She took the violin back and she wasn't even back in their shop for five minutes when she comes out and says they can't use the instrument. Why couldn't they use it because it wasn't SHINY.
"It's a lovely antique" she tells us, "But we can't accept it in the physical condition that it's in". She pointed out a couple of cracks in it. The major cracks that were on the violin were a couple of ones that we knew about and had fixed by someone who actually knew what they were doing. If she had looked closely she would have seen the glue holding it together.
We had been told that they were very particular about the instruments they bought back. That isn't exactly the way I would phrase it. It's more like they'll buy it back so long as it looks nice. Giving students violins that are shiny actually do a disservice to them because a violin that is shiny isn't going to sound as nice as one that has no shine on it. My violin is old and it doesn't look that nice. It's got a crack in it that's been repaired and they probably wouldn't buy it back for that reason. However it sounds beautiful. You'd never know that there was a crack in it unless you looked at it. It's the cracks and scratches on a violin (or any string instrument) that adds character to the instrument. Anyway it made me think of one of my favourite poems called "The Touch of the Master's Hand"
"Twas battered and scared, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar - now who"ll make it two _
Two dollars, and who"ll make it three?
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice,
Going for three". . . but no!
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody,pure and sweet,
As sweet as an angel sings.
The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: "What am I bidden for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow;
"A thousand dollars - and who'll make it two?
Two thousand - and who'll make it three?
Three thousand once, three thousand twice
And going - and gone," said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand -
What changed its worth?" The man replied:
"The touch of the masters hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and torn with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd.
Much like the old violin.
A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on,
He's going once, and going twice -
He's going - and almost gone!
But the MASTER comes, and the foolish crowd,
Never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul, and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the MASTER'S hand.
