Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
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— 149 —<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g?” Harris would retort, catch<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> boot. “You let him<br />
al<strong>on</strong>e. He can’t help howl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. He’s got a musical ear, and your<br />
play<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g makes him howl.”<br />
So George determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to postp<strong>on</strong>e study of <strong>the</strong> banjo until<br />
he reached home. But he did not get much opportunity even<br />
<strong>the</strong>re. Mrs. P. used to come up and say she was very sorry — for<br />
herself, she liked to hear him — but <strong>the</strong> lady upstairs was <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a<br />
very delicate state, and <strong>the</strong> doctor was afraid it might <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>jure<br />
<strong>the</strong> child.<br />
Then George tried tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g it out with him late at night, and<br />
practis<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g round <strong>the</strong> square. But <strong>the</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>habitants compla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to<br />
<strong>the</strong> police about it, and a watch was set for him <strong>on</strong>e night, and<br />
he was captured. The evidence aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st him was very clear, and<br />
he was bound over to keep <strong>the</strong> peace for six m<strong>on</strong>ths.<br />
He seemed to lose heart <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> bus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ess after that. He did<br />
make <strong>on</strong>e or two feeble efforts to take up <strong>the</strong> work aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> when<br />
<strong>the</strong> six m<strong>on</strong>ths had elapsed, but <strong>the</strong>re was always <strong>the</strong> same<br />
coldness — <strong>the</strong> same want of sympathy <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> part of <strong>the</strong> world<br />
to fight aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st; and, after awhile, he despaired altoge<strong>the</strong>r, and<br />
advertised <strong>the</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>strument for sale at a great sacrifice — “owner<br />
hav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g no fur<strong>the</strong>r use for same” — and took to learn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g card<br />
tricks <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stead.<br />
It must be dishearten<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g work learn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a musical <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>strument.<br />
You would th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k that Society, for its own sake, would do<br />
all it could to assist a man to acquire <strong>the</strong> art of play<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a musical<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>strument. But it doesn’t!<br />
I knew a young fellow <strong>on</strong>ce, who was study<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to play <strong>the</strong><br />
bagpipes, and you would be surprised at <strong>the</strong> amount of oppositi<strong>on</strong><br />
he had to c<strong>on</strong>tend with. Why, not even from <strong>the</strong> members<br />
of his own family did he receive what you could call active<br />
encouragement. His fa<strong>the</strong>r was dead aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st <strong>the</strong> bus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ess from<br />
<strong>the</strong> beg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>n<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, and spoke quite unfeel<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gly <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> subject.<br />
My friend used to get up early <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to practise,<br />
but he had to give that plan up, because of his sister. She was<br />
somewhat religiously <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed, and she said it seemed such an<br />
awful th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to beg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> day like that.