The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-14
CUPID THE FIDDLER.


England lived I'rissy Emlet. People some
times strayed very near her home, and
strayed away again tired and hungry. long,
ing for sigr of human creatures. when
all the time they had been looking right
over the tops Of a score Of chimneys, old
chimneys wrapped about with ivy and
house-leek, whence. if the wind had lain
Alright, they might have savOred of frizz-
ling bacon and eggs. StomacEs, braced by
tie keen air of the plain. and the fear of
never smelling anything more substantial
would have been irresistiby drawn on by
such means, in spite of the fact that there
was naught but dun grass from their feet
10 the wind-hole; but If they had followed
their noses, they would certainly have
heard something soon. a rusty pump bray
ing. the thud of chopping. the crying of
babes or the growing of cocks. Spurred by
the sound. they would at last have won
sight of a wisp of blue smoke arising from
the ground, and have lighted on Little
binder. lying curled up like field mouse
In a hollow of the great green blanket, with
pinfold. pump church and parsonage,
springing up with an inn and eighteen cot
tages to look after them, besides a rough
chalk road. which a few miles back over
the brow was but a faint track. And there
Dashed from nowhere. and frisking down
the roadside as if it had been guiding the
wanderer for miles past like a properly
conducted watercourse. Weary men who
found these things were often very irritated
and would VOW that they had never seen
such place in their lives, and that 1t ought
10 have been marked on the map; they
wanted TO know how people could live in
such hole, and how they ever found their
way into it or out of it. Then Prissy. as
she slapped thick, salt, glistening rashers
into the frying pan. or raked together
smouldering turves. would say: ''Lor bless
zee. we'm able to get here right 'nough.
We'd jess look at that lump" indicating
with her fork a far-away clump of frs, like
a pimple on the face of the plain.
But travellers, unless they were DID, or
blind, or bilious. looked not at the clump.
but at Prissy. for she was goodly to look
at. sweetly slender. divinely tall and gener-
ally half blinded by drifted wisp of gold
en- hair, which needed tucking under a
thick net with a rounded arm. Nature the
ever young mistress of arts had taught
her to look at one in a kind of accidental
dreamy manner, and to retire into herself
as down rabbit dives into his burrow But
her little ways were all her own and when
she looked at a man so, she did not know
quite what he thought about those eyes of
harebell blue. and when she so dive6. she
dived in spasm of fear that there was a
smut on her nose.
Now, it fell out that Robert Ross. of the
Mill. took certain teggs of his fathers, GER
tain lambs. and certain fat beasts to Lang
ston stock sale; and having sold we'll he
drank well. and wended home as the sun
he 70 III
pit on the Thousand Acre. by reason Of the
liquor that was in him, he took the left
hand track after the three stones, and then
bare leftward at the Gibbet, which, as
every man knows who is sober is the way
to binder and never the way to Mallop.
Therefore his long legs brought him into
the inn at binder as Prissy was getting
her fathers supper against he came back
from Langston; and when Prissy came in
from the kitchen and looked at him in that
way of hers, or ever he was aware his
soul made him like the chariots of Am
minadib. and he could scarcely gasp,
Quart. please. miss
After a score or of sips at his cider his
heart rose within him and he conversed
He said it was a. cold day. and he said IL
was q bit goldfish, and he said it was cold
coming up by Thousand Acre. Somewhat
later he said it was dampish. and main
sharp in the wind: and he said il did blow a
Die wettish, but he thought the rain would
not come till the change of the moon. Then
ne said 1T was cool for the time of the year.
and Prissy looked at him, and he imme-
and said SO.
Then the little wanton god stirred him up
with his poisoned dart and he became
anxious about Prissy'S health. and inquired
after IL twice. In the fullness of his SYM
pathy he even expressed the hope that she
would put a bit of something soft around
no fNalfR
get cold, or let the sun harm her. Then
PrlSSyS mother wanted her. and Robert
went to sleep with has curly poll on the
scrubbed table hard by his blue mug
a couple of hours later the rector's roam
came cOrnwards at a great pace over the
turf. and it took some persuasion to make
him stop at the inn. However, the withered
little rector was his master, and burly John
Emlet alighted carefully, with a coffin
shaped case under his arm and a round box
in bis hand, and babe the rector good-day
and thanked him kindly, and said his
Prissy should be round at half-past 8. The
thump OF the aforesaid case being deposited
upon the table aroused Robert from his re-
posing. and he watched PrisSy's blush as
her father unlocked the brown case and
produced n fiddle.
wei. i never did" said Mrs. Emlet ITO
think of the rector'S 3-wanting TO teach my
gel that thing! y pretty figure you'll cut,
'.Ill warrant she'd make a fine player"
her father said. patting her shoulder fond
ly: land IL do seem to | as tbs more a WIN
dleein' and Notwithstanding about
Prissy said nothing. but she looked at the
hddle and a string broke. There now"
said she. '-the old things gone and broke of
Its own self! Now how about half-past o.
Then Robert stretched out hand for the
can mend n" He was an ingenious young
chap. and soon learned the twist and the
hitch that makes n string catch. He re-
paired the damage and handed the fiddle
back TO Priss. or would have handed it back
If she had not raised her eyes and made
him drop IL.
Il don't know If thee be clever or clum-
ing il tenderly; but tits a-harnessed up
again all right. sure enough. Priss. Better
take n away, lass afore he drops n again"
Be est a-going TO play him myself
them? asked Bob.
''Ah. | be- replied rosy Prissy. tripping
away with her treasure.
Parsons fad. that is. He would have it
that our Priss had a hand for the fiddle. and
ear form too. Come q singin' in the
choir" explained the proud parent Par
son. he've got band. Thurs lots a-learn-
ing Young Jakes have a-got n flute in il
and Noah, he's in it with that there foozle-
pipe o his'n. oh. an, and thurs young
Toby. he's I'm IL. Plays big fiddle he do
wot they calls a vermicello- y big un il
is
Young Toby from warmster End?"
"Ah?"
who learned him to play?'
Learned hisself."
Bob'S imagination was not naturally fer
tile. nor had il been developed by exercise
Nevertheless. il rapidly stretched out for
him a very vivid picture OF handsome
about big fiddle with a foreign name ir-
radfated by the sunshine of ha lOol,