Edmund Wilson's Hecate County

He picked up Anna’s old violin, which she had got out and had been fooling with a little because she wasn’t able to do any housework. She had spoken of this violin, which had been brought over by her father from Europe and which was the only relic of him she had. She had told me that it was supposed to be a fine one, and had talked once or twice about selling it; and now I was surprised to discover that it did bear Stradivari’s label and was at least one of the good imitations. Leo played on it a little old polka and started the overture to Poet and Peasant. Then he stopped and said, “I can’t remember it,”—and he and his family took their leave.

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