, 1885-04-28
PAGANINI OUTCOME.
PERFORMANCE OF A WoulNlsT WHO
HAD LOST HIS BOW
At the Cafe ChAntAnt Of coioKne-A Sub
stItuie for "A Fiddle-Bow-A Visit
Ing Gard, n Sword. an I'm
brella. n shoe.


lkeN. EDWARD AbbOtta Lctter.l
1 reached The city of Cologne by steamer
down the Rhine at O in the afternoon. This
gave me an hour before dark in which to
visit the great cathedral, whose lofty spirei
had been Lefore me since twenty miles
away. Then / had an hour for dinner.
which ] ate with great zest at the hotel du
Dom, nearly opposite the cathedral
Two hours and a half we're then left be-
fors | WINS To take the night express for
Brussels What should l do in that
two hours and a half The PORTER
10 whom l addressed this question
said | had better go around to the cafe
Chantant for an hour. So 1 told him to lead
the way. The cafe Chantant / found to be
u large room or small hall, whichever one
might please 10 call it At one end was a
simple -tage, like a concert platform. The
floor was filled with small square tables,
with two or three chairs at each table. The
chairs were nearly all filed with people,
men and women, OF a very respectable as
pect The scene was strange, but orderly
and proper; and the concert, which | stayed
an hour to enjoy, was Of a high musical
order.
The piece IN the programme which enter
tanned mo the most was a performances ON
the violin. 1t had just begun as / entered
the room. The performer was a handsome
young fellow, dressed in a grotesque suit OF
many color, and he vas talking away 10
the audience as l cnme in in a very minated
manner. IL seemed, as nearly as / could un-
derstand him, that he had lost his violin
bow, and unless be could find some substi-
tute for it he could not do his part in the
concer.. Did any Of his audience happen 10
have a violin bow with themi mol Well.
that was too badi What should no dot
Would anything else answer instead Of "A
k..vF G,tlHuff a,t,akaly lapl him copta
thingl etc. or course all this was
made up. The object OF the v~iolinist was to
get hold of some nondescript objects with
which he could play on his violin instead Of
a bow, and so show his skill; and all his talk
was simply to entertain his audience 80
nIuc'i the more. Presently somebody
handed him up a visiting card, a common.
plain visiting card. The violinist took it,
look at il n moment inquiringly, tried its
edge with his finger, and then applet the
edge TO the stringso Of his instrument. 1t an
swered the purpose very we'll, and he played
quite a nice tune. AT the end there was a
burt Of applause. Then he called for
something else, to see, he said. IL he could
net do a little better.
An enicer of the army, who was sitting
noar the stage, passed up his sword, and
with the sword for n bow the clever young
violinist, after "A moment or two's expert
menting, played another nice tune, over
which there wa more applause, louder than
before. Then be handed the sword back to
the officer, AMI asked for something else.
A lady handed up an umbrella. An UNI
brellal How could any one play on the vio-
lin with al umbrella But this man did.
He opened the umbrella, and, finding a
smooth place a few inches in length ON the
handle, went TO work with it with ease, and
succeeded surprisingly we'll. The applause
when he had finished was heartier than
ever, and what had been before a scene of
mere amusement on the part of the audience
seemed to rise into something like admira-
ton.
And now the violinist good naturally Of
fered to try once more. And what do you
think was handed up to him this timer A
shoe; an old shoel Surely he would have to
give up now. For a moment he looked as il
he would. After examining the shoe with
care for a moment, the v~iolinist found a
place ON the inner side, between the heel
and the toe, where tho projecting solo fur
nisbed a short sharp edge. When he had
found that, and felt it with his finger, he
looked up with a pleased expression. as IL to
say, l guess that will do. And do it did: for
with the shoe for a violin bow he went on
and played a tripping tune that set every
body's feet agoing, and when he had fin
ished filed the room with a deafening rouu
OF applause. With a low bow and pleasant
smile. In IA moment he was gone.