Litchfield enquirer., 1873-05-15

living among my hnsfolk, the gypsies.
 'Do but listen to hini" cried the Coun tess. with a gesture of mock horror Helena how dare you sit at table witl such company But continue"
 Madam pursued the musician gayly feignlng subservient manner, ''I am sen sible of the condescension shown to me but have no fear. I can comport myself Tn the palace as well as in the tent, not hay ing lived long enough with the gypsies te unlearn decent behavior. But, oh 7" he added, returning to his natural tone, 'syou do not know what fascinating life o1 music Forgive me if leave the table to play you one incomparable serenade can no longer control my impatience. '
 He left his half finished supper, nol would be pursuaded to resume it till he had played half dozen wild melodies, The ladies clapped their hands with de. light, and when the meal was at last fin lshed, he played dozen more.
 Gypsy music, he said, when he left the piano, and threw himself into an arm- chair with sigh of fatigue, ''must be, by the nature of gypsy life, the most real and natural of all. In the grandest compost tons of our great masters, the cold spirit of criticism creeps in, not marring, but certainly modifying the first idea-sweep- ing from it, in fact, the first bloom. But In popular music, just as in ballad poetry we get the pure untrammelled spirit of the people; who toll, make love, suffer. and die, and tell 1t all without any notion of what IS proper or improper in the mak- lng ot song. But I have so much to tell you and ask of you dear ladies. that know not where to begin. You, my little Helena, shall first give me news of my dear pupils at beloved Poppenheim. Annchen and Lottchen, Edouard and Wal ther, and all the rest-are they we'll? have heard no word from any of you since l went away"
 nut ms own story proved the most ab- sorhing, and he answered their questions @ proesEs" asse aflse wts ttssgag }Ba hia Rpgy eRa era; he was going. to try his fortune in London or Paris-to found a new school of music-what was he not going to do :? They listened; to we'll pleased to have his company again to feel jealous or unhappy. For the time it was good fortune enough.
 The next day and the next saw Oglios- tro the Countess's guest, if for no other reason, for the very simple one that he could not get away. More snow had fal- len, and to reach Salzburg in the present state of the roads was impracticable. Every one was contented that the wealth CT and the roads should remain as they were. Music occupied the trio from morning till night, each in turn being in- spirer or inspired. Individualities seem- ed for time lost in artistic enthusiasm.
 But before the weather changed with out, it changed within. On a sudden none knew how it was-the Countess would fain have had the Maestro leagues away. Helena wished she could wake in her little attic at home. The musician found himself wondering what had hap pended to turn the snow-bound Schloss into a disagreeable place. All felt re- ieved when news came that the road was clear.
 A few hours after receiving this intelli- genoe, Ogliostro was on his way to Salz- burg.
 'I suppose the Countess was jealous at my fondness for Helena, he unused. But how unreasonable women are! I must marry some day, and how can marry a woman who says she cannot have me And Helena was moody and out of spirits too! An! it may be that I talked too much of Rhona, the beautiful gypsY mai den who captiyated me last summer. I see that if 'a man wants to accomplish anything really great in art, he must set his face against all love affairs"
 V. FORTUNE AND MISFORTUNE.
 Two or three years passed, and Poppen- helm had to get on as we'll as it could without the beloved musician. His ad- mirers read with mournful eagerness of the enthusiasm created by his playing in Paris' London, Vienna, but were com pelled to admit that he showed some in- gratitude in remaining so long away from his unforgetting friends. What was the rapture of the warm hearted little city, therefore, when the following announce ment appeared on the walls of the Thea ire one May morning?
 BY PERMISSION OF THE GRAND DUKE,
 WILL BE PERFORMED oN THR OCCASION OF THE ROYAL BIRTHDAY
 AROMA, A GYPSY OPERA, BY oGLIosTRo
 (LATE COURT PIANIST
 AT THE COURT OF PoPPENHEIM),
 UNDER THE COMPOSERS DIREcToRsH1P.
 The news spread like wildfire through the town, and for the time every ones had was turned by 1t, Preparations were immediately set on foot so as to make the occasion one of extraordinary bril- iance. The ladies sent to Frankfort for new dresses. The Duke commanded an al frescO entertainment in honor of the great mans return. His pupils and mu- sical friends organized fets at which he was to be crowned with wreath of silver laurels leaves. All contributed their best to celebrate such a home coming.
 At last the long looked for day dawned; flags and garlands, the military review, the crowds of holiday makers in Sunday clothes, the lines of open carriages convey ing richly-dressed ladies and officers in full dress, and covered with decorations, to pay their respects to the sovereign. But when evening came, all felt that the Dukes fete was over. and that the musicians had begun. Pleasant it was to see the stream of play -goers, old and young, rich and poor, vending their way in the warm summer evening to see Ogli- ostro's opera. It was an entainment all could afford, and all could enjoy, from the prince to the peasant, and expectancy was written on every face. @
 Exactly at seven o'clock, three strokes AIOm IuO CuaLuUcEtd1u S Sbdu Ou Iue 0uSe of the royal box betokened the arrival oi the Grand Duke. When he appeared, accompnied by the Duchess and the young Princess, the little theatre rang with cheers, which would have been re- peated more tumultuously still for Ogli- ostro, had he not foreseen such a dilem. ma. No sooner had the Duke taken his seat than the conductor, Ogliestro him. self, who till now had been invisible, rais. ed his baton, and the overture began.
 The gypsy opera, was, of course, 8 sue. cess. It was new, it was naive, and il was in certain sense true. Ogliostro never false to himself where his art was concerned, had invented not only a new story, new naase-en-scsne, and new op era, but he had put these together 1T form peculiarly his own, discardine stage canons and stage precedents. h part the story was familiar to Helena ani the Countess. A wandering musician falls in with band of gypsy minstrels lives with them as one of themselves, ac companies them to fair and festivals finally sings away his own heart and tha