The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1853-02-11

oHauses zoe WatlB nero loved the uauSuteri
lof a Count. Sophia was hername. He would
havr given worldsto have won but one glance
ofloye from this beautiful being. but shs was
cold and stern, Madness indeed il was for
poor wandering musician, with nothing but
his violin.to dare to love the high born So.
phia, who had as many noble ancestors ss he
had waltzes.
Rash impertinence," said Sophia, and
when he came 10 give her brother lesson,
she scarcely dplentd to give him look
Shortly afterwards, Sophia became the be-
trothed Of the Count Robert. Lord Chamber
lain, who could also boast Of as many proud
Iancestors as the fair Sophia, but beyond these
and his title, he had nothing else.
One day Strauss chanced 10 be alone with
Sophia; he declared his love, and besought
her to give him one word or look ere he was
driven TO despair. But no tears Of p-otesta-
tions could move her, she was cold as the in
animate marble.
4 am the affianced bride of Count Robert
she said haughtily, "and iflt were otherwise
think you lwould become the wife Of a poor
musician?'' She turned scornfully away,
and left him alone in grief and despair.--
| AhS pShbuhNO oOUu dWOkt Ill lie
heart Of Sophia, unhappily came TOO late; in
eight days she would become the wife of
Count Robert.
The ceremony was TO be performed in a
grand saloon OF the city, and the Count call
ed on Strauss 10 lead the orchestra on this oc-
caslon. andyto honor his bride with the COM
position of . new waltz. Strauss, the most
miserable man of Gods universe, promised
him both. "He wishes TO wound me vet
more deeply" said the unhappy man to him
sell. but pardon him, and my prayers 10
heaven are, that she may b. happy, and that
she may never repent her choice. But, bis
waltz! thought strikes him, it shall be ihe
interpreter oi'his passion and grief 10 Sophia,
it could challenge her pity, il not her love-
0 what glorious power, TO BE- able through
his divine art TO speak, TO urge, TO reproich,
, 10 plead. To work TO work When all
the great city slept Strauss took his violin,
opened his window, gazed out in the cold
, night, and improyised and moaned forth bis
sad tale OF woe 10 the bright stars above,
/ which looked kindly down on the desoate
and heart-strcken
t Tie day OF the wedding came al last. The
: fearful agony Of love had given him walz.
every measure Of which spoke living sorrow
and dspairing woe. The ball glistened and
; shone with bright jewels and brighter eyes
4 but Sophia was more gloriously beautiful
/ than thrmal Strauss a hsggafd, ed
t man, with brilliant and piercing black ey,s,
/ sharp and strongly marked features, dressed
from head to foot in black, as though he had
assumed this mournfu livery for the bride
now dead TO him, stood sad and silent in he
D gallery above, directing the movem 'nts Of
the orchestra. Sophia danced now with qnr
/. now with another of the wedding guests
end as often ss she passed after the gittly
S whlr oil the dance, turned her eyes towatds
Q The pale and grief stricken Strauss.
!, 1t was more than pity she felt, 1t was Re.
0 morse, il was kindled love. A terrible pain
awoke in her heart, like The swelling stream
: growing yer wider and deeper, in its onwd rl
( course, which threatened 10 overwhelm and
: destroy her. How gladly would she h4ve
. wept, but she dared not. 1t sounded twelve
!. Strauss gave the signal for the periorma Ice
a ol his new waltz; The gay dancers stood hp
k Sophia on the arm of happy bridegroom =
5 All spell bound with the magic witchery o
those magic sounds. They forgot to dsice
o they gazed in wonder up at the pale maa IL
. black, whose grief torn soul bresihrs outfits
woe through his beloved instrument. The
\ bridegroom leads off the dance, and Strauss
| with fascinated, tearlnl eyes, and torn rart
> follows the flying pair in their giddy whih.
+ They dance. and dance, and dance, still
DO not cease. Strauss plays, and plays, and
! no stop TO his wonderful waltz, which SC
learinlly affects him and them. As sudden
as the lightning's flash the E of lis violin
snaps, and at the same moment the beautiful
Sophia falls dead upon the floor. Violin and
bow fall from bis trembling hand, and with
cry oil horror, he shrieks, "Sophia!" and
ldlls iaintlng on the ground Since Sophia's
death the waltz has been called BY her name.
Strauss loved her 10 the last moment of his
existence. He too is now dead, but his
charming Sophia waltz still lives,- ,-Musical
World.