the village watch-tower- 第15部分

What　holds　the　moon　in　the　sky？　　Who　regulates　her　shining？

Who　moves　the　wind？　　Who　made　me；　and　what　am　I？　　Who；　why；　how　whither？

If　I　came　from　God　but　only　lately；　teach　me　his　lessons　first；

put　me　into　vital　relation　with　life　and　law；　and　then　give　me　your　dead

signs　and　equivalents　for　real　things；　that　I　may　learn　more　and　more；

and　ever　more　and　ever　more。〃



There　was　no　spirit　in　Edgewood　bold　enough　to　conceive

that　Tony　learned　anything　in　the　woods；　but　as　there　was　never

sufficient　school　money　to　keep　the　village　seat　of　learning

open　more　than　half　the　year　the　boy　educated　himself　at

the　fountain　head　of　wisdom；　and　knowledge　of　the　other　half。

His　mother；　who　owned　him　for　a　duckling　hatched　from　a　hen's　egg；

and　was　never　quite　sure　he　would　not　turn　out　a　black　sheep

and　a　crooked　stick　to　boot；　was　obliged　to　confess　that　Tony

had　more　useless　information　than　any　boy　in　the　village。

He　knew　just　where　to　find　the　first　Mayflowers；　and　would　bring

home　the　waxen　beauties　when　other　people　had　scarcely　begun　to

think　about　the　spring。　　He　could　tell　where　to　look　for　the　rare

fringed　gentian；　the　yellow　violet；　the　Indian　pipe。

There　were　clefts　in　the　rocks　of　the　Indian　Cellar　where；

when　every　one　else　failed；　he　could　find　harebells　and　columbines。



When　his　tasks　were　done；　and　the　other　boys　were　amusing

themselves　each　in　his　own　way；　you　would　find　Tony　lying

flat　on　the　pine　needles　in　the　woods；　listening　to　the　notes

of　the　wild　birds；　and　imitating　them　patiently；　til　you　could

scarcely　tell　which　was　boy　and　which　was　bird；　and　if　you　could；

the　birds　couldn't；　for　many　a　time　he　coaxed　the　bobolinks

and　thrushes　to　perch　on　the　low　boughs　above　his　head　and　chirp

to　him　as　if　he　were　a　feathered　brother。　　There　was　nothing

about　the　building　of　nests　with　which　he　was　not　familiar。

He　could　have　taken　hold　and　helped　if　the　birds　had　not　been　so　shy；

and　if　he　had　had　beak　and　claw　instead　of　clumsy　fingers。

He　would　sit　near　a　beehive　for　hours　without　moving；

or　lie　prone　in　the　sandy　road；　under　the　full　glare　of

the　sun；　watching　the　ants　acting　out　their　human　comedy；

sometimes　surrounding　a　favorite　hill　with　stones；　that　the　comedy

might　not　be　turned　into　a　tragedy　by　a　careless　footfall。

The　cottage　on　the　river　road　grew　more　and　more

to　resemble　a　museum　and　herbarium　as　the　years　went　by；

and　the　Widow　Croft's　weekly　house…cleaning　was　a　matter

that　called　for　the　exercise　of　Christian　grace。



Still；　Tony　was　a　good　son；　affectionate；　considerate；　and　obedient。

His　mother　had　no　idea　that　he　would　ever　be　able；　or　indeed　willing；

to　make　a　living；　but　there　was　a　forest　of　young　timber　growing　up；

a　small　hay　farm　to　depend　upon；　and　a　little　hoard　that　would　keep　him

out　of　the　poorhouse　when　she　died　and　left　him　to　his　own　devices。

It　never　occurred　to　her　that　he　was　in　any　way　remarkable。

If　he　were　difficult　to　understand；　it　reflected　more　upon　his　eccentricity

than　upon　her　density。　　What　was　a　woman　to　do　with　a　boy　of　twelve　who；

when　she　urged　him　to　drop　the　old　guitar　he　was　taking　apart　and　hurry　off

to　school；　cried；　〃Oh；　mother！　when　there　is　so　much　to　learn　in　this　world；

it　is　wicked；　wicked　to　waste　time　in　school。〃



About　this　period　Tony　spent　hours　in　the　attic

arranging　bottles　and　tumblers　into　a　musical　scale。

He　also　invented　an　instrument　made　of　small　and　great；

long　and　short　pins；　driven　into　soft　board　to　different　depths；

and　when　the　widow　passed　his　door　on　the　way　to　bed　she

invariable　saw　this　barbaric　thing　locked　up　to　the　boy's　breast；

for　he　often　played　himself　to　sleep　with　it。



At　fifteen　he　had　taken　to　pieces　and　put　together　again；

strengthened；　soldered；　tinkered；　mended；　and　braced

every　accordion；　guitar；　melodeon；　dulcimer；　and　fiddle

in　Edgewood；　Pleasant　River；　and　the　neighboring　villages。

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