, 1873-07-27


ncath tho Vulgato:
"How doth tho city et solitary, TINT was full Of rno-
rlot how II hle hrronac widow Elle tint wea
.fnccal how Ia ato become tributary Bhe weepoth
sore IN tug night and her tears arc On lor cheeka
Ms ali IT, ~ fos aya % TO s , s
t'oy nro become hor onosnlos.' {Jor. LAM, i, Lilly
In tho sa!no 8allory is q bust Of Beethoven, by
hlr. Story, III which 1lo las we'll expressed tho
mastor III pytlian fron2y Of compusltion.
THE PLANT OF A COMMONPLACE
PERSON.
I bofiovo tint editors from timo immemora1
hnvo loen lookotl upon aH tho proper oonildauts
for Tho woos Of tho rcraooutod, the ms,,nlor-
stood, or tho unboarably aggravated
mcmborB Of tho community. NIuoh-nhusod
Congressman, nlllcl,-opproyaod but strong
minded women, shriulsing for tint uul-
voEBal ranacon, tho suffrage misunderstood an
tiors and atnndorod actroyBos-all como (meta-
physically epcaking) to sob ont tlloir eor1owa on
tho ahatlowy shoulders Of that imporaonal myth
tho otlitor. 30 !, Mr.. Editor, hnve como to-day
to call upon you to Listen to tho woes Of that
m,lch-abuaed md misunderstood boiug-a COM
monplace porson.
Now, bog that you will not ut tho outset be-
gin by misunderstanding my Hocal and montal
status. belong as little to tho vast multitude
Of tho illtorato or brainlesa, who possess no lit
crary artistic tastes ut nil, as do that favored
fow who soar triumphnntly into tho celestial
ether Of highest art. I am q person
who roads and goes to tho theatre, and
Nkos music and pictures, but who wants
to do all those things, aud exercise al1 these
taatcs, in a comfortable sort Of a why md who
wishes to be amused aud Interested as woll as to
be Kept On m asthetio kind Of strain nll tho
timo. II my mental stature DO too short to ao-
oommodato itaolf to tho Procrustoan bod Of tho
most elevated stylo OF art, do not want to bo
strctchod to fit it, nor to DO abused because Of
my deficiencies. Like the distinguished OK
President Of tho lato Southern Confedorncy, all
! aRk is to bo lot alono. am peaceful in nature;
havo my little likes and dielikca in tho way OF
food and clothes, books and music, plays md
pictures, and wish to travel quietly through life,
warting with no ono, and having good titno
generally In my own way. But i hnvo q host
Of enomics who will not lot NO bo happy after
my own fashion. Thoy sling vonomous ink nt
mo; they spoar mo upon pitiloas pens; and they
hold up my quiet modo Of living, my unobtrusivo
tastes, to the soorn md dnrision Of the commu-
mty. II thoy wish to do profitable bit Of i'll
nature for tho newspapers on any OF Tho literary
or aesthetic questions OF the day, a1n the ohoBeu
butt for their vit-tho target Tor thoir sharpcst
called critics, and by othors oonnoiaBerrs but 1,
Mr.. Editor, lave privately chriatonod them
boros.
For instance. 60 to the oporn Daing COM
mon-plaeo person, I like little variety in TIC
way of musical entertainments, and II
daro confess tho heinous orimo to this unro-
proaohtul pago) nm fond Of OHenbnoh.
can, 1t is true, appreciate and thoroughly On
joy q fine rendition Of any Of tho works Of
Mozart OF Moyerbeer, Or Of that grandoat Of all
operas Beethoyen's "Fldolio;" aud liko Verdi
and Donizetti, and hayo q profound admiration
for Gounod But must own that I am uttlo
tired Of Troyatoro' and "Iravatn," {" ''Lucia di
Tho frat 900 times TINT I heard al Trovatoro'
liked it; but tho nino hundreth time occurred
about six yoara ago, aud since then I haye grown
rather tired Of it. And, rs to tho great worka
9 s ae as
unnatural is geuorally presented to my enra
whenever p" Les nuguenota'' or "Don Gio-
vauni" ia placed upon the boards. do
elaro to you that would rather boar "Darbe
Bleue" or tia poricholo" well sung than
"LoB UuguonotB" more vlely murdered than
over they wore In tho st. Bartholomew. state
uuhesitatingly that would rather hear Aimee
in La Grando Duchessen than Madame Le-
Cont Viergos" ia fur more agreeable than
Abrugned in "L'Africaino."
But my onoulies abuso me for this, my humble
opinion. "Thero is no melody in 'Goncyioyo
Helano.' You wish to DO amused; anluao your
self with Beothoven's 'SymphonieB,' or Bchu-
mann's Something or othor, in auy quantity Of
minors. II you wish to relax your mind and to
rest your wearied brain, attend q Rubinsten ro-
eital and refresh your unHcientiho oars with Bach
and Haydn. 10 cheer your dropping spirits.
wo would recommend the contemplation Of such
choorful spectaclos aB tho ca1dron OF La Juiyo,'
tho stake Of y Troyatoro,'' the funoral-pyre Of
bio. most horriblo Go. deprayod tLirator after
the abominations OF La Poricholo and 'Les
Brgnnds,' and learn purity Of taato from tho
finale Of the first act of don Giovanni tho
bo o. pas ea set u NoSzG
gnint!y heroino Of La Trayiata.' We, who
know every thing, know also tint such perverted
taateB were only created to be tramplod unlor
foot by such superior beings az we, and their
commonplace poBBeBHorB must htdo their dinlin-
iBhol heads IN unBpoakable confusion"
And Rubiustoinl Tho torturea that have
suffered on account OF that man are
scarcely to be described. I went to near him
atrocious orimo-l did not like him. could un.
dorstaud that ho was an incomparably fine per-
fornor, but the music that ho played weariodmo
terribly. have no doubt TINT 1t WAS yory glorl-
GUS, but tho glory was not apparent to my
yonaea. dottaebalE was to mo q revelation.
Thalberg WIS marvel. Miss Topp and Miss
nIehig woro admirable. But thore had 10 stop.
lsubiuatoin was beyond my comprehension, be-
yond my powers Of enjoyment. I know tho
fault was rlino, but nevertheless 1t Ia no ain,
should think, to DO incapable Of appreciatlng
fugues and symphonies etc. boldly declare (but
do it, however, with tho feoling Of o daring
doporndo) that to mo Rubinsten WAS d ponE.
Q,loaso print that last word in large capitals.)
II IL tho came with books. I haVo read with
delight and admiration tho works Of Dickens,
Thaokoray, and Bnlwer, aud enjoyed with keen
appreciation Adam Dotle," :" The Mill OIL tho
Floss," aud Romola." But I do not like " Mid
dlomarcl,." do not think it ia really good
novel, or perfect piece Of work as a Whole.
As q picture-;allery Of detached characters, or
as fragmo,stary 1aass OF Nno aud original pau-
sugos, it is unoqua!od. But I do not cali such
works really good noyola. OF course am all
wrong. always I'm. But moan for. onco in
my long and persccutol lifo to say my say, and
hnyo d0no with it.
Az for poetry, have long ainco gyon up that
point iu despair. find in Longfo!low's Hwoot,
tondor vorsc puro and delicate pootio
Fp1 $1.n4