The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-10-08
The Story Of a Waltz, as Told
by jacques Offenbach.

You have read Alph0nse karr's story, fd
Dieze' Of SHARPE? ! do not call his embar
rassment an awful predcamcnt. was not in
pursuit of note. didn't care snap of a
finger for every Fas Shapp under heaven.
had only to change the key TO do without 1t
Neither was hunting popular song-thls
any brewer would have given me rs quickly
as a street boy of Paris would, for two cents
whistle LA Marseilaise," or "La Came a
Canada" Let me tell you what was after
MY mother and sisters used TO lull me to sleep
by singing to me sweet, slow waltz had
never heard all of 1t. The first eight bars
were the only parts of it | knew. Maybe
those loved ones themselves were ignorant oil
all the rest. These eight bars haunted inc
like some mercIless creature who sought TO re.
cover from me one by one all the pleasing
recollectlons of my childhood. They hxed
themselves on my brain with all the greater
authority because my charmed heart opened
wide all the doors to them. Did not each note
bring to me thousand tender recollcctions
When thay fitted through my mind saw our
old home, my fathers house; | heard the
voices of all those whom | regretted, and who
had loved me warmly. | was IN Paris all
alone, earning my daily bread by playing the
violoncelo IN the Opera Comique. was then
al an age whep most children are still at school,
with many years of school days yet before
them. | was quietly jogging on towards the
future, but regretted the past. Solitude was
sometimes very oppressive to me. ms wai'Z,
though nothing very wonderful, hau AZ last
come to assume strange proportions IN my
mind. 1t had ceased to be mere waltz. 1t
had become almost prayer which hummed
from morning to night, not as a suppllcatlon
to heaven, but because it 1t seemed to me that
I tnt m hoard
when it echoed in my memory, could have
sworn twas my loved ones at home who re
sponded to me. l cannot express how eagerly
desired to hear the whole OF that waltz. l
could not deceive myself. My combinations
seemed charming to me when extemporized
them, but when | repeated them they spoke to
me only OF myself and nothing Of my loved
ones at home, nor of the departed days OF
childhood. Years had come and gone but
those eight bars did not fade away from mem
ory; on the contrary they seemed deeper gray
en- on it with each departed year. AS one
grows old one forgcts everything or one re-
members with wonderful dlstinctness the
scenery and the personages OF the joyful
comedy of youth | am one of those who re-
member, and | am delighted to belong to this
brotherhood Is there anything more blissful
than to be able to escape the hardships OF time
present by evOking the dreams of time past,
enchanting dreams even when they recall re-
grcts One day could stand 1t no longer So
set out from nome to hunt for my waltz. As
there was no cause for my journey, my father
and the rest of the family covered me with ca
resses. They attributed my return to an IN
crease of affection for them. They were mis-
taken, for loved them so dearly could not
for the life of me, have loved them more than
I l,I I hrn ma In Them
about my waltz, lest might destroy their IL
usons. 1t seemed to me | should wound
them were to talk about my waltz. Those
who know what 1t is to love will understand
what | mean. One evening my father, who
was fond of hearing me play, asked for some
music He was a learned and severe judge
always felt little nervous at being asked to
play before him. That evening, however,
did not wait to be pressed, and without any
prelude to make my fingers agile, played the
famous bars of the waltz which prosecuted
me. My father SAID:
rs it possible! DO you still remember
Zmmer's waltz"
| exclaimed: thinner! Is that a waltz
by Zlmmcrl Are you sure OF thaty Who was
thinner ?"
My father replied: "Zlmmcr was young
composer, who IN times past, had some vogue.
He began unusually well, and was becoming
popular, when one day he disappeared and
nobody knows what become of him"
DO you know his waltz from beginning to
end y"
mo, | do not"
How could you, with your prodigious mem.
Dry, have forgotten ity"
For the excellent reason that | never knew
IT. Your poor, dear mother sang it to put you
70, q. I Iara oh mr.
of it than those eight bars"
The next day visited every music shop IN
Cologne. asked the dealers for thinner
waltz. did not know its title, so | said; at
begins IN this way" and | sang the first eight
bars. They looked a. me smilngly, and every.
where | got for an answer, 81 don't know 1t. "
returned quite vcXed to Paris. | never en-.
tered a music shop for years and during all
my travels, without asking for Limmer's waltz
received everywhere the same answer, 81
don't know it," At last gave up all hope OF
finding the rest OF it, and contented myself in
good and in bad ways with the eight bars
which invariably came into my memory. One
morning, while settling m account with Bren
dus, the Paris music publisher, he said to me
II have Just heard OF apoor fellow who real
ly has some talent"
Are you going to publish his music"
II should ike TO 40 SO, Dut he Is oiu anu mas
no reputation"
ale will acquire reputation"
ale pretends he had reputation once"
What Is his namey'
"Zlmmer."
Zimmer! Did you say Zmmer' Where
does he live? DO give me his address, quick
quick"
II don't know his address. He is to com,
here tomorrow to take back his manuscript
he left"
"Brandus, my dear friend, do me a favor,
very great favor publish that manuscript
pay HIM ten times what it Is worth, and charg
The money to me, and send the excellent fellow
to me- would give anything TO see him."
Brandus promised to grant both my requests
| waited impatiently all next day TO see Tim
mer He did not come. | waited the secon'
Zlmmer never appeared
| was at first vexed enough, and then becam
resigned to my disappointment said to my
self that after all wise man ought TO conten