Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-01-12
sTRAUs AND ms sornIE Waltz

sTRAUs AND HIS SOPHIE WALTZ.
Strauss, the waltz hero. loved the daugh-
ter of Count. Sophie was her name
He would have given worlds to have won
but one glance of love from this beautiful
being, but she was cold and stern. Mad
ness indeed it was for a poor wandering
musician, with nothing but his violin, to
dare to love the high born Sophie, who
had as many noble ancestors as he had
Wsltzes. "Rash impertinence," said So
Phie; and when he came to give her bro
ther lesson. she scarcely deigned to give
him look. Shortly afterwards, Sophie
became the betrothed of Count Robert,
Lord Chamberlain, who could also boast
as many proud ancestors as the fair So
phie. but beyond these and his titles he
had nothing.
One day Strauss chanced to be alone
with Sophie he declared his love, and
besought her to give him but one word or
look ere he was driven to despair. But
no tears or protestations could move her,
she was as cold as the inanimate marble.
" am the affanced bride of Count Ro-
bert" said she, "and if otherwise, think
you / would become the wife of poor
musician % She turned scornfully away
and left him alone in his grief and despair.
The repentance which soon awoke in the
heart of Sophie, unhsppily came too late;
in eight days she would become tho wife
of Count Robert.
The ceremony was to be performed in
grand saloon in the city, and the Count
called on Strauss to request him 10 lead
the orchestra on the occasion, and to ho-
nor his bride with the composition of a
new waltz. Strauss, the most miserable
man of Gods universe. promised him
both. He wishes to wound me more
deeply" said the unhappy man to him
self. - but l pardon him, and my prayer
TO Heaven is that she may be happy, that
ahe may never have occasion to repent of
her choice ~ But his waltz thought
strikes him that it shall be the interpreter
of his passion and his grief to Sophie, it
should challenge her pity, if not her
love. Oh what glorious power, to be
able to speak, to reproach, to plead ; and
through the divine art. To work to
work! When the great city slept, Strauss
took his violin, opened his window,
gaEed out in the cold night, and impro-
vised and moaned his sad tale of woe to
the bright stars above. who looked kind
ly down on the desolate and heart -strick-
en-.
The day of the wedding came at last.
The fearful agony of love had given him
waltz. every measure Of which spoke a
longing sorrow and despairing woe The
hall glistened and shonr with bright Jew
elry and brighter eye, and Sophie was
more glOriouSly beautiful than all. Strauss.
haggard, emaciated man, with brilliant
and piercing black eyes, sharp and
strongly marked features, dressed from
head 10 foot in black, as though he had
assumed his mourning livery for the bride
now dead to him, stood silently in the
gallery above, directing the movements
of tho orchestra. Sophie danced now
with one, now with another of the we'd
ding guests, and as often as she paused
after the giddy whirl of the dance, she
turned her eyes towards the pale and
Rrief-stricken Strauss.
1t was more than pity she falt, it was
remorse, it was kindled love. A terrible
pain aWoke in her heart, like the swelling
of a stream, growing even deeper and
wider in its onward course, which threat
ensd to overWhelm and destroy her.
How gladly would she have wept but she
dared not. 1t sounded twelve Strauss
gave the signal for the performance of his
new waltz. The gay dancers stood up.
Sophie on the arm of the happy bride
groom. All stood spellbound with the
magic witchsry of those magic sounds
They forget to dance, they gaze in won
derup at the pale man in black, whose
grief-torn soul breaths out its woe through
his beloved instrument. The bridegroom
leads off the dance. and Strauss, with
fascinated. fearful eye and torn heart,
follows the flying pair in their giddy
Whirl.
They dance, and dance, and dance, and
Still they do not cease. Strauss plays and
plays and no stop to his wonderful waltz.
which SO fearfully affects him and them.
AS suddenly as the lightning's flash, the
E of his violin snaps, and at the same
moment the beautiful Sophie falls dead
upon the floor. Violin and bow falls
from his trembling hands, and with a cry
of horror he shrieks 'SophieP' and falls
faintiug on the floor. Since Sophie's
death the waltz is called by her name
Strauss loved her to the last moment OF
his existence. He too, is now dead, but
his charming waltz still liyes.-MwstcGI
World.