A Village Stradivarius.docx

A Village Stradivarius.docx

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AVillageStradivarius

AVillageStradivariusbyKateDouglasWigginCHAPTERI

"Goodfellow,Puckandgoblins,Knowmorethananybook.

Downwithyourdolefulproblems,Andcourtthesunnybrook.

Thesouth-windsarequick-witted,Theschoolsaresadandslow,ThemastersquiteomittedThelorewecaretoknow."

EMERSON'SApril.

"Findthethreehundredandseventeenthpage,Davy,andbeginatthetopoftheright-handcolumn."

Theboyturnedtheleavesoftheoldinstructionbookobediently,andthenbegantoreadinasing-song,monotonoustone:

"'OneofPag-pag'"-

"Pag-a-ni-ni's"

"'OneofPaggernyner's'（Iwishallthefellersinyourstoriesdidn'thavesuchtougholdnames!

）'mostdis-as-ter-oustriumphshehadwhenplayingatLordHolland's.'（WhowasLordHolland,uncleTony?

）'Someoneaskedhimtoim-proviseontheviolinthestoryofasonwhokillshisfather,runsa-way,becomesahigh-way-man,fallsinlovewithagirlwhowillnotlistentohim;soheleadshertoawildcountrysite,suddenlyjumpingwithherfromarockintoana-b-

y-s-s'"

"Abyss."

"'--a--rock--into--an--abyss,wheretheydisappearforever.

Paggernynerlistenedquietly,andwhenthestorywasatanendheaskedthatallthelightsshouldbedistinguished.'"

"Lookcloser,Davy."

"'ShouldbeEXtinguished.Hethenbeganplaying,andsoterriblewasthemusicalin-ter-pre-ta-tionoftheideawhichhadbeengivenhimthatseveraloftheladiesfainted,andthesal-salon-sAlon,whenrelighted,lookedlikeabattle-field.'Cracky!

Wouldn'tyouliketohavebeenthere,uncleTony?

ButIdon'tbelieveanybodyeverplayedthatway,doyou?

"

"Yes,"saidthelistener,dreamilyraisinghissightlesseyestotheelm-treethatgrewbythekitchendoor."Ibelieveit,andIcanhearitmyselfwhenyoureadthestorytome.Ifeelthatthesecretofeverythingintheworldthatisbeautiful,ortrue,orterrible,ishiddeninthestringsofmyviolin,Davy,butonlyamastercandrawitfromcaptivity."

"Youmakestoriesonyourviolin,too,uncleTony,eveniftheladiesdon'tfaintawayinheaps,andifthekitchendoesn'tlooklikeabattle-fieldwhenyou'vefinished.I'mgladitdoesn't,formypart,forIshouldhavemorehouseworktodothanever."

"PoorDavy!

youcouldn'thatehouseworkanyworseifyouwereawoman;butitisalldoneforto-day.Nowpaintmeoneofyourpictures,laddie;makemeseewithyoureyes."

Theboyputdownthebookandleapedoutoftheopendoor,barelytouchingtheoldmillstonethatservedforastep.Takingastandinthewell-wornpath,herestedhishandsonhiships,sweptthelandscapewiththeglanceofaneagle,andbeganlikeayoungimprovisator:

"ThesunisjustdroppingbehindBrigadierHill."

"Whatcolourisit?

"

"Redasfire,andthereisn'tanythingnearit--it'salmostaloneinthesky;there'sonlyteenylittlewhitefeathercloudshereandthere.Thebridgelooksasifitwasasilverstringtyingthetwosidesoftherivertogether.Thewaterispinkwherethesunshinesintoit.Alltheleavesofthetreesarekindofswimmingintheredlight--Itellyou,nunky,justasifIwaslookingthroughredglass.

TheweathervaneonSquireBean'sbarndazzlessotheroosterseemstobeshootinggoldarrowsintotheriver.IcanseethetiptopofMountWashingtonwherethepeakofitssnow-captouchesthepinksky.

Thehen-housedoorisopen.Thechickensareallontheirroost,withtheirheadscuddledundertheirwings."

"Didyoufeedthem?

"

Theboyclappedhishandoverhismouthwithacomicalgestureofpenitence,anddashedintotheshedforapanfulofcorn,whichhescatteredovertheground,enticingthesleepyfowlsbyinsinuatingcallsof"Chick,chick,chick,chick!

COME,biddy,biddy,biddy,biddy!

COME,chick,chick,chick,chick,chick!

"

Themaninthedoorwaysmiledasoverthemisdemeanourofsomebodyverydearandlovable,andrisingfromhischairfelthiswaytoacornershelf,tookdownabox,anddrewfromitaviolinswathedinasilkbag.Heremovedthecoveringwithreverentialhands.Thetendernessofhisfacewaslikethatofayoungmotherdressingorundressingherchild.Ashefingeredtheinstrumenthishandsseemedtohavebecomealleyes.Theywanderedcaressinglyoverthepolishedsurfaceasifenamouredoftheperfectthingthattheyhadcreated,lingeringhereandtherewithrapturoustendernessonsomespecialbeauty--thegracefularchoftheneck,themeltingcurvesofthecheeks,thedeliciousswellofthebreasts.

Whenhehadsatisfiedhimselfforthemoment,hetookthebow,andliftingtheviolinunderhischin,inclinedhisheadfondlytowarditandbegantoplay.

Thetoneatfirstseemedmuffled,buthadacuriousbite,thatbeganindistantechoes,butafterafewminutes'playinggrewfirmerandclearer,ringingoutatlastwithvelvetyrichnessandstrengthuntiltheatmospherewassatiatedwithharmony.Nomoreetherealnoteeverflewoutofabird'sthroatthanAnthonyCroftsetfreefromthisviolin,hisliebling,his"swansong,"madeintheyearhehadlosthiseyesight.

AnthonyCrofthadbeentheonlysonofhismother,andsheawidow.

HisboyhoodhadbeenexactlylikethatofalltheotherboysinEdgewood,savethathehatedschoolatriflemore,ifpossible,thananyoftheothers;thoughtherewasaunanimityofaversioninthismatterthatsurprisedandwoundedteachersandparents.

Theschoolwastheordinarydistrictschoolofthattime;therewerenotenoughscholarsforwhatCyseHigginscalleda"degraded"school.

ThedifferencebetweenAnthonyandtheotherboyslayinthereasonforaswellasthedegreeofhisabhorrence.

Hehadcomeintotheworldanaked,starvinghumansoul;helongedtoclothehimself,andhewashungryandeverhungrierforknowledge;

butneverwithinthefourwallsofthevillageschoolhousecouldheseizeholdofonefactthatwouldyieldhimitssecretsense,oneglimpseofclearlightthatwouldshineinuponthedarknessofhismind,onethoughtorwordthatwouldfeedhissoul.

Theonlyplacewherehislongingswereeverstilled,whereheseemedatpeacewithhimself,whereheunderstoodwhathewasmadefor,wasoutofdoorsinthewoods.Whenheshouldhavebeenporingoverthesweet,palpitatingmysteriesofthemultiplicationtable,hisvagrantgazewasalwaysontheopenwindownearwhichhesat.Hecouldneverstudywhenaflybuzzedonthewindow-pane;hewasalwaysstandingonthetoesofhisbarefeet,tryingtolocateandunderstandthebuzzthatpuzzledhim.Thebookwasamute,soullessthingthathadnorelationtohisinnerworldofthoughtandfeeling.Heturnedeverfromthedeadseven-times-sixtothemysteryoflifeabouthim.

Hewasneveraspecialfavouritewithhisteachers;thatwasscarcelytobeexpected.Inhisveryearlyyears,hispocketsweregonethroughwitheverymorningwhenheenteredtheschooldoor,andthecontents,whenconfiscated,wouldcompriseajew's-harp,abitofcatgut,screwswhittledoutofwood,tacks,spools,pins,andthelike.Butwhenrobbedofallthesehecouldgenerallysecreteafragmentofindia-rubberdrawnfromanoldpairofsuspenders,andthis,whenputbetweenhisteethandstretchedtoitsutmostcapacity,wouldyieldadelightfultwangwhenplayeduponwiththeforefinger.Hecouldalsofashionaninterestingmusicalinstrumentinhisdeskbymeansofspoolsandcatgutandbitsofbrokenglass.

Thechiefjoyofhislifewasanoldtuning-forkthattheteacherofthesinging-schoolhadgivenhim,but,owingtothedegradingandarbitrarycensorshipofpocketsthatprevailed,heneverdaredbringitintotheschoolroom.Therewereways,however,ofevadinginexorablelawandcircumventingbaseinjustice.Hehidthepreciousthingunderathistlejustoutsidethewindow.Theteacherhadsometimesabriefseasonofapathyonhotafternoons,whenshewashearingtheprimerclassread,"ISEEAPIG.THEPIGISBIG.THE

BIGPIGCANDIG";whichstirringphraseswerealwayspunctuatedbythesnoresoftheHanksbaby,whokeptsinkingdownonhisfatlittlelegsinthelineandgivingwaytoslumberduringthelesson.AtsuchamomentAnthonyslippedoutofthewindowandsnappedthetuning-forkseveraltimes--justenoughtosavehissoulfromdeath--

andthenslippedinagain.Hewascaughtoccasionally,butnotoften;andevenwhenhewas,thereweremitigatingcircumstances,forhewasgenerallyputundertheteacher'sdeskforpunishment.Itwasadarkclose,sultryspot,butwhenhewaswellseated,andhadgrowntiredoflookingatthetriangleofblackelasticintheteacher's"congress"shoe,andtiredofwishingitwashisinsteadofhers,hewouldtieoneendofabitofthreadtothebuttonofhisginghamshirt,and,carryingitroundhisleftearseveraltimes,makebelievehewasPaganinilanguishinginprisonandplayingonaviolinwithasinglestring.

Ashegrewoldertherewasnomarkedimprovement,andTonyCroftwasbygeneralassentcountedthelaziestboyinthevillage.Thathewaslazyincertainmattersmerelybecausehewasinafrenzyofindustrytopursuecertainothershadnothingtodowiththecase,ofcourse.

Ifanyonehadevergivenhimataskinwhichhecouldhaveseencauseworkingtoeffect,inwhichhecouldhavefoundbypersonalexperimentasinglefactthatbelongedtohim,hisownbydivinerightofdiscovery,hewouldhavecountedlabourorstudyalljoy.

HewasoneincarnateWhyandHow;onebroodingwonderandinterrogationpoint."Whydoesthesundriveawaythestars?

Whydotheleavesturnredandgold?

Whatmakestheseedswellintheearth?

Fromwhencecomesthelifehiddenintheeggunderthebird'sbreast?

Whatholdsthemooninthesky?

Whoregulateshershining?

Whomovesthewind?

Whomademe,andwhatamI?

Who,why,how,whither?

IfIcamefrom