STORY OF "A GENUINE STRADIVARIUS."
The London correspondent of the Toronto " Week " tells the following story which be recently heard : — A little street boy, with* fiddle under bis arm, crept into a city cook shop not long ago, and begged j that the owner of the place would give him a " bit o' meat or a bit'o' puddln', be was so 'nogry." " I can't afford to feed paupers," he was told; "you yet out." However, he was so persistent and begged ■o hard for " sum'at," and onered his ! violin as a pledge that he would return next day and pay for anything he might be given, that the . man's heart was softened. " Hand me the fiddle," said ! he, /' and here's threep'n'orth of grub. Now, when you ootne and pay threepence | you shall have your property not before." Well, the food was gratefnlly despatched, and the lad departed, promising that the first pence made by begging should be used to redeem his instrument Bat days went on, and still the small battered violin remained on the counter waiting for its owner. One afternoon a gentleman came Into the shop In a great harry to ask for ohange for a sovereign, as his hansom-cab driver hadn't U. " While the money was being counted out |he took up the fiddle and examined it. " Where did you get this from ? ' he asked taking it to the light m order to examine it closely- "Is it yours}" " No," answered the man, telling the story. "But do you know, my good fellow," said the gentleman, "I em a jadge of these things, and thia is most valuable. Where does the boy live ? You dont know? Hare's my card (you may have heard my name), and directly he turns up send him to me, pleaae. This is a genuine- Stradlvarlue, and a beautiful one, too. I'd give a hundred guineas for It mysblf, and it rafcy be worth more." Thinking tbe matter over that evening, the shopman made up his mind to get something oat of the transaction ; so whan the lad oime a few days afterwards with threepence and a long story how father and be had htd a fall out with the "bobbles" and had been (n "quod," the m*n asked him point blank If he would like to sell hU fiddle, " No," he was answered ; he bad bean given it by an old chap when tramping through Italy, who had told him it was very valuable. It took half an hour at least for the shopmen to persuade the lad to part with bis Instrument for £40, and half an hour longer to arrange that the payment should be made at once m gold over the counter, no cheque taken, aa paper money was not understood j and then, with a remark that he was sure father would whack him, the lad went slowly off. The shopman ohuokled. "I've made £60 by that," he arid, and then putting the gentleman's oard into his pocket, he prepared to resell at something like a profit. On the way he pasßod a music shop, and, determlng to nod out the real value of the article —for it might be worth £200 instead of £100, —he went In, aßked the man to look at it carefully and tell htm what it was worth. '* Seven and sixpence j German make. We get 'em over by dedans every j spring," said the muslo-aeller, promptly, f it is needelss to say the gentleman did not live at tho address given, and it is rumored that he w|i pearly related to
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1772, 21 February 1888, Page 2
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599STORY OF "A GENUINE STRADIVARIUS." Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1772, 21 February 1888, Page 2
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