A FIENDISH JOKE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2593, 29 July 1882, Page 3

A FIENDISH JOKE.

' I think,' said a well-known orchestral leader, ' the beat joke ever played in thii town waa on an ambitious a-nateur pianist when Gottaohalk was here. The amateur's father was the owner of a large hall, an/1 he offered the nse of it to G->ttschalk for hie benefit. There was to be a piece for eight pianos, and the amatsnr was to play one of the ins'ramentß. I was the leader. I thought Gottschalk would have a fit when I told him that the amateur couldn't play three straight notes of the piec*. ' Be is sure to throw ns all out,' said I, ' and ruin the performance.' ' Gottschalk swore like a major, but 'twca no good. The bills were ont, and he conldn't go back on his programme, even if the gift of the hall for the night was no oon ideratlon to him. At last I hit on an idea that fixed the whole business. The amateur came down to rehearsal, and we praised him up until he thought he was to be the star of the night, is soon as ho left we took th? hammers out of his piano and made it as dumb as an oyster. I gueesed he would never know the dlfferenoo, with several pianos going at once.' The tuneful co .voution laughed. ' And just as I thought,' said the loader, hammering on the table with his glass, 'that amateur or his friends never discovered the iriok.' •No?'

'No, eir, he just failed in and pounded on that piano as if it was the worst enemy he ever had. He was bonnd to show <Jf among so many good pianists, and hammered on his key board until the perspiration nearly blinded him Nov and then I looked st him approvingly to gi >e him fresh courage, and every time I dM he gave the piano a lick that nearly made matchwood of it. His friends all around threw bouquets at him nntil he looked like a wtddiug arob, and when 'twas all over his fond parent fell on hts neck in the greenroom and slipped a oheok for SSOdols into his hand. The old man (didn't know whether be was standing on bis head or his heels, he was so tickled." ' Didn't he do fine,' said he to me, ' among bo many first-class professionals too.' ' I never heard an amateur do so w« 11 in public,' said I, and what's more, I meant It, eh P ' Dont you think I was tight ?'