Phil, โ€œbut I know not the words.โ€

โ€œThen play some tunes.โ€

Thereupon the little Italian struck up โ€œYankee Doodle,โ€ which he played with spirit and evident enjoyment.

โ€œDo you know the name of that?โ€ asked Henry.

Phil shook his head.

โ€œIt is โ€˜Yankee Doodle.โ€™โ€

Phil tried to pronounce it, but the words in his mouth had a droll sound, and made them laugh.

โ€œHow old are you?โ€ asked Henry.

โ€œTwelve years.โ€

โ€œThen you are quite as old as I am.โ€

โ€œI wish you were as well and strong as he seems to be,โ€ said Mrs. Leigh, sighing, as she looked at Henryโ€™s pale face.

That was little likely to be. Always a delicate child, Henry had a year previous contracted a cold, which had attacked his lungs, and had gradually increased until there seemed little doubt that in the long struggle with disease nature must succumb, and early death ensue.

โ€œHow long have you been in this country?โ€

โ€œUn anno.โ€

โ€œHow long is that?โ€

โ€œA year,โ€ said Henry. โ€œI know that, because โ€˜annusโ€™ means a year in Latin.โ€

โ€œSi, signor, a year,โ€ said Phil.

โ€œAnd where do you come from?โ€

โ€œDa Napoli.โ€

โ€œThat means from Naples, I suppose.โ€

โ€œSi, signor.โ€

Most of the little Italian musicians to be found in our streets are brought from Calabria, the southern portion of Italy, where they are purchased from their parents, for a fixed sum, or rate of annual payment. But it is usual for them when questioned, to say that they come from Naples, that being the principal city in that portion of Italy, or indeed in the entire kingdom.

โ€œWho do you live with,โ€ continued Henry.

โ€œWith the padrone.โ€

โ€œAnd who is the padrone?โ€

โ€œHe take care of meโ€”he bring me from Italy.โ€

โ€œIs he kind to you?โ€

Phil shrugged his shoulders.

โ€œHe beat me sometimes,โ€ he answered.

โ€œBeats you? What for?โ€

โ€œIf I bring little money.โ€

โ€œDoes he beat you hard?โ€

โ€œSi, signor, with a stick.โ€

โ€œHe must be a bad man,โ€ said Henry, indignantly.

โ€œHow much money must you carry home?โ€

โ€œTwo dollars.โ€

โ€œBut it isnโ€™t your fault, if people will not give you money.โ€

โ€œNon importa. He beat me.โ€

โ€œHe ought to be beaten himself.โ€

Phil shrugged his shoulders.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 41
Go to page:

Free e-book: ยซPhil, the Fiddler by Jr. Horatio Alger (ereader for comics .TXT) ๐Ÿ“•ยป   -   read online now on website american library books (americanlibrarybooks.com)

Comments (0)

There are no comments yet. You can be the first!
Add a comment