The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-06-10
gtisEfIIauy.
JOHANN STRAUSS AND HIS DEATH
WALTZ.

/
and elegant, while the pleasing and ex
pressive features of his rather thin fac
were Illuminated by pair of fiery eyes
| full of soul and enthusiasm. His dres
consisted of black-cOat, bTeeches c
the same color, silk stockings, an
neatly-pOlished shoes with silve
buckles. A white-sllk WaistcOat,
White-lace neckcloth and embrOiderel
wristbands and frill, completed the eIe
giant costume, that showed the graceful
figure of the young man to the best ad
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
for on one side stood a spinet, nea
which a bass-YiOl leaned against tht
wall, while on a chair that stood befOr,
la desk lay violin, which the yOunI
man seemed to have just been using
for he still held the bow in his hand
On q table, near the window, there wa.
a pile of sheet-music, together will
sundFy 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
locks, regardless of the havoc he played
with his artistic tOaEOet, and then he
would flourish the bow in his hand, as
! though it were q sword with which he
would drive away some phantom that
refused to give him a moments peace.
Finally he stopped in the middle of the
room.
"I must, I must" he cried, "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 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 l am not ill-faVOred. My name is
already well and favOrably known in
| Vienna, and I feel that the stuff is in
me to make for myself q reputation
| thu shall extend to other lands. / am
affsuftist, and the barriers do not exist
| for me that sur round the privileged
classes. She cannot have misunder-
stood my glances and my signs. She
has read in my eyes that love her, i'll
the crimson of my cheeks when she ap-
prOaches me so beautiful and lovely
| that my heart beats only for her, and
yet she has done nOthing-nOthing to
repuIse me. She seemed embarrassed
she, too blushed when my trembling
hand assisted her in finding the right
string, and at the same time Yentured
a gentle pressure on her delicate fin
gers. What can this mean, if it be not
that her heart, too, is agitated by a feel
ing akin to the one that thrills mine at
such moments? Courage Johann,
courage. It shall not be said that the
greatest happiness on earth was within
hot LOT Hs
cause you had not the courage to reach
after it. This very day I will confess
to her my love, and then"
A small clock that stood on the man.
tel interrupted the young mans sO'il-
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 l
shall know what the future has till
now concealed from me with an impen-
etrable veil. Sophie, my beloved So,
phie! I"
The last words died in a sigh. The
young man laid down the bow, stepped
before the mirror, and arranged his
hair and frills, and then, setting his hat
On his handsome head, he left the
room.
But it is time that the young man
whom we have described should be in
trOduced to the reader. We have al
ready said that it was evident from the
appearance of the room that the Occu-
pant was a musician, and that he was,
too, q genuine musician, known to-day
wherever the arts are cultivated. His
name was Johann Strauss.
Johann Strauss was born in 1904, at
Vienna. His parents, who were in in
digent circumstances, apprenticed him
to bOOkbinder named Izschtscheidel,
but Nature had intended the boy for
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 a trade. AS
early as in his fifteenth year he COM
posed some Waltzes and other pieces,
which discovered Enthusiastically his eX-
traOrdinary talent for dancing music.
His calling Lad long since been his
aversion; music was everything to the
boy, and to it's cultivation he devoted
his entire energies. Fortunately his
musical talent was recognized by Lam
ner, who, at that time, was a leader of
considerable Tepute, and he took the
youth into his orchestra, where, as ear
ly as 1920, he played the second violin.
Under the direction of LanneT, the mu
steal 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 1924, he
undertook the direction of the ball
music in a-at that time-pOpular place
of amusement called the &" Hotel z1Cnl
BOcE," and soon afterWard, having or
ganized an excellent orchestra, he
played alternately in Vienna and the
envirOns 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
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 n 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-
| ton 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, a liking sprung up in his heart
| for his fairpupil, which daily increased,
until he decided to tell her the secret Of
/ his heart, and to ask her love in return.
We have overheard the young mans
sOlilOquy, in which he decided to risk
everything in order to escape the tor
lures of suspense: we will now follow
him to a large, palatiaI house, over the
door of which, cut in stone, but half
obliterated by time, there is the cOat-Of-
arms of noble family, while before il
walks proudly to and fro a tall, bearded
! Swiss, in a rich livery, wearing three