Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-13
FELIGIEN DAVID.
Interesting Anecdotes of the Com
poser.

Interesting Anecdotes of the Gem
poser.
A foreign correspondent of tie
Montreal Herald, writing to that
paper from Paris, sends the follow
ing interesting "reminiscences of the
dead composer, Felicien David:
Among other adventures of his
wanderings in the East he found
himself charged during his stay in
Cairo with the delightful duty of
giving lessons in piano-playing to
the ladies of the harem of Mehemet
Ali. The dreamy young composer,
whose muse was already busy with
the airs Of "Lalla Rookh," was
filled, at the thought of this insight
in the dovecot of the yelled houris
he would thus be able to study at
leisure, with an enthusiasm of ro-
mantle anticipation he found it diff
6cult to conceal. On the day ap-
pointed for the first lesson he
reached the fortress in which the
vice-regal harem was situated, very
tired and very warm-for his vice
regal patron had declined to add to
the stipulated expense the cost of a
donkey for the distance-but deeply
moved, with beating heart, and his
Imagination busy with a maze Of
dreams. On reaching the fortress
he was received by the chief of the
eunuchs at the head of four of the
officers of the seraglio, and con,
Quoted with the utmost politeness
to a room in which was piano, but
without the slightest indication Of
the presence Of any houri. +" Let
us begin the lesson at once, Mon
sieur," said the chief enunch, on
introducing the composer into this
apartment. "Most willingly" re.
turned the latter; "where are the
ladies?" "What! Dog of a giaour,'
exclaimed the chief eunuch, in q
violent rage, edo you dare to sup
pose that you would be suffered tc
approach the houris Of his high,
nessY 1t is to us that you are tC
rive the lesson" "To youw cried
David in amazement. Certain.
ly," said the chief eunuch, owe
shall serve as your Interpreters
Show us what is to be done and We
shall repeat your instructions tt
the ladies'" /" The disappointed
composer had a world Of difficulty
in convincing the chief eunuch that
it was impossible to teach music il
the way proposed; but he managed
to get it into his head at last. The
engagement was reacinded, anC
thus it happened that the odalisquet
of Mchemet Ali never learned t.
play on the piano.
But the oldest Of the reminis
cences called up is the explanation
of the claim just made upon tn,
heirs of the late composer for th,
restitution of no less curious al
object than human skin, said tt
be now among the properties lef
by David, and now demanded o
his heirs by the party claiming Il
be its rightful owner. 1t seem
that in 1S4S a DR.. L, now
member of the municipal counci
of this city, but who was at tha
time one of the physicians of tn
great Paris hospital of La Charlie
was much interested in the case o
poor girl in one of the wards o
his division named Rose Gallon
an ex-beauty Of the Quarter Latin
who was dying Of an incurabl
malady Notwithstanding the effort
of the physician on behalf Of on
whose history had inspired hin
with the utmost pity and desire t
assist her. When, despite his effort
on her behalf, the friendless gil
had departed this life, a strang
idea occurred to him; he CAREFUL
removed the skin from the corps
and had it tanned by a tanner. L
course of time a wealthy and ecceI
trio American, Mr.. c. W
. a friend and neighbor Of Felicie
David, obtained possession of thi
strange relic, of which he took
: into his head to make an ornamen
J, for his drawing-room. To this en-