The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-03
For the Disnatch.l
THE ENCHANTED FIDDLER.

a
However interesting and complete in
itself the fairy story Of " The Enchanted
Fiddle" NAV have been TO the thousands OF
people who read what is daily printed in
these columns, there are no doubt many who
would like to know what became OF the
wonderful musician and OF other matters
connected with this gifted and mysterious
person.
II will be remembered that in the story of
the Dorwroeschen " there are both good
and bad fairies concerned in the plot; and
so there shall be in this, although in "The
Enchanted Fiddle" all works smoothly and
Iharmopously. and not word is said about
a bad fairy. Little Jake himself knew but
too well of the evil influences of bad fairies,
and although he mad never been enchanted
bv any OF them. he had seen enough OF their
ibaIeiul workings to place him on his guard,
and as far as possible avoid their seductive
advances.
The bad fairy that will be associated with
the fortunes OF the wonderful musician ap-
neors in no particular conventional form;
it NAV be sometimes under the glllse OF 4
beautiful female who rcplenlshes the emp.
tied glass with the ambcr-colored beer,
or with the "roscate wine from Neckar and
Rhine; but under such i mask Is the real
bad 1alfE, anu, llhC thS ioiSi>'' i"'~ - 20"
victim on to destruction.
Strange as it may appear, this particular
had fairy is always in the way OF the
worldly prosperity and success OF what are
called umcn OF genius ARTISTS, literary
mcn. and musicians. But it is towards the
latter that he seems to bear some particular
pr,,drc. he is always trying to enchant
them. and he generally succeeds il he gains
an undue influence over them. AS to what
Is called :. .cenius,' some matter-oi-fact peo-
ple contend that no irregularity OF conduct
should be miscaIled eccentrlclty OF &C.
MUS: and il man follows music for
profession. he should drudge at 1t
as shoemaker over his lap-stone or
blacksmith over his anvil TO them
the merit of Mozart's "Oxen Waltz"
ia T overlooked when it is considered
he wrote it to avoid the opportunities OF
his butcher clamoring for the sum due for
the meat he had sold him. "a fig" say
they. "for your genius; he rarely has
money enough to pay his washerWoman. Ii
Mozart sat up half the night filling his hide
with beer and wine, and drumming some
OF his own compositions on an old harp
sicord. how could lie be tit for business the
next morning? and how the devil could he
pav butchers bill unless he borrowed the
money? And look at Burns; there was
what YOU call genius again. lie had his
head turned by tlatterv, and he went bum
ming around in the company OF his supe-
riors, drinking Whiskey and writing poetry
on anything that happened to turn up. he
was ALWAYS overwhelmingly in debt; and
between Worrying over this and excessive
drink he died at the age OF thirty-seyen."
This is all very good as far as it goes, but
we dare say il Mozart or Burns had been in
the possession of ample fortunes, and had
spcnt money freely on the bummers OF that
day. their folies would have been over
looked by the very people who have tried to
belittlc their fame. But we would " draw it
mildly" in speaking Of their shortcomings;
for in their cases the "bad fairy" must bear
the responsibility OF their irregularities.
And now we must return to the wonder
fnl musician. After his performances in
the village concert-room the whole place
WAS in a state OF great excitement. Even
the old violin -players-those who had been
having things their own way for years, ana
realized that they were about to have their
nins knocked from under thcm-they, as
they sat around the table in the little beer
garden OF the place, discussed the stranger
bctween sips OF their favorite drink,
and admitted his superiority as llo-
linjst. The reputation gained by his 1lfst
performance added greatly to the numbers
that focked to the second. The hall was
crowded. and again he had selected one OF
DeBe1iot's compostions-ac composer Whom
all yiolinists have been taught to venerate.
But the high-soundins names OF the con-
certos had no effect on the wonderful musl-
clan. He was cool and collected, and took
his nosition as q true artist; and at his hrst
touch CT Jakes fiddle 1t was easy 10 see ne
was completely at home. lie falrly playea
all over Jake's fiddle. He made octaVes,
double notes, chords, up-and-doWn DOW
staccatos, and the iumping-boW staccato,
working the bow like pump-handle, and
withal he did these difficult things without
effort, and brought the ''truc tone' from
the instrument. The audience was in
ecstacies, the ladies smiled lovingly at their
bcaly. and the Juno-like married lady
again squeezed the hand OF the young gen.
tleman who was filing the husbands place
as escort The applause was deafening, and
the musicians could not refrain from say
ing, cxcitedly, "foorst-rate!"
In spite OF all this enthusiasm mystery
still hung over the w. M. "Who was he !!
Where did he come from? Why should
such an artist be without food and money
and clothing! Why should such man be
nothing more nor less than tramp?"
Old Scraper, who had heard these various
questions pIopounueu, saIo, peueiehcn
there is but one answer to these several
questions, and that is"
But Old Scraper was not allowed to
finish the sentence, and Little Jake, sus-
pecting what he meant to insinuate, said
be was quite sure the stranger never drank
ANYTHING stronger than water, or perhaps
occasionally he may have taken glass Of
beer.
Having arrived in the village in such a
doleful plight as was intimated in The En-
chanted Fiddle, it was not explained how
the w. NJ. was rigged up. in sufficiently
good clothing TO appear before the aristo-
cratic audiences that assembled in the music
hall. Commencing with the boots Signor
siegelletti had presented him, he wore in
addition John Falen's shirt, Menry Killers
pants, and Ronny Jedford's dress-coat.
Dressed in this style there was diStingue
air about the w. NJ, and when he returned
to the stage in order TO bow in recognition
OF the furious encore, his manner was easy
and unembarrassed. Jake was proud Of
the w. NJ. and proud OF his fiddle. He had
read of the enchanted harp that spoke to
the giant when Jack ran away with 1t down
the bean-stalk; and even If his fiddle could
not actually talk, under the touch of the w.
M, it stirred up such emotions in his soul
as he had never experienced before. Con-
seuuentIy he often inwardly thanked the