Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-06-05

active in extingushing the fire, and having
his hand in the work, had been at the same
time no less actively engaged in quenching
a certain internal fire--and in truth, as was
plain to be SEEM more than was needed
On seeing him, the old fiddler cried out,
& BY Joye, how | envy the fellows ioity p
All the folks laughed but presently the
merriment was interrupted by the entrance
of the magistrate with his notary, come TO
investigate the cause of the fire, and to take
an inventory Of the damage
Old Hans openly confessed his fault. He
had the old peculiarly of carrying about
him, in all his pockets, little box of luclf-
er matches, in order never to be at a loss
when he wanted to light his pipe. When
ever any one called on him, and wherever
/ he went, his fingers were almost unconsci-
ously playing with the matches. Often and
often he was heard to exclaim, Provoking
enough that these matches should come
into fashion Just as am going offthe stagel
/ Look Il light IN the twinkhng of an eye J
/ Only think of all the time I've lost IN the
course of my life in striking light with
the old flint aud steel-days, weeks, ay,
years =
! iI hiF uhht W dii dlitft duANHy VI EAiih-
ted with this child's-play of the old man,
and the magistrate said, with regret, that he
must inflict the legal penalty for his care
essness. However, at all events, It's well
It's no worse he added you are, in truth
the last of the fddlers in our dull, plod-
ding times, you are a relic Of the past--of
a merry, careless age. 'Twould have been
grIevous tnng if you had come to such a
miserable end
Look ye, your worship, ought to have
been parson" said Hans aud | should
have preached to the folks after this fashion,
Don't set too much store on lie, and it
can't hurt YOU; look on everything as fool
cry, and then you'll be be cleyerer than all
the rest II the world was always merry
If folks did nothing bu, work aud dance,
there would be no need Of schoolmasters--
no need of learning to write aud read-no
parsons-and 10y your worshIp's pardon)
no magistrates. The whole world Is a big
fddle--the strings are tuned--Fortune
plays upon them but some one IS wanted
to be constantly screwing up the strings ;
aud this is job for the parson and magis-
trate There's nothing but turning and
screwing, and turning aud scraping, and
the dance never begins.
The fiddlet's tongue went running on in
this way until his worship at length took a
friendly leave OF him. We shall, however
remain, and tell the reader something OF
the history of this strange character
1t Is now nearly thirty years since the old
man first made his appearance in the vii
lage, Just at the time when the new church
was consecrated. When he first came a.
mong the villagers, he played for three DAYS
and three nights, almost incessantiy, the
; maddest tunes. Superstitious folks mutter'
ed one TO another, that he must be Old Nick
= himself who could draw such spirit and life
from the instrument as never TO let any one
= have rest or quiet any more than he seemed
to require It himself Daring the whole oil
this time he scarcely ate u morsel, aud only
drank--but IN potent draughts-durlng the
pauses. Often It seemed as if he did moi
= stir a finger, but merely laid the hddle-sticb
on the strings, and magic sounds instantly
2 came out of them, while the iddle-bow hop
ped mp aud down Of itself
e Hey-day there was a merry-making anC
D.. piece of work in the large dancing room
e of the Sun Once, during pause, tn,
j hostess, a buxom, poruy widow, cried out
a Hold hard, fiddler do stop the cattle az,
b all quarrellng with YOU and will starye j
: YOU don't let the lads aud girls 90 home AM
h feed them. If you've no pity on US folks
do, for goodness sake, stop your hddlIng
for the sake Of the poor dumb creatures
- Just SO 2 cried the fiddler here yo
i can see how man is the nohlest animal o.
if the face of the earth man alone can dane
-ay, dance IN couples. Hark ye, hostes:
e if you'll dance turn with me, I'll stop m
= tidde-stIck for a whole hour
The musician Jumped off the table. A
the by-slanders pressed the hostess, Till Z
n length she consented 10 dance She class
7; ed her partner tight around the wals
d whilst he kept hold of his fiddle, DRAWN
from II sounds never before heard; and
n tins comIcal manner, playing and dancin.
lie they performed their eyolulIons in the CT
Gle OF spectators; and at length, with bri
ID liant scrape OF his bow, he concluded, en-
Of braced the hostess, and gave her a bouI
III eng kiss, receiving, IN return, no lie
hearty box on the ear. Both were give
aud taken in fun and good temper.
30 From that time forward, the fiddler W
a., domicled under the shade of the Sun
H. There he nestled himself quietly, and whe
10 ever any merry-makng was going on IN Il
r. country round about, Hans was sure to
up there with his fiddle; but he always retur
he ed home regularly and there was not v
lg lage nor house, far aud wide around,
in which there was more dancing than IN q
Va hoslelry of the porlly landlady of the SUI
The fiddler comporled himself in t
nc house as if he belonged to it; he served I
y guests, (neyer taking any part IN out-'
ne doors work. entertained the customers
he they dropped in, played hand at cards c
ms casionally, and was never at a loss IN pra
Try ing fresh tap. We've just opened a nj
cask of wine-only taste, and say If Their
ee, not music in wine, and something divine
en- Touching everything that concerned
household, he invariably used the autho
as tative and familiar we -" We have a c
he lar fit for a king Our house lies in eve
nd ones way aud SO forth
Hans and his Illle fiddle, as a master
,ay course. were at every village gathering a
= iestylty; and the people of the coun
ess round about could never dlssociate IN th
ed, thoughts the Sun inn aud Hans the
ely dler. But possibly the hostess consider
at the matter IN different light At the c.
A | clusion of the harvest merry-makIng,