Money talks just as loudly in the realm of music as anywhere
else. The despised violin, which merely is an incumbrance when
it is thought to be worth not more than $10, becomes the chief
ornament of the household when an expert says it is worth not
less than $1,000. In Chicago there is a business man who owns
a violin. He inherited it from his father, who was a musician.
The business man does not play. One of his friends is a lover
of violin music. That friend often had told the business man
the violin was a good one, and that he ought to treasure it.
The business man regarded the advice as that of an enthusiast.
One day the argument became so warm the friend insisted that
the question be settled at once by carrying the instrument to a
professor of music, who is admittedly an authority on violins.
“Why, I wouldn’t carry that violin through the street for
anything,” the business man said. “My friends would think I had
gone music mad in my old age.”
“I’ll carry it,” his friend said quickly. “I’m not ashamed to
carry a violin anywhere. Come along.”
They went. The professor was at home. The back and the belly,
the neck and the bridge, the tail-piece and the sounding-post,
all passed beneath his critical eye. “It looks all right,” the
professor said. From the case he drew the bow and ran the hair
several times across the cake of rosin. Then, striking A on a
near-by piano, he proceeded to tune the instrument which for so
many years had been held in so light esteem by its owner. After
the violin was in tune he tested it, string by string, chord by
chord, and harmonic by harmonic, in all positions. Then he began
to play. The fulness, the richness and sweetness of the tone
appealed even to the matter-of-fact business man.
“It is a genuine old Italian instrument, and I’ll give you
$1,000 for it,” the professor said. The business man gasped.
“I’ll tell you frankly, it is worth more than that, but that is
all I can afford to pay,” the professor continued.
“I can’t think of selling it,” the business man replied, with a
halt in his speech. “You see, it came to me from my father. It
is an heirloom. I thank you, however, for the test you have made
and the good opinion you have exprest.”
The two men started away from the home of the professor, the
business man carrying the violin.
“Let me take it,” his musical friend said. “You might meet some
one you know.”
“I’ll carry it,” the business man retorted. “I don’t care how
many friends I meet. And, besides, you might drop it.”--Chicago
_Inter-Ocean_.
(3377)
=Values Rated=--See DISCRIMINATION, UNFAIR.
=Values, Spiritual=--See SPIRITUAL VALUES.