The Delta independent., 1891-04-07
ANOLDFIDDLER's STORY.
"A TALE OF A WONDERFUL OLD
VIOLIN.
As Told by the Old Man After His Nights
Work Was Done, in a New York
Place of Amusement-AN
True and Vouched For.

| w ncn lne curtain went DOWN on The
first act of the opera the old white
haired fiddler among the first violins,
who had bat recently joined the orches-
ira, turned to his companions and told
the following remarkable story us he
thrummed the strings OF his own in
| Strument:
During recent visit to the old
country in search of health l thought
it would be an excellent opportunity to
| find Il choice instrument. | travelled
slowly through sunny Italy constantly
on the alert for some sign that might
| lead to the finding of such violin as |
| had always had i'll mind but which /
had never seen. One day | came to u
dusty looking little shop with the sign,
'Violins Repaired and Old Violins for
Sale, staring through the little window.
| entered, and found myself in Il low
| walled room redolent with the musty
smell of antiquity. Upon the shelves,
which extended on either side of the
| room, We're number of violins, some
labelled with the owners namc and
some with the date of making. And
such an array of old violins! There
We're violins 1000 years old.
''The proprietor came forward with
n very pleasant e-yoursclf-at-home
sort of an air, and | at once made
known the character of my visit. He
said it would give him great pleasure
to show me through his stock, and if l
found anything that | wanted, all right,
and if not it was all the same to him,
as the pain mt parting with one of his
pets was SO great that the money part
of the transaction could not make up
for it.
..He at once began to explain the
histery OF some of the different instru-
ments. At last coming to one of the
Oldest looking and at the same time
one that showed that it had always
been well taken care of he began some
thing in this vein: Here is a violin
that is human. 1t has been in the same
family for over 500 years and readily
recognizes any member of that family,
although many generations have passed
away since they came into possession OF
this wonderful instrument OF course,
/ was paralyzed with wonder and could
not imagine what all this meant /
asked the price OF it. The price of
it?' he exclaimed in wild surprise.
The price OF it? Would mother sell
her child?
81 now began to understand what he
had meant when he called it human
and told him that intended no harm
in asking the question; really wished
to buy the finest violin in the world.
He smiled and replied: If you will
hara tt,is ntrant,,o .,f q n,
you can see the most wonderful sight
ever known to mortal man. At that
hour every night since the violin has
been here the little girl tina. owns it
comes to caress it. 1t is truly Won
derful sight.' thanked him and
promised to be there. l spent the in
tervening time soliloquizing and won
dering what was in store for me, and If
the mysterious violin were really
human. "A human violin! Whoever
heard of such thing? What does it
mean?' kept saying to myself over
and over again.
when night came / hastened to
the little shop again, feverish with ex-
citement. When I entered there was
an oppressive stiffness; not sound OF
any kind was heard. / walked to the
rear and found the proprietor with his
elbows on his knees and his head in his
hands, apparently in deep thought
spoke TO him, and he looked up with a
wild, imploring look, which changed
to one of delight when he recognized
me.
:" oh, it's you, is itp Glad you
came. ] have often wished that some
one could be present when the child I
told you of is here. 1t is almost time
for her to come. All, there she is.
Now for the most wonderful, most
sublime
"He did not have time to finish, for
all at once from the old violin on the
shelf came the clear and distinct do
with wonderful vibration and sweet
ness, as though master hand had
drawn a bow across it. No sooner had
the first sound died away than it was
succeeded by another. The old man
reached up and took it down and hand
cd il to me. As took the instrument
it repeated the do again and again;
| not only could hear the sound, but I
| could feel the constant vibration of the
| whole violin. At last recovered from
| my astonishment and asked what 1t all
meant. The Old man smiled and told
| me that it was as much of a mystery to
| him as 1t was to me- but that always as
| soon as the little girl entered there was
u continuous sounding of the violin
until she took it.
] handed it to the little girl, and to
my surprise the sound Of the vibrations
ceased. She stepped to the case in
which the bows were kept, and taking
one, began to play. And such music;
such divine music! l never heard its
equal before and / never expect to
again"
At this juncture there was sharp
rapping by the conductor with his
baton as he called the players attention
to the score. The musicians played it
as if they were in hurry to get
through the act. When the curtain
was rung down again one of them
reached far forward and whispered to
the white-haired old fiddler in a
hollow, excited voice: well, what
then?"
why. I awoke," was the solemn
reply.