the village watch-tower-第19章

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There　was　a　little　money　to　be　earned　in　this　way；　but　very　little；

as　people　in　general　regarded　this　〃tinkering〃　as　a　pleasing　diversion

in　which　they　could　indulge　him　without　danger。　　As　an　example

of　this　attitude；　Dr。　Berry's　wife's　melodeon　had　lost　two　stops；

the　pedals　had　severed　connection　with　the　rest　of　the　works；

it　wheezed　like　an　asthmatic；　and　two　black　keys　were　missing。

Anthony　worked　more　than　a　week　on　its　rehabilitation；

and　received　in　return　Mrs。　Berry's　promise　that　the　doctor

would　pull　a　tooth　for　him　some　time！　　This；　of　course；

was　a　guerdon　for　the　future；　but　it　seemed　pathetically　distant

to　the　lad　who　had　never　had　a　toothache　in　his　life。

He　had　to　plead　with　Cyse　Higgins　for　a　week　before　that　prudent

young　farmer　would　allow　him　to　touch　his　five…dollar　fiddle。

He　obtained　permission　at　last　only　because　by　offering　to　give

Cyse　his　calf　in　case　he　spoiled　the　violin。　　〃That　seems　square；〃

said　Cyse　doubtfully；　〃but　after　all；　you　can't　play　on　a　calf！〃

〃Neither　will　your　fiddle　give　milk；　if　you　keep　it　long　enough；〃

retorted　Tony；　and　this　argument　was　convincing。



So　great　was　his　confidence　in　Tony's　skill

that　Squire　Bean　trusted　his　father's　violin　to　him；

one　that　had　been　bought　in　Berlin　seventy　years　before。

It　had　been　hanging　on　the　attic　wall　for　a　half　century；

so　that　the　back　was　split　in　twain；　the　sound…post　lost；

the　neck　and　the　tailpiece　cracked。　　The　lad　took　it　home；

and　studied　it　for　two　whole　evenings　before　the　open　fire。

The　problem　of　restoring　it　was　quite　beyond　his　abilities。

He　finally　took　the　savings　of　two　summers'　〃blueberry　money〃

and　walked　sixteen　miles　to　Portland；　where　he　bought　a　book

called　The　Practical　Violinist。　　The　Supplement　proved

to　be　a　mine　of　wealth。　　Even　the　headings　appealed　to　his

imagination　and　intoxicated　him　with　their　suggestions；

On　Scraping；　Splitting；　and　Repairing　Violins；　Violin　Players；

Great　Violinists；　Solo　Playing；　etc。；　and　at　the　very　end

a　Treatise　on　the　Construction；　Preservation；　Repair；

and　Improvement　of　the　Violin；　by　Jacob　Augustus　Friedheim；

Instrument　Maker　to　the　Court　of　the　Archduke　of　Weimar。



There　was　a　good　deal　of　moral　advice　in　the　preface　that

sadly　puzzled　the　boy；　who　was　always　in　a　condition　of　chronic

amazement　at　the　village　disapprobation　of　his　favorite　fiddle。

That　the　violin　did　not　in　some　way　receive　the　confidence

enjoyed　by　other　musical　instruments；　he　perceived　from　various

paragraphs　written　by　the　worthy　author　of　The　Practical　Violinist；

as　for　example：



〃Some　very　excellent　Christian　people　hold　a　strong

prejudice　against　the　violin　because　they　have　always

known　it　associated　with　dancing　and　dissipation。

Let　it　be　understood　that　your　violin　is　'converted；'

and　such　an　obligation　will　no　longer　lie　against　it。

。　。　。　Many　delightful　hours　may　be　enjoyed　by　a　young　man；

if　he　has　obtained　a　respectable　knowledge　of　his　instrument；

who　otherwise　would　find　the　time　hang　heavy　on　his　hands；

or；　for　want　of　some　better　amusement；　would　frequent　the

dangerous　and　destructive　paths　of　vice　and　be　ruined　forever。

。　。　。　I　am　in　hopes；　therefore；　my　dear　young　pupil；

that　your　violin　will　occupy　your　attention　at　just　those

very　times　when；　if　you　were　immoral　or　dissipated；　you　would

be　at　the　grogshop；　gaming…table；　or　among　vicious　females。

Such　a　use　of　the　violin；　notwithstanding　the　prejudices

many　hold　against　it；　must　contribute　to　virtue；　and　furnish

abundance　of　innocent　and　entirely　unobjectionable　amusement。

These　are　the　views　with　which　I　hope　you　have　adopted　it；

and　will　continue　to　cherish　and　cultivate　it。〃



II。





〃There　is　no　bard　in　all　the　choir；

。　。　。　。　。　。　。

Not　one　of　all　can　put　in　verse；

Or　to　this　presence　could　rehearse

The　sights　and　voices　ravishing

The　boy　knew　on　the　hills　in　spring；

When　pacing　through　the　oaks　he　heard

Sharp　queries　of　the　sentry…bird；

The　heavy　grouse's　sudden　whir；

The　rattle　of　the　kingfisher。〃



Emerson's　_Harp。_





Now　began　an　era　of　infinite　happiness；　of　days　that　were　never

long　enough；　of　evenings　when　bedtime　came　all　too　soon。

Oh　that　there　had　been　some　good　angel　who　would　have　taken　in　hand

Anthony　Croft　the　boy；　and；　training　the　powers　that　pointed　so

unmistakably　in　certain　directions；　given　to　the　world　the　genius　of

Anthony　Croft；　potential　instrument　maker　to　the　court　of　St。　Cecilia；

for　it　was　not　only　that　he　had　the　fingers　of　a　wizard；　his　ear

caught　the　faintest　breath　of　harmony　or　hint　of　discord；　as





〃Fairy　folk　a…listening

Hear　the　seed　sprout　in　the　spring；

And　for　music　to　their　dance

Hear　the　hedge…rows　wake　from　trance；

Sap　that　trembles　into　buds

Sending　little　rhythmic　floods

Of　fairy　sound　in　fairy　ears。

Thus　all　beauty　that　appears

Has　birth　as　sound　to　finer　sense

And　lighter…clad　intelligence。〃





As　the　universe　is　all　mechanism　to　one　man；　all　form　and

color　to　another；　so　to　Anthony　Croft　the　world　was　all　melody。

Notwithstanding　all　these　gifts　and　possibilities；

the　doctor's　wife　advised　the　Widow　Croft　to　make　a　plumber

of　him；　intimating　delicately　that　these　freaks　of　nature；

while　playing　no　apparent　part　in　the　divine　economy；

could　sometimes　be　made　self…supporting。



The　seventeenth　year　of　his　life　marked　a　definite　epoch

in　his　development。　　He　studied　Jacob　Friedheim's　treatise　until

he　knew　the　characteristics　of　all　the　great　violin　models；

from　the　Amatis；　Hieronymus；　Antonius；　and　Nicolas；　to　those

of　Stradivarius；　Guarnerius；　and　Steiner。



It　was　in　this　year；　also；　that　he　made　a　very　precious　discovery。

While　browsing　in　the　rubbish　in　Squire　Bean's　garret　to　see

if　he　could　find　the　missing　sound…post　of　the　old　violin；

he　came　upon　a　billet　of　wood　wrapped　in　cloth　and　paper。

When　unwrapped；　it　was　plainly　labeled　〃Wood　from　the　Bean

Maple　at　Pleasant　Point；　the　biggest　maple　in　York　County；

and　believed　to　be　one　of　the　biggest　in　the　State　of　Maine。〃

Anthony　found　that　the　oldest　inhabitant　of　Pleasant　River　remembered

the　stump　of　the　tree；　and　that　the　boys　used　to　jump　over　it

and　admire　its　proportions　whenever　they　went　fishing　at　the　Point。

The　wood；　therefore；　was　perhaps　eighty　or　ninety　years　old。

The　squire　agreed　willingly　that　it　should　be　used　to　mend　the　old　violin；

and　told　Tony　he　should　have　what　was　left　for　himself。

When；　by　careful　calculation；　he　found　that　the　remainder　would　make

a　whole　violin；　he　laid　it　reverently　away　for　another　twenty　years；

so　that　he　should　be　sure　it　had　completed　its　century　of　patient

waiting　for　service；　and　falling　on　his　knees　by　his　bedside　said；

〃I　thank　Thee；　Heavenly　Father；　for　this　precious　gift；　and　I　promise

from　this　moment　to　gather　the　most　beautiful　wood　I　can　find；

and　lay　it　by　where　it　can　be　used　some　time　to　make　perfect　violins；

so　that　if　any　creature　as　poor　and　helpless　as　I　am　needs　the　wherewithal

to　do　good　work；　I　shall　have　helped　him　as　Thou　hast　helped　me。〃

And　according　to　his　promise　so　he　did；　and　the　pieces　of　richly

curled　maple；　of　sycamore；　and　of　spruce　began　to　accumulate。

They　were　cut　from　the　sunny　side　of　the　trees；　in　just　the　right

season　of　the　year；　split　so　as　to　have　a　full　inch　thickness

towards　the　bark；　and　a　quarter　inch　towards　the　heart。

They　were　then　laid　for　weeks　under　one　of　the　falls　in　Wine　Brook；

where　the　musical　tinkle；　tinkle　of　the　stream　fell　on　the　wood　already

wrought　upon　by　years　of　sunshine　and　choruses　of　singing　birds。





This　boy；　toiling　not　alone　for　himself；　but　with　full

and　conscious　purpose　for　posterity　also；　was　he　not　worthy

to　wear　the　mantle　of　Antonius　Stradivarius？





〃That　plain　white…aproned　man　who　stood　at　work

Patient　and　accurate　full　fourscore　years；

Cherished　his　sight　and　touch　by　temperance；

And　since　keen　sense　is　love　of　perfectness；

Made　perfect　violins；　t