Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-05-14
The Kentucky Fiddler ana the
Wolves.

him very popular in thnly inhabited
country.-He was an accomplished player
on the fiddle and at the dances with which
the settlers cheered the long winter nights,
each giving rude but truly jocund enter
tainment in succession, Ephrlam was sure
TO be an invited guest. He was good fell
low, and "a capitol hand at spinning "atongh
yarn" quality for which most kentuck-
ans arc conspicuous and when to this was
added the rare talent of playing dancing
tunes very respectfully on the violen, it will
be readily inferred that he was judged no
small acquisition to these rustcs parties.
Upon one occasion it happened that
Ephriam staid for rather a longer period
than usual at one of these dances, partly by
IA little Irritation, vorging upon matrinony,
in which he happened Just then TO be en-
gagged. AS he was vending his way home
ward, the first light grey of morning was be-
ginning to peep over the eastern hills Eph-
rain had just arrived at an old clearing near
the edge of the woods, upon which stood the
whitening frame of a dilapidate log hut
Here he sat down for an instant, to rest his
wearied limbs, for he had danced and played
all night, and to muse on the beauties oflace,
form and mind, which centcred IN the future
Mrs. Elbow.
Suddenly terrific bowling came from all
sides on his ears, and imagine his horror
when he found himself beset in every d.
recton by an immense pack of wolves
They had scented him from atar, and on
they came at full speed, excessively pleased
with the prospect of so savory a breakfast
A flying assault of Plurolls Cossacks never
produced greater CONSERVATION in the
breasts of Napolcn's miLtaues attic retreat
from Moscow. Ephraim remained for an
instant horror chained to the spot; the next
he bounded up from the block on which he
was seated, like man struck through the
heart by musket ball, and rushed into the
interior of the hut the door stood wide open,
and he made violent effort to close II; but
its rusty trcacherous hinges gave way, and
it fell. Here was a new CONSERVATION.
Ephriam had not an instant left for rcilec-
ton. The foe wasiast closing upon him.
They howlcd as it were in his very ear, and
with terrific loudness. Ephraim thought he
had never heard sounds SO loud before. lie
sprang upon beam with degree of agility
which would make the fortune of Hervio
Nano, the Mainly. The wolves were now
in the Lighthouse.
Ephraim sprang TO a second and still high
or beam but the foremost of the pack had
already reached the FIRST They were evil
IDENTITY bent upon break fasting in the log
| house.
Great as had been Ephraim's consterna-
ton, and hurried as his retreat had been in
to the interior OF the hut, he had not dcs-
crtcd his beloved fiddle. 1t was partly
through instinct that he had held both fiddle
and bow firmly grasped in his left hand
partly through the esteem in which he held
it for it was very capitol violin, and anew
purchase. To that violin, strange as it may
appear, its owner was indebted for his life
Ephtiam was not much of as cholar; but
as Tom Moore says in his cunning addres,
to Sir Hudson Lowe, "pcrhaps he'd read OF
heard repeated" the well known line
emusic hath charms to soothe the savage breast!'
At all events the thought struck him
and lucky one it was-that it mi CHIT be O
use, and could do no harm, to try the ellcc
of ''tlle concord of sweet sounds" IN the fll.
rious beasts by which he was surrounded.-
Hey presto! he struck up with nervous
twitch of the elbow, the brskest tune in OK.
| istcnce--to wit, ladkcc D0odle
The effect which it procured was truly
miraculous. Al the stores of the art-magi
cal could accomplish nothing like it. Tn,
wolves gave over their bowling in an instant
a while ago they were bristling with rage
apparently untamcablc as hycnas, aud the
iriehtful monotony of their howls was onl,
varied here and there by an angry bark, Il.
one of the most forward of the pack barct
his cleaning tusks. In fact the party be.
came pleased and attentive listeners.
1t was curious audience for which
Ephraim was developing the precious mys
terics of his art.
But the wolves were only too attentive
and too anxious to witness the manifestation
of Ephraim's powers. The thing became
trightiully tiresome, and " awful pain tool
possession Of his elbow and forearm
and the limb itself was ready to drop off
He found that his capabilities of endurance
had never been so pinchngly taxed by par
" of fifty country-danccrs, as by Il singl,
pack of wolves. lie could hold ont no lon
g"r-hc stopped playing for an instant
Growl growl jump jump. One of thu
longest tuskcd of the ANIMALS come within
two inches of his leg at that last bound
Here was certainly pressing call to th'
vencral of his orchestral abors.
TO the diabohcal fatigue of his elbow, ;
new grief was added. The morning wa
exceedingly cold and Ephraims fingers IA
length became Observation-Disclosures trozcn.-
"Stoppng' was out of the queslion-n TIVE
senses. He wisely continued scraping tin
strings; and the music which he elected
tho old Bull would scarcely have acknow
edged it for legitimate. was considered yer,
passablc by his audience. Probably none o
them had a correctly educated ear, there
being no Italian opera in all Kentucky.
Ephraim's visitors were rcsolutlv ben
ON having either the iiddling or the fiddler
and with the kcntuckian it was question o
being eaten up, or continuing the music
Snap went string after string. Caigut
not indeslructIble alphaltus, and horse hal
will not last forever. Another crack goo,
lack, there is the third string gone, anb tin
bass alone remains. That single bass-s,rin