Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-01-10

| I screwed them up. So took the violin
| to the man that / bought it of, snd it
! turned out that had not been doing it
right. He laughed when | said that
| had been trying to tune the first string
up to A, and said that they don't 60 in
octaves, but in fifths. I have Since
looked at the Tutor, and find he is quite
right No wonder / broke SO many
stringsi [ have been practicing holding
the instrument and bowling, and never
thought it was such painful work. Why,
what martyrs violinists must be, and
vet it looks so graceful and easy, and
they seem SO happy. 1 have got the
cramp in my left arm, and I expect /
shan't be able to use nv arm tomorrow.
My neck is awfully stiff. too. Tom saws
/ shall get used to it after bit.
Wednesday.-I am learning nv scales
now. but | don't get on so fast as l ex-
pected. You have to be SO particular
where you put your fingers, and there's
nothing to guide you. Even half-an-
inch difference will make quite another
note. and when begin the scale of G
on the fourth string. | generally end on
the first string in some other KEY alto
gether. L expect that S because don't
play quite in time. Then there's such
a funny squeaking noise sometimes,
which l think is the fault of the bow
Tom advised me to try candie-grease
instead of rosin, but | haven't done so
yet.
Ihursday-I wish that dog wouldn't
make such noise when play violin.
" hat a pity it is that animals have no ear
for music. But some men are Just as bad.
There's that medical student next door;
he doesn't like music himself, and
wants to stop others from having it
like the dog in the manger. He says
he'll give me thrashing when he gets
hold of me- Pooh. But 1 wonder
whether he means it! shan't stop to
please him, though. If he can't appre-
ciate such beautiful instrument as the
violin, it isn't my fault. 1 have been
practising the '.Blue Bells of Scotland
all day. 1t isn't in the book, but l play
it by ear, and | manage to get the right
notes after bit by Sliding my fingers
about until | come to them. / have
given up using the Tutor now. can't
understand it bit. / can't make out
what is meant by positions" and
''shifts.'' L have to shift my position
for nearly every note, and some of the
notes on the G string / play with my
thumb. l can't find anything in the.
Tutor about using the thumb. They
must have forgotten it. In fact, it is q
stupid book altogether.
Frtday-There an old lady COM
planning now, that ] disturb her after
noon maps. She says she wouldn mind
if 1 could plan, but she can't endure
any longer the ''execrable noise l
make. Of course that's all nonsense
and humbug. for all to-day have only
been practising Grandfather's Clocks
on one string, and trying to initiate a
donkey. Tom Wilkinson tells me it is
not a bit like a donkey. but he says that
if l call 1t an imitation of saving
it will do very well; so have changed
the name. Last night had an insplra-
ton and / wrote this piece of poetry,
which Tom says is as good as Tennyson.
don't know whether that true, be-
cause l don't understand Tennyson:
love to play the violin,
And hear its sound SO sweet,
1t sweetly rests beneath my chin,
My weary heart to greet.
can not play it very well;
have not learnt it long;
And when play, as you can tell,
get a little wrong.
They hate the violin.
But will practise more and more
My dear old VIOLIN
SafaraaY-1 have given up playing
the violin. Some one told pa to buy
me mute but didn't know what
to do with it, so thought it must be to
use instead of the bridge. But there
were no notches. and the strings
wouldn't keep in their place, and all at
once it gave way, and went down with
such = bang. 1t loosened piece of
wood inside which took out and threw
away, and was told afterward that it
was the sound-post- When was put
ting the mute up again l had an acct
dent and the top of the violin smashed
right in. / took it to man to have it
mended, and he told me that it WASH t
worth repairing, and that it wasn't a
real Guarnerius at all. 1t was all a
swindle, and the label was sham. He
said there were hundreds and hundreds
of them about. So I've given up play
ing the violin. Pa has promised to get
me lathe instead, or box of paints.
I hate music!-LOndOn Musical World.
Esrx,