The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1870-08-02
$1,000 80 ralarairls,.
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E4 HiNAA MARIA MNAaHHlts
Betaean Ian aad twenty years ago
the preeise da,s mmat rial here
aas 10 ,he cts q New YorA q barbers
apprentice. 4 foaAs Boy named Ruben
Tandfest tll dutch lineage Ras iu
dieAted bv SIS surname vhich -
coufse &c rtara apd generations had
been corrupted ftom Eau4erles. to
Naadfest, W8i,e ior ais scuFtuml
Christian uama he was indebted ~ 4
H0dHy Quaker. hi paterual qandia'h
"a, Wb0 hal come over Wllu William
Tell Those names were. lu irnta, all
tAs BOY nWed 20 bis pr9geuliors, as
if0m his cradle he had been au orphan
east 0n The charity of tue wide world
Bot the excellent sect 60 which heu
ems mother bah belonged is one Of lhe
ieW who never east the lambs from Their
bosom. and ile orphan child was not
deserted The friends took care Of hnm
aud when be was able to earn a liyeIi-
hood, one Of their number received mm
as an apprentice. Such Was tue short
aud simple story Of the barbers boy.
Every human Icing has some inner
life, which the outside world knows
nothing 81 Thus, from bis catiest
childhood. tie passion 81 Reuben Wand
rest had been music He would follow
the itineraut musicians through one
street after another, often thus losing
bis meals. his rest, everything except
his schooling, which precious benefit he
VAS too wise to throw away for even
music
He made friends with blind pipors,
Italian hurdygurdyists, and, above ALL
with wandering fddlels; FOR with in-
tnitiye perception, the violin ths
/ prince Of striuged instruments was ms
chief fayorite From ali and each Of
these wandering musicians Reuben was
intent on gaining something They
were won by his childish manners and
earnest admiration for love OF praise
! Is the same IN blind fiddler as in an
\ opera singer aud by degrees Reuben
not only listened bat learned to play
No instrument came amiss to him, but
his sole private propety was an old fife
and with this simplest Of all orchestra
varieties, the poor barbor's boy used tc
creep 70 his garrett and there strive
with bis acute ear and retentiye mem
ory, to make out the tunes which he
had heard in the streets, or TO invent
others
But the grand era in the boys lifC
was coming One day as he stood wist
fully looking at a violin which lie held
in BIS arms fondiy and lingeungly pri.
or to returning it 70 its right owner, {
poor street MUSICIAN the idea Of its cou
struction first entered Reuben's mind
\ He had been accustomed to regard q
violin as a mysterious thing self
creating, sound nd.producing being anc
never once had he considered Of wha
il was made. or how.
| Now he began to peer into mysteries
and to find ont that it was only wooS
and caigut after all He questioned hi
| friend, the fiddler, but the man scrape,
away during a lifetime without enc,
casting thought on the mechanism Q
bis instrument True, be could replac,
broken string. aud at times even man
uiacture bridge with his pen-knife
but that was all When Reuben ~
Iquisitiyely wanted 10 know how violin
were made, the adder shook bis heat
and said lie did not know
Do you { ink ! could make one
lpursucd the anxious boy
4 burst of laughter So cuttiugly "a
risiye that Beubeus face gres crimson
was the only answer
Why you tiie smpletou, cried tli
fiddler, when his mif,h had sahIde,
surely you'll not bc SO silly as - tfy
You could as soon build a house 4
make violin
81 But yiolius must he made by som,
. body?
s Yes. by people who know al abou
it, not by lad like you Take my az
vice, aud don't attempt impossibili,ies
Reuben said no more; but he coul
not get the idea from bis mind Ever
,oilin that be save be begged 70 lo0l. al
he examined tie varieties 81 conslruc
ton, tho sort az wood used. the lhicl
ness aud fashion Of the strings. aud d
ter weeks of consideration, be at ia
determined to tiy ard make one &
himself Daing the long light summ'
uight BE- worked hour after hour ID ii
garnet or on tue ruoi 81 BIS house Vi
+ ualuiai mechanical skill wis aided 1
patience aud ara1r; and Nith the ie
tools which ne borrowed from the GOO
nntured carpenters who bad gwen hir
The wood, le succeeded ia i5Imrug u
+ body % tie violin. But here g Ion
cessation took place ln ReabgnH toi
lor he bad aot even tbe few pence ue
cssafy to purchase string ani d
bos which he c3uld uot make I wa
7 utterly onl 81 his power 10 bny II
e sai looking 81 ibe bali finished instr
+ mont body without sou. and deye
!. hls iile could 0ot console him
II But one daf q kiud-hearted custom
4 So noticed iAe sItght pale booking b.
sho afraagel his locks 81 gently al
carefully thRi l,eubeu betame tie gil
recipient of "a dollar he Aew 10 bJ
ea,gui aud 40 old bow, aud @ith ireu
bing ban II strnng bis .ns.guaeut.
Who Can describe the important mI
mentf LeTeuiers cToRuing calealaiic
ior the new planet. Lord Roses hr
peep thfoagh Bis giant telescope d
8ste compared 70 poor Reubeas hf
attempt 10 dtaw soaAds iron b.s Niolf
The sounds eamcs string after strig
toned the boN Was applied. aud q
violin bad 3 soal Feeble and ttin q
notes were. but ss:li tbcy were dleiin