Show A QUEER VIOLIN V biow ho a lir a girl in the autumn of itil wai residing at a villa near paris ho was an invalid and took vw little notice ol 01 any of the villa alie only oilier occupant foe whom ho ap pearce to care much teas a young and pretty waitress who f tended him oco morning was sad and dejected and her bin howrd aigle aigne of weeping nini who had taken an honest liking for the poor girl was not long in ie cause of her grief tho coned eption had fisl been drawn a bad n uin had fallen to the lot of her lovar nd said shot poor for ft soldier but why dont you find him a substitute sti tute asked Pi ganini monsieur is joking was tho sobbing reply they there is to bo a war and fifteen hundred franco is tho lowest price for a A few weeks piard and christina was at hand in france it is tho custom to place a wooden shoo on tho hearth just ns we hang up a stocking latu in alic afternoon of alio day before christmus entered tho salon where tho musician was seated tho center of a largo group alio mid that a huge parcel hid just arrived for sig lie said ho could not imagine what it was but ordered it up wrapper wrapper opened before alio llio curious and finally there appeared a huge wooden shoe almost largo enough for an infants cradle alic bystanders eliat it was sent one who meant to insinuate eliat the great violinist was indorf fond of receiving presents thin of making them suspected ns much and a sudden idea seemed to strike liim well well my friends we shall sec if aliis shoe floca not prove of value to somebody for three days little was of ami and it was reported eliat lio was busy in liis little workshop work shop into none were permitted to enter then it was announced that on new years cac alio llio great maestro would giau an concert in tho course of which ho would execute five pieces on a violin and ano on u wooden shoe alic arico of admission was to bo twenty franc and but ono tickets were to bo sold of course they acio disposed of at once when the evening camo ra ganini made his in usual spirits tho on anil overy ono declared tam great maestro fa aly excelled himself and there aia no end of he retired for ii then appeared with the veritable shoo andor his arm hut in his three days of seclusion ho biad cut and carved it into a rudo imitation of a violin to which ho had deftly three strings upon this curious instrument lie began to improvise ono of elioso gc fanta sias many say acro the highest inspirations 0 his wonderful genius scarcely had tho tumultuous applause ceased when bida approach here said lie anro tho two thousand francs which tho old shoe has brought aliat is more by five hundred francs alian is needed to buy adolpho on keep alio rest to begin housekeeping with here too is tho old wooden shoe slay bo somebody will n few francs for it there was groat competition ns to who should leavo alio wonderful shoo violin it was put up at auction and sold to a englishman for aix thou and francs bews yews |