The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-14
Mrs. Brindle Learns the Guitar.
From the Louisville Courier Journal,

HGOHt Tue L<OH%SOttt6 OOuItSF JOuITLut,
MRS. Brindle, you know that l play very
nicely on the violin and the guitar. Now
there is nothing that adds SO much to the
enjoyment of homo, and which makes a
man feel at peace with the world and him
self as the strains of soft and soul-inspiring
music. Therefore, have purchased guitar
for you and intend to teach you how to ac-
company me-"
"Oh, you dear man, how charming
Where is the er-er-what do you call itP'
MRS. Brindle, remember to have said
guitar. Now, do you know what | said! q
And Mr.. Brindle's face began to wrinkle
like the crust on an apple-pie.
"OhI said Mrs Brindle, land did you
bring a plush-covered stool embroidered
with cat-tails to put under it!"
"Mrs. Brindle, did nothing of the kind "
Mr.. B. s. face turned a deep crimson. 81
simply brought a guitar home with me.
What do you suppose guitar is, any way'
Here it is. Look at it. How in the name
of gentle James are you going to get stool
under it? Just you show me how, that's all. "
"And can play on it without looking at it
as you do the fiddlem
Mrs Brlndle, if I had your musical
knowledge and brass band around my
hat, I'd set up for Conservatory of Music. p"
"What shall l play on it, dearF asked
Mrs. Brindle, as she picked it up, laid it
across her lap and began to strum on it with
all ten fingers as if it were piano.
"Play cards on it, Mrs. Brindle, play
checkers, any gosh DANCED thing you can, "
howled Mr.. B. as he kicked the cat out of
the window "Wait till | get my fiddle,
can't you tell a guitar from hand organ!
Wait II get the crank and turn it for you
and then, by the jumping jehosophat, you
can play. If knew as much about guitar
as you do I'd tie strings across my mouth
and pass as band of Spanish Students
Ah-er." Mr.. B. grew black in the face.
She reached for his violin and opened a
music book at the scale of c Natural.
"Look here now. Can you read notes"
ooh, yes, dear; | read four or five that
dropped out of your pocket on the floor last
night. One of them was signed"
"Oh, you did, did you' Well madam, I'll
Just thank you to read no more of my pri-
vate papers. Now, here, tell me ii you
know what this MEANS" pointing to 6-S,
musical character"
"Um-er-let me see"-and up went her
finger to her mouth-''six and eight are
fourteen-six into no-eight into six won't
go--er-"
That's it, Mrs. Brindle; you've solved
the Sphynx's riddlel You've hit the com
bination. If had your sense and arithmet-
ical calculation, I'd get box and mask as
the fifteen puzzle. NO, MIS-. Brlndle, that
six and that eight don't mean an arithmet-
icaI puzzle nor a problem in applied me
chanics for some gosh-danged fool to sweat
over. 1t means that there are six notes to
a measure, and each note is one-eighth
long"
"One-eighth of what, dearT
'One-eighth of a mile, Of nautical
league. of course; any dod-darned length
YOU want it," howled Mr.. B. NOW, when
count six. you must make one note each
time | count Now, listen and pay atten-
ton: one, two, three, four, five, six" and
he counted along keeping time on Mrs. B. s
back. And Mrs Brindle, in sympathetic
motion, bobbed her head up and down, look
ing at him all the time as if she thought
him crazy.
''What in the glory of Gideon are you
bobbin' your head up and down in that way
forg Can't YOU count? Count, | tell you"
zone, two. three. four, five, SIX" sang
Mr.. B. And Mrs B indie chimed in, zone,
two, three, four, five, SIX seven, eight, nine,
ten, eleven, twelve
s.By the blood Of Boswell, what are you
doineg Count on. Mrs. Brindle; don't stop,
or you'll break the charmed circle. Count a
miilion.n howled Mr.. b. IF | could count