The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-04-16
Rubinstein's Piano Playing.
JUD. BRowNIN's ACCOUNT OF IT.

"Jud., they say you heard Rubinstein
play in New York"
"I did in the COOL"
"Well, tell US about it."
"What me l nights we'll tell you
about the creation of the world"
eco on; no mock modesty. Go ahead"
"Well, sir, he had the bamedest, big
gest, cattycornerdest pianner you ever
laid eyes on somethin' like distracted
billiard-table on three legs. The lid was
heisted, and mighty we'll it was. If it
hadn't been, he'd tore the insides clean
out, and scattered EN- to the four winds
of heaven"
"Played well, did he ?"
"You bet he did, but don't Interrupt
me. When he first set down he 'peared
to keer mighty little bout playin', and
wisht he hadn't come. He tweedle-
leedle'd little on the TRIBE, and twoodle.
oodle-oodle'd some on the bass-just foolin'
and boxin' the things jaws for bein' in
his way. And 1 says to man settin'
next to me, s. 1, What sort of fool
playin' is that p And he says Heish | ,
But presently his hands commenced chas-
ing one mother up and down the keys
like passed. of rats scamperin' through a
garnet very swift. Parts of it was very
sweet, though, and reminded me of a
sugar squirrel turnin' in the wheel of a
candy cage.
"Now,' says to my neighbor, he's
shown off. He thinks he's a.doin' of it,
but he amt got no idee-no plan of
nothin'. If he'd play me up a tune of
some kind or other I'd
&C Rut rpu N az ob hor oouo G Ea;eb x,ar,,
impatient.
al was just about to git up and go
home, bein' tired of that foolishness, when
heard little bird waking up away off
in the woods, and calling sleeplylike to
his mate, and looked up and see that
Rubinstein was beginnin' to take some in.
terest in his business, and / set down
agin. Thamusic began to make pictures
for me faster than you could shake a
stick, to tell tales like the story.books, and
to start all sorts of feelin's-it just totted
me like was child wherever it pleased
and showed me all kind of things that is
and things that isn't and couldn't never
be. 1t was the peep O. day. The light
come faint from the east, the breeze
glowed gentle and fresh, some birds
walked up in the orchard, then some more
in the trees near the house, and all begun
singin' together. People begun to stir,
and the gal opened the shutters. Just
then the first beam of the sun fell upon
the blossoms; leetle more and it techt
the roses on the bushes, and the next
thing it was broad day. The sun blszed
fairly; the birds sang like they'd split
their little throats; all the leaves was
movin' and flashin' diamonds of dew, and
the whole wide world was bright aud
happy as king. Seemed to me like
there was good breakfast in every house
in the land, aud not a sick child or woman
anywhere. 1t was fine mornin'.
And | says to my neighbor, That's
music, that u.s.
"But he glared at me like he'd like tc
cut my throat.
"Presently the wind turned; it begun
to thicken up, and kind of gray mist
came over things; / got low-spiriteG
Directly. Then a silver rain begun tc
fall. | could see the drops touch the
ground; some flashed up like long pear
earrings, and the rest rolled away like
round rubies. 1t was pretty, but melan
choly. Then the pearls gathered them
selves into long strands and necklaces
anu ohOh ohOJ luJO bllNc
streams running between golden gravels
and then the streams Joined each othe
at the bottom of the mill, and made 1
brook that flowed silent, except that YOU
could kinder see the music, specially wheI
the bushes on the bank moved as the mu
sic went along down the valley. coult
smell the flowers in the meadow. Blu
the sun didn't shine nor the birds sing
it was a foggy day, but not cold. Tn
most curious thing, though, was the littl
white angel boy, like you see in the pic
lures, that run ahead of the music brook
and led it on and on, away out of the world
where no man ever was-I never was
certain. / could see that boy Just a
plain as see you. Then the moonlight
came, without any sunset, and shone OF
the graveyards, where some few ghost
lifted their hands and went over the wall
and between the black sharp-top trees splen
did marble houses rose up, with iue ladie
in the lit-up windows, and men that love-
'em, but could never get nigh em, an
played on guitars under the trees, an
made me that miserable could crieG
because / wanted to love somebody,
don't know who, better than the men wit
guitars did. The sun went down, it &c
dark, the wind moaned and wept like