THE SOUL OF THE VIOLIN
Part II
The story thus far:
Bruce, a humble farm boy, met a roadside bum and is entranced by the way
he plays the violin.
The man smilingly shook his head. “I am sure I do not know.”
There was note of disappointment in the boy’s voice. Nothin’ but
some old clothes and an old fiddle. It didn’t look shiny like yours,
but kinda brown and dull like. Dad was so mad he wanted to bust it up but
Ma wouldn’t let him. I promised to be awfully careful with it, an’
I got the fiddle. There wasn’t anyone to teach me how to play, but I
kept trying, an’ now it talks to me about the stars, an’ birds,
the winds an’ brook, an’ a lot more things.”
The knight of the road handed the boy his fiddle and said, Here play this.”
The boy shrank back, “I couldn’t play your fiddle, Sir. It is
too nice fer a farm boy. Besides I don’t know anything to play.”
Oh, that all right,” smiled the man, “play the tones that you
play when you are in the woods alone.”
The lad took the cherished instrument, oh so carefully, and drew the bow softly
across the strings. His face lighted up with joy as his fingers found their
places.
A cardinal trilled a few notes from a nearby bush, and catching up the song, he sent it back an exact imitation of the redbird’s melody. His was song of birds and tinkling waterfalls, the music of the woods and the dell. The stranger listened entranced with the woodland voices. He drew a deep breath of satisfaction as the boy finished, and handing him back the violin said, “Thanks, Mister, that’s the best fiddle I ever touched, but if I don’t get those cows in, dad will fiddle me to another tune.” He was away down the road and soon lost sight off. “A genius and unaware of the fact murmured the man as he watched the lad disappear, I’ll be here when the cows come lowing home tomorrow evening.”
To be continued