The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-04-10

ravenously, and slept soundly. When
about 10 he wrote "A fugues, and soon
afterward composed some violin music,
Of such difficulty, that he was unable at
first to play it, until incessant practice
/ gave him the mastery.
In 1897, Paganini, being then 13 years
old, made his first professional tour,
but not as free agent. His father took
him through the chief towns of Lom-
hardy, and not unnaturally prescribed
the task and pocketed the proceeds.
But the young neck was already begin
ming to chafe against the yoke. In 1913
he escaped, with his fathers tardy con-
sent, to Lucca, where a musical festival
IN honor Of St. Martin was going on.
Here he gave frequent concerts, and
was everywhere met with applause, and,
what was more to the purpose, with
money. Surrounded by men of inferior
talents, a mere inexperienced youth,
without education, without knowledge
of the world, with nothing but ambi-
ton and his supreme musical genius,
he now broke wildly away from all wise
restraints, and avenged himself upon
his fathers severity by many youthful
excesses. He gambled-he lOst-he
was duped by his companions; but he
made money so fast, that he soon owned
about e1, 900 It is pleasant to think
that he at once thought of giving some
of this to his father and mother; it is
unpleasant to record that his father
claimed, and eventually got, almost the
whole sum from him. But it did not
much matter now, for everything seem
ed literally to turn into gold beneath
those marvellous fingers, and bad luck
proved nearly as profitable to him as
good.
By the time he had reached II Paga-
mini was a confirmed gambler. He had
little left but his Stradiuarius violin,
and this he was on the point of selling
to a certain prince, who had offered him
ESQ, large sum at the beginning of
this century even for n Stradiuarius.
Times have changed, and in those latter
days we think nothing of giving e3OO
for genuine instrument of the first
class. But the reckless youth deter
mined to make a last stand for his vio-
lin. g Jewels, watch, rings, brooches, -
to use his own words, g I had disposed
of all-my 80 francs were reduced to 5.
With this small remains of my capital
I played, and won 160 francsi This
amount saved my violin, and restored
my affairs. From that time" he adds,
''I abjured gaming, to which had sac
rifced part of my youth, convinced
that gamester is an object of contempt
to all well-regulated minds" The
violin he narrowly, missed losing was
given him by Pasini the painter, who,
on one occasion, brought him a concer-
to Of extraordinary difficulty to read at
sight, and placing fine Stradiuarius in
his hands, said, "This instrument shall
be yours if you can play that concerto
at first sight in a mastery manner.
eff that is the case, replied Paganini,
"you may bid adieu to it; and play
ing it off at once, he retained the violin.
Some years later, at Legborn, being
again in great straits, he was obliged to
part, for time at least, with this same
Stadiuarius but this disaster was only
the means of procuring him the favorite
Guarnerius, upon which he ever after
ward played. In his need, Monsieur
Livron, distinguished amateur, lent
him this splendid instrument, and was
so enraptured' by his playing that he
exclaimed, Never will I profane the
strings that your fingers have touched
It is to you that my violin belongs"
This violin is still shown at Genoa un-
der glass case.
At the age of II Paganini appears to
have been entirely his own master
weak in health, nervous, irritable and
excitable; his wild and irregular habits
and pursuits were, at this critical age,
threatening to hurry him to an early grave
when an event occurred which, although
but too characteristics of the looseness
of Italian manners, probably saved his
life. Suddenly, in the midst of new
discoveries and unexampIed successes,
Paganini ceased to play the violin. He
retired into the depths of the country,
and devoted himself for three years to
agricultural pursuits, and to the society
of lady of rank who had carried him
off to her Tuscap estate, and to the gui-
tar. With the sole exception of the
late Regondi, no such genius has ever
been concentrated upon this limited and
effeminate instrument. But the lady's
taste ran that way, and the great violin
| ist lavished for time the whole force of
his originality and skill upon the light
| guitar. He wrote music for it, and imi-
tated it on the violin, but seldom touch
ed it in after life until quite the close,
although he was able to produce a pro
! digious effect upon it when ne chose.
These years of country life and leisure,
during which he was delivered from the
pressure of crowds, the excitement OF
public performances, and, most of all,
the grinding anxieties of life, had the
effect of bracing him up in health, and
prepared him for that reaction toward
intense study and exhausting toll which
left him without rival-the first vio,
linist in the world.
About the age of 80, at which time
Paganini became free, never again to be
bound by any official appointment-the
great violinist had exhauste all the
possible resources of his instrument
From this time Paganini, incredible as
it may appear, seldom, if ever played
except at concerts and rehearsals, anC
not always even at rehearsals. Mr.
Harris. who for - months acted as hi
secretary, and seldom left him, nevel
saw him take his violin from its case
At the hotels where he stopped tn,
sound of his instrument was neve
heard He used to say that he has
worked enough, and had earned hi
right TO repose; yet, without an effort
] IA continued - e,yereorne tltp sf7r,arI,,f