The record-union., 1897-01-10
it, Play a big fiddle, he do. wot they
calls vermicello. A big un, it is"
Young Toby from Warmster End?"

young Toby from Warmster End
| "Ah?"
'W'ho learned him to play?"
/ Learned hisself."g
] Bob's Imagination was not naturally
fertile, nor had it been developed by ex-
ercise. Nevertheless it rapidly sketched
/ out for him a very vivid picture or
1 handsome, black haired young Toby
| wreathing himself about a big fiddle
with a foreign name, irradiated by the
sunshine of the look. Straightway he
took a great resolution; with heavens
help he, Robert, would have bigger
| fiddle than Toby's, and would play it
| louder.
| Fired with the new fervor, he marched
to the rectory and rang the bell without
| allowing time for cold thought. A gra-
cious smell of supper preceded the maid
who opened the oaken door, and Parson
Potts came out rubbing his hands
| Well my boy how are you, eh? Where
do you come from? Ross, Ross, son of
old David Ross of Mallup Mill. eh? Bless
my soul, how you boys do grow! And
how's your father and my very good
| friend, the vicar, Ell? And those Welsh
sheep of his? Ha! Ha! no keepin 'em
in, eh? Ah, said how it would be. And
what are you doing over here, eh?''
| Robert explained how that he had
| heard tell of a band and wanted to be
in it. He told the rector that he was
fond of music; he said he knew his notes
| and he otherwise lied unto the spiritual
| man.
| We'll, and what are you going to play,
eh?"
| Robert scratched his head. Have zee
got ee'r a big un," he inquired, "a rare
big un, one O. them there very big uns?"
| "A big one, eh?"
| "Ah; one o. them there grandfather
| fiddles, a real big un?"
HIN! Well, curiously enough, Ross.
that's just the thing we do require; and
| If you can get hold of one, and if you are
musician enough to teach yourself how
to play it, you might make yourself very
useful. Only, you must come regularly,
and eleven miles is a long way to bring
a big fiddle"
| "Oh, I can get here right enough, If
so be as l can get he here"
| We'll, 1 don't know where he's to
come FROM" said the rector, rubbing
his chin meditatively. Matt Slocombe
| the cobhler at Leverell, is the only
man 1 ever met about these parts who
played the bass
We'll, I'll get me over and see he
| Good might, parson."
| Come back a minute, Ross. Wouldn't
you like to stop and see the practice
| tonight? 1t begins ait 6:3O; but
suppose you have a long walk, eh?"
| Robert needed no second invitation;
so at $50, after supper in the tool
house (that being the social position
assigned to him by the rector's wife,
a childless and puncdHous person
whose stepfather had been married to
lady of title), at $50, we say, when
the supper tray had been removed, and
the shears, and the syringes, and the
netting, and the model reaping ma
chine and the cricket bags, and the
garden lights had been hustled away
and candles had been stuck all around
upon the sills, distant quacks and
bleats, as of a simple creature in agony
arose beyond the shrubbery, and anon
there was heavy knock at the door,
and heavy young man creaked ap-
prehensively into the candle light,
cleaning with soap and ajttired in the
raiment of the Sabbath
why, Ross, what be zee adding
here?" he inquired with no great cor
diality.
| Robert explained that he had received
A particular invitation from the rector
to attend ON purpose to give him any
hints as to the appearance or abilities
Of the band; and Noah eyed him sus-
picsously, sucking glumly at his clari-
net and occasionally gurgling into the
| instrument obscure reflections of his
| uneasiness.
| Then, from far away, sounds shrill
| and plaintive fioated ON the air, as of
sCme spirit of the wind bemoaning the
departure of the pleasant summer time.
AS these strains drifted down the hill
there was the sound of woman's
laugh, whereat Robert fidgeted in his
| corner and Noah shifted deliberately.
| But in came the rector, fiddle in hand,
and he turned 1t and skirled UP and
| down in an incidental and semi-con-
| scious manner which was very impress
sive. Then entered young Jakes the
| flutist, and man from Crow C1ump,
| five miles away, with a baSsoon. Still
| appeared no sequel to the laugh and
at last the rector saying, We'll, think,
friends We'll make a start doled out
to each his portion of the feast of sound
contained on slips of manuscript AS
| they unloosed the pent flood of musical
emotion, the door opened and revealed
Prissy Emlet in such a bonnet, with
pink ribbons in the latest London fash
| ion. Bewildering, bewitching but
| heavens and earth! enter young Toby,
with smile on his deitestable face,
a new red kerchief around his hateful
| neck, and Gould it beO a rose affixed
| to his abominable green coat Oh. thou
| little blind god how did thy tiny ar
rows rankle as Toby laid down the
new violin case, and with his great leg
of-mutton thumbs unfastened the
straps. while the rector smiled most
knowingly upon the two, for he loved
sweethearts and their ways, being still
young at heart. And then Toby's own
green bag-oh, Ananias, he said he
could not get the string undone! Look.
see, Miss Emlet, tbs this yere knot"
and then OF course, what could Prfssy
| do but unite 1T nimbly for Toby to
shake out the biggest fiddle of the
whole band? 'Tis no wonder that Rob
ert, blue and bubbling, darted glances
sparky as the fireworks which bows
make of ink and gunpowder.
The rector played upon Prissy's fid-
| die, just to try the tone. she sitting be-
side him and watching him gra tefully.
and everybody murmured ''Yurr, yurr."
and clapped when he concluded SAYING.
You've got good fiddle there, my dear:
| we'll soon make a good player of you"
Prissy flushed prettily. but Robert