The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-02-21
LITTLE FIDDLERS.

LITTLE FIDDLERS, !,
a PEEP AT A MERRY SCHOOL OF
YOUTHFUL vloLINlsTs
Like Concert of Katydids When tho Two
Hundred Children Draw Their Bows.
Budding virtuosos Taking tho First Les.
son-A Kind Professor. Z.
Fancy 200 little fddlers ali 6ddling
away at oncel Fancy the noise! Fancy
the funl It Is like q concert Of katydids
to hear them, and like stirring up ashoal
of sand fddlers to..see them running up
and down the steep stairs to and fro ofrona
their lessons. Moreover, 1t is like trying
to catch ain old granddaddy sand fiddler
to catch one Of these little youngsters
and ask him how he learned tosfddle
and when and where. Saturday after
noon is the time to see these baby Vhttu-
osos in their glory. From east, from
west, from Harlem and Hoboken they
come skipping along by twos, BY. threes,
with maids IN attendance, to worship at
the shrine Of the violin. Professor Wat
son, Of Fourteenth street, Is master OF
this marvellous school, and he draws no
lines regarding sex, age or previous con.
dition. Rich and poor alike come and
are treated to the same free instruction.
PUPILS OF ALL KINDS. -
.ssYou would be astonished," he said,
as the unique entertainment drew to
close, "to know some Of the names that
are among the two thousand we have on
our books already. No one, no matter
how rich he may be, cares to throw away
money on finding out simply whether q
child's fancy is natural taste or a whim.
So people who know Of the school send
their boys and girls to me. I can soon
find out if the child has any cleverness,
and Immediately notify them. If the
boy of rich parents likes his violin, they
naturally buy him good instrument and
engage q teacher. Other children come
and go, more as their own fancy dictates,
but they usually havesome one, an older
sister, or an. aunt or q grandmother, who
takes pride:in their little 'nddlings and
soon buys for them q violin of their own,
which they can take homo and practice
on to their hearts content. In that way
II get a partial recompenso for my time
and trouble, and at the same time I have
the satisfaction of knowing that have
been able to keep some children's minds
away from worse things during their
first few years. =
It was Q o'clock when the youngsters
began to arrive. Some fly down the
street as If they moved on steel springs,
.grinning happy little grins Of satisfaction
as they pound on sturdy legs up to the
rooms above. Others, coming for the
first time, wander open mouthed along
the street, asking now q hand organ
man, and row o policeman, IL they know
"where the music mans place is" Unless
they know Professor Watson's name they
are aptito have some trouble In finding
him, for Fourteenth street is full Of
Emusic men," At last they see some
other little boy with a fiddle and their
troubles are all over.
Once upstairs, their real troubles are
usually over, but the poor, unhappy kids
do not seem TO think so. a little twist
catches their tongues as they start up
stairs, and by the time they havereached
the Office a double bow knot could hottie
them any tighter. The prof s
daughter takes them in hand: first and,
after their unruly little members get
limbered up a bit, finds out all about each
new pupil. Then she passes them along
4 to the next room, whero they make their
professional bow to one OF the teachers,
i to say nothing Of their first violin. They
stand around in helpless rows until the
busy professor comes flying along, then
one by one are stood out in the middle Of
the floor, their knees jogging beneath
them, and set to work.
TIE FIRST LESSON.
ssFeet SOP says the professor, his right
heel in the hollow Of his left foot.
Invariably the left heel drags itself up
to the right foot.
.Brrrl'' says the professor. sYou
would tip over on your nose II you tried
to stand sol Now the violin under your
chin, SO that your cheek just rests on it
to keep it steady. Hands off the strings,
but holding the case, SO! Elbow down.
Bow in your right hand. Oh, no, never,
my boy. That's a good way to hold a
saw, but it's bad way to hold violin
bow. There. look you. Thumb So!
First and second fingers so-last two fin
gers so.n E:s r. s5sis IS TX: ~ ;s !
Very clumsy the pudgy little fingers
are to begin with, but In a few minutes
when the;yiolin fright IS worn OFF the
fingers begin to Timber. up, and in a sur
prisingly short time these babies are
saving away as natural ais life.
In far less time than it would take a
greater mind these youngsters know each
string as well as they know their own
names, better in fact, than they knew
them when they faced Miss Watson In
the Office. Then they are crazy for a
tune. Before any one could believe 1t
possible their shrewd little wits have
CVlq ucIcu tIo mJ oLcAlGo " til0 oLe1AA t'0o
the notes, and they are saving away at
+ q, a, d. G, d,ta. e, with all the gusto OF
artists The next step is to twist the
little fingers SO they can slide up and
down the strings and pinch them down
at the proper points, and as soon as that
is done there begin to grow variations Of
the first wonderful theme.
To an outsider the hour on busy
Saturday afternoon is q wonderful sight.
The mental dexterity with which the
clever professor handles bis small schol-
ars, his patience, and the interest which
he takes in the poorest and least clever
Of these little free pupils, is something to
be admired. Professor Watson was tho
famous Ole Bulls manager, and when
he finds child whose heart goes out
into the old fiddle that snuggles up under
his chin he takes him about through the
rooms and tells stories Of the great mas
ter, and shows him tho pictures and
relics that hang about the wall, the
watch which was his gift and, choicest
treasures Of all, his violins.-New York
World.
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