The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-06-10
Miseellany.
JOHANN STRAUSS AND Ills DEATH
WALTZ.

WALTZ.
| A Young man, about twenty-six
| wears of age, walked to and fro deeply
agitated, i'm chamber not large, but
comfortably and tastefully furnished.
His figure was of medium height, 1.-the
and elegant, while the pleasing and ex-
pressive features of his rather. thin face
were illuminated by a pair of fiery eyes,
full Of soul and enthusiasm. His dress
consisted of black-coat, breeches of
the same color, silk stockings, and
neatIy-polished shoes with silver
buckles. A white-sllk waistcoat, a
white-lace neckcloth and embroidered
wristbands and frill, completed the ele-
CANT costume, that showed the graceful
figure of the young man to the best adj
vantage.
One saw at glance that the room
was the abode of an artist, who worship
ed at the shrine of the goddess of music,
which bass-viol leaned against the
wall, while on chair that stood before
desk lay violin, which the young
man seemed to have just been using,
for he still held the bow in his hand.
On table, near the window, there was
pile of sheet-music, together with
sundry pieces of paper, on which were
written legions of those little black
headed characters that to the initiated
speaks a language of sweet sounds.
The delicate features of the young
man were, at this moment, suffused in
crimson he ran his fingers repeatedly
through his curly, CAREFUL lly-dressed
locks, regardless of the havoc he played
with his artistic totpet, and then he
would flourish the bow i'm his hand, as
though it were a sword with which he
would drive away some phantom that
refused to give him a moments peace.
Finally he stopped i'm the middle of the
room.
"I must, 1 must" }" he cfied, "and to-
day, too! l can endure this suspense
no longer; / must know my fate; for
this uncertainty, this continual way
ering between hope and fear, is a thou
sand times more terrible than the GER
tainty that she does not love me.
Love me? why should she not? / am
young, and more than one has told me
that / am not ill-favOred. My name is
already well and favorably known i'm
Vienna, and feel that the stuff is in
me to make for myself reputation
that shall extend to other lands. l am
an artist, and the barriers do not exist
for me that surround the privileged
classes. She cannot have misunder-
stood my glances and my signs. She
has read in my eyes that love her, in
the crimson OF my cheeks when she ap-
proaches me so beautiful and lovely
that my heart beats only for her, and
vet she has done nothing-nothing to
repulse me. She seemed embarrassed
She, too blushed when my trembling
hand assisted her in finding the right
string, and at the same time ventured
gentle pressure on her delicate fin
gers. What can this mean, If it be not
that her heart, too, is agitated by feel
ing akin to the one that thrills mine at
such moments? Courage Johann,
courage. 1t shall not be said that the
greatest happiness on earth was within
your grasp, and that you let it pass be-
cause YOU had not the courage to reach
after it. This very day l will confess
to her my love, and then"
A small clock that stood on the man.
tel interrupted the young mans solil-
oquy by striking three.
"Three O'clock" he cried, drawing
his watch from his fob; "it is time.
must be on my way. In an hour /
shall know what the future has till
now concealed from me with an impen-
etrable veil. Sophie, my beloved So
phie"
The last words died i'm a sigh. The
young man laid down the bow, stepped
before the mirror, and arranged his
L f,;l opI fln, Snffinn hiS haf
on his handsome head, he left the
room.
But it is time that the young man
whom we have described should be III
troduced to the reader. We have al
ready said that it was evident from the
appearance of the room that the occu-
pant was musician, and that he was,
too, a genuine musician, known to-day
wherever the arts are cultivated. Ills
name was Johann Strauss.
Johann Strauss was born in lS04, at
Vienna. His parents, who were in in
digent circumstances, apprentlced hlm
to bOOkbinder named Lichtscheldel,
but Nature had intended the boy for
q simple mechanic. The genius of mu-
sic animated his entire being, and he
was as skillful and diligent in learning
to play the violin as he was awkward
and indOlent in learning trade. AS
early as i'm his fifteenth year he COM
posed some waltzes and other pieces,
which discovered Enthusiastically his ex-
traordinary talent for dancing music.
His calling had long since been his
aversion; music was everything to the
boy. and to its cultivation he devoted
his entire energies. Fortunately his
musical talent was recognized by Lam
ner. who, at that time, was leader OF
considerable repute, and he took the
youth into his orchestra, where, as ear
| iy as 172O, he played the second violin.
| Under the direction of Lanner, the mu-
seal talent of young Strauss was more
| and more developed, and it was not
| until he felt himself capable of welding
the baton himself. At first, in 1921, he
| undertook the direction of the ball
| music i'm a-at that ttime-pOpularp place
| of amusement called the Hotel zuna
Book" and soon afterward, having or
pauiZed an excellent orchestra, he
played alternately in Vienna and the
enyirons of the city, always eliciting
the enthusiastic appreciation of the
pleasure-loving Viennese, with whom
he soon became the decided favorite.
| His popularity was not confined to any
class of society, and the enthusiastic
1 admirers of his compositions rarely
called him by any other cOgnOmen
than the waltz-king.
| Among other instruments, Strauss
played the harp with the skill of mas
ter. AT that time this now-neglected
instrument was as popular with the
Austrian ladies as the piano or cithron
is to-day, and the reputation OF the
youthful artist secured him an invita-
tion to the house of Countess c.,
where he was solicited to instruct the
eldest daughter, Countess Sophie.
Strauss acceded to the proposition,
and the lessons began, but, with the
progress that the youthful countess
made under the direction of her skilful
master. q liking sprung up in his heart
for his fair pupil, which daily increased,
until he decided to tell her the secret Ol
his heart, and to ask her love in return
n We have overheard the young mans
soliloUuy, i'm which he decided to risk
everything in order to escape the tor
lures of suspense: we will now follow
him to a large, palatial house, over the
| door of which, cut i'm stone, but hal
obiiterated by time, there is the coat-of,
arms of noble family, while before II
walks proudly to andfrO tall, bearded
Swiss, i'm a rich livery, wearing three
cornered hat, and carrying staff.
At sight of Strauss, the Cerberus rals'
: ed his hat, and bowed with a friendly
smile. Strauss returned the salutatior
: i'm not less friendly manner, and hur'
: | 4