Blind Ned

BY IRWIN BUSSELL. Who is dat 'ar a playin' ? Shucks ! I wish I wuzn't bliu'; Bnt when de Lord he tuk my eycs, he leí' niy yeahs beliin'. Is dat you, MaliB'r Bob ? I t'ought I reco'nised your bowiu ' ; I said I knowcd 'twas you, soon's I heerd the fiddle goin'. Sho! dat ain't right- Jes' le' me show you how to play dat tune - I feel like I could mako the fiddle talk dis afternoon. Now, don't you seo that counter's jos' a leetle bit too high? Wel', nebber min'- I gness you'll learn to time her by an' by. You's jes' like all musicianers dat learns to play by note ; You aint got inusic in you, so you has to Lave it Trote ; Now dat aint science- why the debbil don't you play by yeah ? For dat's de onlies' kin' ob inusic fittin' for to heah. Do you supposo, when David wuz a pickiu' on. de harp, He ebber knowed de difference atwixt a flat an' sharp ? But any time you cal'ed for, he could xlck it all de same, For David knowed de music, 'dough he didn't know de name. Now, what ahall I begin on? Somefln' lively, fas", an' quick? Well, sab, jes' pay attention, an' I'U gib you " Cap'n Dick." Yah! yah ! young roahs'r, don't you feel jes' lik o you want to pat ? You'll hab to practico awhile afore you ekals dat ! Dere ain't nobody 'round dié placo kin play wid Únele Ned ; Dey isn't got it in deir flngers, ne'der in deir head; Dat fiddler Bill dey talks about- I heered him play a piece, An'I declar'itsoundedlike afoxamong do geese. A. violeen is liko an 'ooman ; mighty hard to guide, An' mighty hard to keep in order after once íta buyed - Dere's alluz somefin 'bout it out ob kelter, more or less, An' 'taint de fancies' lookin' ones dat alluz does de beB'. Dis yer's a splendid inefument- I 'spec' it cost a heap; You ra'ly ought to let me hab dis fiddle forto keep - It ain't no use to you, Bah; for, widout it's in de man, He kain't get music out de fines' flddle in the lan'. It 'quires a power ob science for to fiddle, sah, you see, in' Science comes by natur' ; dat's de way it is wid me - But Lord! dat Bill! It 'muses me to heah him talkin' big ; You never heerd a bragging' flddler play a jig ! But Bill, he is a caution, fsah ! I wonder ñow ■whar he An' oder folks I knows of- yes, I wonder whar'll dey be In hebben, when de musio's playin', an' de angels shout - If Bill should jine the chorus, dey would hab to put him out. Well, good-by, Mahs'r Bob, snh ; when you's miffin else to do Jes' seV for dis ol' darkey, an' he'll come an' play for you : An' dou't gib up your practieln'- you's only sebenteen, An' maybe when you's ol' aa me you'll play de violeen.