Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-09
PAGANINI.
HOW THE GREAT YIOLINIST M4NIPULAT-
ED HIS INSTRUMENT.

How did Paganini play? Now like an
angel, now like demon with his tail in
closed door. He played like the very devil
himself-never like mortal man. Such
sounds assuredly have never yet been drawn
from a violin. The only thing that sounded
like them was pulling a cat by the hind leg
from under an ash barrel. In fact, they
were no real violin sounds; they sounded
like the roaring of the storm, like the surg
ing of the sea, like a chronic snorer with his
nose congested, like brakeman on the ele-
waited railroad with a cold in his head, like
the ringing of a trombone, like the thun-
der of a fat man with deep voice whose
suspender buttons flew off, like the chimes
of a dinner bell, or the sound of bird, like
the anguish and despair of a man, like
moaning and singing and whining and
weeping.
And When the G string walled, then tears
came through the eyes from the listening
hearts of men, tears Of sadness and delight,
real salt and water tears as big as Texas
pecan nuts-none Of your artificial tears got
ten up to deceive the public.
His performance had the effect OF flashes
of lightning in dark night. He was as
full of electricity as black cat that is rub
bed the wrong way of the fur. While he
played, a nervous tremOr went through his
whole frame, shaking, thin and spectre:lik
as it was, and from his gloomy eyes there
flashed a deeply-seated, raging fire, such as
is some times seen in the eyes OF an editor
on whom the bar-keeper> showed off bad
quarter. With the last stroke of the bow
the player sank completely exhausted.
His technique was the purest chromatic
rouades, his wonderfully clear intonation,
even in humorous biZarreries, excited the
astonishment of people who were engaged in
~ ,pft If iVar
all about them His broken accords across
all the four strings, from the lowest depths
to the giddiest heights, could not be distin-
guishe1 from the noise made by a boy rum
ming Il stick along picket fence. His rap
id octave playing upon the & string, his
silvery chime of bells, his fortissimo, which
drowned the whole of the orchestra, fol-
lowed Immediately by the sweetest, most
charming pianissimO, can only be compar-
ed to the loud voice of woman who is
scolding her boy for tearing his pants, and
suddenly hears the voice Of her pastor at
the door asking if she was in.
All this was inconceivable or incOmpre-
hensible, and, therefore, also indescribable.
Even the best violinsts of Berlin shook
their heads and said: "We do not compre-
hend it; that is superhuman. If we had
not heard and seen this performance we
should not believe it," And yet Paganini
died a natural death. He was never even
shot at-Ieras Syfigs.
AVERAGE Cost OF LIvING.--How many
persons have even rough idea OF the av-
erage sum upon which by far the larger
part of the citizens of the United States are
fed, clothed and housed? A recent statisti-
clan estimates that eighty per cent. OF the
population of this country is supported by
from forty-tive to fifty cents per capita a
day. At the latter figure this makes $l64.25
as the annual average cost OF living; but as
by the average we mean the balance be-
tween extremes, there must be many per-
sons who have not even this sum to live up
on. That fifty cents day is generous es-
innate will be admitted when it is remem-
bered that many mill operatives earn only
from five to seven dollars week, and that
the wages of farm hands run from twenty
to thirty dollars month, and that on these
sums several persons are often supported.
When it is remembered, too, that other
human beings have a yearly income equal
to what is necessary for the subsistence OF
500 or | 900 of these "average" mortals, the
startling contrast between the extremes of
our modern society must be most evident
Philadelphia Bulletin.
DON'T ENPECT TO FIND A SHERIFF IN
HEAVEN Henry Ward Beecher: When
was quartered as pastor at indianapolis, in
my early days in the ministry, celebrated
preacher came there, Geneva divine, who
naturally spoke English with variations.
1t was in the year 1887, in which the country
was covered with ruin, and the homes and
property of half the citizens of Indianapolis
were in the sherit7s hands. One Sunday he
took my pulpit, and wound up a thrilling
discourse with the tender peroration: If
you will bear with resignation and fortitude
the misfortunes which have fallen on you
for a brief time here below, the time VIII
come when YOU will be borne up aloft to a
heavenly land by the Cherubim and Sher-
iffim." '"Ohw groaned voice, "are we to
find them there, too?"
assg" circumstances alter cases; but | wish
| could get hold Of some cases that would
alter my circumstances" said Lord Brough-
man, when he was struggling lawyer.