The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-02-23

When talking about the ~eccentrlcl-
ties of genius and the cranky notions
OF people, YOU should become better
acquainted With the crank OF all
cranks, a fiddle. Like a human pelnS,
it gets cross and out Of sorts. On
DAVIS when one is sure his fiddle will
sound fine, it positively refuses to
emit a pleasant tone, then on the 9TH
er hand. when everything seems 10
go wrong. and you say, We'll, know
there is no use playing today, the
weather is damp and very bad on
fiddles," this inanimate cousin Of the
human anatomy Will be at its best,
the immediate result being that you
are put into the finest of spirits.
Fiddle Versus Woman.
(Andante con Affezione.)
The resemblance q fiddle bears TO
the fair sex is strikingly in a great
many ways. First, | might say IN
sweetness; second, like a woman
hough she has many beauX to WOO
her, still she loves only one. There
is on1y one h can Waken the
tender emotions of heart strings. The
same is true of the fiddle, or violin,
as it is endearingly called by its wOr-s
shippers; though to call q Vlohnlst a
fiddler, or to tell him he possesses a
fiddle, is as bad as Haunting q red
flag at a bull fight. The bow is the
yiolin's sweetheart, and it is only to
SIle ultSltI > DoN lhot IN 4oAiA 80
surrender the perfect melody of love.
Third, in matter Of dress, varnish n
good strings, are to the flddle what
silk dresses and pretty ruching are
to a young lady, With this ~xceptlo
a violin Will not get sulky II you
scratch its varnish or break its strings.
like the young lady who should you
tear her dress, Immediately becomes
ruffied and declares you are the rudest
person imaginable. / do not wish to
be placed on record as having this
opinion Of all womankind, for how
embarrassing this dull world would
be without their society. Nor do [
mean to say a fiddle is as good With
a broken string. No. a thousand
times no. But this is most certainly
true, that the violin only gives he
softest no matter how rough
be the blows. or careless the careSS.
It lives for the beautiful in life and
bears the h~ardships without a muir
mur, only trying to give the world
it's sunshine. There dWells in chat
body Of wood a soul filled With divine
love, and standing ever ready to pour
out upon some sOrrOWlnS hearts the
balm of everlasting peace.
The Riddles Relations
econ Morbidezze.')
All fiddles are related, whether it is
the virtues "Strad,' on which only
the most classical works are perform
ed and who's existence is guarded as
though it We're some living, breathing
thing, or the Take-me-home-for-
$3.50" variety which we poor mis-
guided mortals think is genuine just
because once upon a time some lucky
wretch found a prize in a store garn-
ished by the w~ell-known three balls.
Kings orapauperS' ViOlinS both have
souls, and he shop violin should not
be handled roughly because it was
not fortunate enough to have been
,n1a I- Av,ooti or tra II ,ar i.1C TJnYG
again may my remarks be miscon-
strued. I do not say for one instant
that the shop fiddle of today is as
sood as the ."Strad.' Never. That
would be absurd. Still treat the cheap
fiddle kindly, first, for the above
stated reason, and, second, because it's
a cousin, q very distant cousin, Of the
''Strad." Be considerate; it's a sick
fiddle, and has never from birth had a
very strong constitution. The advice
I have attempted to give was prompt
ed by the school of experience. Pos
sessing some Christmas money upon
one OCCASION, and having determined
to study the violin, i procured one
from a paWn shop for the price OF
$3.50. I started to study, and every
thing went on smoothly until some
kin friends loaned me a better and
older instrument. This same kind
friend, leaving town, took the fiddle
with him, and ] was obliged to return
to my first love. 1t must have beer
puppy love" | had for this fiddle
for it didn't sound decently even
Vainly l struggled on until the climax
was reached. This came one evening
when in the midst Of the intri-
catetechnical difficulties of a Kaysel
Etude Cntricate, / mean for a begin.
ner), my budding artistic tempera-
ment got the best Of me, and I smash
ed the fiddle into pieces. All! Their
came remOrSe. / sought my teacher
and very shamefully related the result
OF my temper This is the rebuke
received: You ought<to be ashamed
OF yourself. You are no better thai
a murderer" l meekly ventured the
remark: 1t was only a cheap OLE