Mrs. Evidine Trindle, Her Music, and Her Brownies

Mrs. Evidine Trindle and her Violin 'Rosebud'

Citizens and visitors arriving at Cloverdale in the Shire by train are serenaded every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by Mrs. Evidine Trindle of 6 Mulberry Close and her violin she affectionatly calls 'Rosebud'. Evidine sits in her lawn chair right outside the main entrance and plays an assortment of her favorite songs. She was playing a delightful rendition of ‘Whisky in the Jar’ when I stepped off the train last Wednesday from a business trip to Fernwood on the Moor. I stopped and listened, as did many others. All of us were in a hurry but never in too much of a hurry to miss a Trindle performance. A smile appeared on her face as the crowd grew. If you caught her on a good day when she is in ‘proper form’ (her words) she might take a request or two.

At the end of the song, Evidine thanked everyone for stopping and then, using her bow, gently tapped a tupperware cake container beside her. The container had a large red cross colored in magic marker on its lid. It was full of her home made brownies. You see, Evidine is the Shire’s Red Cross Chairwoman. This is her way of reminding you of your duty to help the Red Cross with its relief efforts. The money raised from her performances at the Train Station help care for the many weekly arrivals seeking asylum at the Confederacy of Dunces’s Border with The Other World. The money is also used to purchase toys for the children in the pediatric ward of St. Elizabeth's Hospital.

Cloverdale's Train Station

Each brownie is frosted in white confectionery icing with a red cross made from either red colored coconut or red sugar. For every brownie purchased Evidine places a small Red Cross sticker on your jacket telling the world that, for a brief moment, you heard the best violin playing in the Shire while enjoying a delicious brownie - all for a good cause. Could there be a better way to end your day?

Mrs. Evidine Trindle and Rosebud are dedicated to their art and appear promptly at 4:00 P.M. regardless of the weather. If its teeming with rain or snow the Station Master will let her play in the passenger waiting room.

Friends, help Evidine help others. Remember her as you go about your daily business and if you and the kids are near the train station on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday please stop and appreciate the dedication of a fellow Dunce.

Remember, we are all in this together.

Join Cloverdale's Red Cross Society
Give Relief and Hope.