Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-05-07
THE GIRL WITH PATIENCE TO
PRACTICE.

al hate him! Yes, do! and never will
take another lessOnl See if do" This
was said with emphasis.
Mrs. Gordon looked out of the parl0r
window to find that the speaker was her
own little daughter. Madge was a
bright. active girl with lovely chestnut
hair. blue eyes and red cheeks. pet
at home and favOrite at school, 1t was
not strange that she was imperious; she
enjoyed music but she hated practice
Mrs. Gordon looked thoughtful. She
desired Madge to become an accurate
musician, and she felt that Professor
Dartrum was judiciOus teacher. A
moment later the parlOr door was push
ed open and Madge stood there. There
was look of defiance in her deep blue
eyes.
Let us hear all about it," said Mrs.
Gordon, making place for Madge and
her two young friends on the sofa. Then
followed brief narration of the very
strict rules, and the torture to which
she was every day subject.
miss Craven is not half as strict--say
/ may take lessons of Miss Craven,
mammar Madge concluded.
For answer Mrs. Gordon said very
gently, Before we decide let me narrate
something that have read of a young
girl whose teacher was far more exact
ing than Professor Dartrum.
"That could never be-! exclaimed
Madge.
will you have the story?"
sYes, yesr' cried three voices in chorus.
"As shall leave you to guess the name
of the young girl, you will need to pay
particular attention." continued Mrs.
Gordon. "The sleepy old place in which
our heroine lived possibly had something
to do i'm fostering the love of music in
her breast until lit hurst into flame
bright enough to illuminate two conti-
nentS.
Here Madge felt that she had guessed
the name.
"This sleepy old town." continued Mrs.
Gordon, chad theatre where the little
girl was accustomed to so with her
father. He was flute player in the
theatre, and 0rganist in the famous old
cathedral. At last, from following the
musicians so closely, she lOnged to play
herself. The flute did not suit her small
mouth; but the viOlin-yes, she would
have viOlinl
"a yiolinl nothing could be more
absurd her relatives declared; and Aunt
Caroline insisted that her father must
not indulge the child in this way-Only
bows PLAYED viOlins. However, this little
pirl kept on asking, and at last her
father brought home the smallest violin
that he could possibly. And now for
lessons! M. Simon, the teacher, lived a
good distance away. 1t did not matter:
three times a week she took the long
walk through the Rue VOltaire, across
the crowded Place where the theatre
stood. past the handsome stores and over
the bridge, and then along narrow
street till the gray towers of the old
chateau came in sight.
"First she must learn to stand-hOw
to rest on her left foot with the right
partly in front; then how to hold violin
how it should rest on her shoulder and
how to grasp and support it. Hold it
perfectly still for ten minutesl Then
Law il down for a few minutes restl
Take it ND and hold it firml
patiently now she bent her small
fingers over the strings, as If to touch a
a chord-head erect, left arm bent and
brought forward so that she could see
her elbow under the violin. Then she
must stand perfectly still with the right
arm hanging now naturally. No bow,
of course. She must first learn to sus-
tain the weight of the violin and accus-
tom her arm to its shape. In silence,
and motionless, she held the instru-
ment.
and nothing more.
.sThen the bow was placed in her right
hand Now rest il on the strings and
draw it down slowly and steadily. NOT a
sound! no, there was no rOsin on the
bow, and it slipped over the strings In
silence.
1.-TWO hours every day, nothing but
positions and dumb motions, not even
finger exercises. Simply to learn to
stand, to put the fingers in the right
place, and to make the right motions
with the bow. Very often her poor arms
would ache, and her legs become stif1
with standing. Then her teacher had tenn
Der and was at times fearfully cross Tears
stool in her eyes; but no word of com
plaint ever was uttered, She was going
to play. aud this was the way to learn.
AT home the same thing was repeat
ed. Three hours practice every day
with the dumb violin and this for three
full months. ff
"Now she has rosin on her bow. The
exercises are all written out with pen
by her master. LOng-sustalned nOtes
by the hour. The bow hardly moved, 81
slowly did she draw it up and down. u
she obtained nothing else, she would
have strong. clear tone, and learn u
make grand, full sweep with her bow
Slowly and patiently she crept along
sometimes in the morning, sometimes
late at night, listening to instruction
and playing over the exercises.
Seven hours every dayl Scales in
every key; running passages OF every