San Francisco vindicator., 1888-11-17

The great pianist invited me to lunch
with him one Monday at his boarding
place on Beacon street. He said he was
depressed. and wanted to make some
body % miserable as he was himself.
de preferred friend for this object.
and suggested that il | would be that
friend he would appreciate nv voluntary
submission to suffering as q proof Of
sincere amity. It was always difficult
TO tell when Won Bulow was testing. FOR
his manner was invariably earnest
However, | consented to lunch with
him, whereupon he took my arm, and.
as we walked. he urged me solemnly to
avoid music as topic for conversation,
unless mad something startling 10 pro
pose, such as new resolution of chord
Of the ninth or plan for the simulta-
neous destruction Of all the piano-forte
manufacturers in the world. He grew
eloquent upon the subject OF the fine
lunch he had offered and | had accept
Cd, and in the course of the CONVERSE
ton enlarged upon the epicurean de-
lights that Munich presented to the bon
v'vGnt. ending with an invitation to me
70 visit that art capital with him in
order to eat o black radish and to trv
the beer ut the Hofbrauerei.
The banquet consisted of minced fish.
baked beans, and brown bread Of the
day before, and other fare in kind. well
prepared and well served enough. but
food for which have no especial fond |
ness therefore ate sparlngly, which
Won Bulow observing, said: "But Won
don't eat my dear fellow! You ara Of
Boston. The beans are OF Boston. tn
brown bread 10 of Boston. Feastp' r.
was impossible to avoid laughing az his
grave solicitude for my comfort and III
the manner in which he enioved III
curious joke, for joke it was. Presently
new idea seemed to strike him, for he
summoned waiter, and after an en-
couraging glance at me, ordered that
worthy to bring to the table the bottle
bearing the name Won Bulow on q label
about its neck. The wine was brought
and my glass was filed with claret
waited for Won Bulow to fill his own.
Dut he said he could not drink, Is IL
affected his head at once. | put tha
wine to my lips 1t was sour as YER
juice and as bitter as gall. replaced
the glass on the table with as little de-
lay as possible. He had watched ma
with great interest and when be saw
tne unfavorable effect his wine had
made, said lnquiringly: Don't YOU
hke ltf" Upon informing him with as
much delicacy as could summon that
the claret was abominable, he shook his
head sadly, and observed: "It must be
90! Now | am convinced. You are the
seventh guest have invited here who
has condemned that same bottle az
wine! The only apology I have is that
have kept my word to you. Ipromised
70 make you miserable. know | have
On another occasion Won Bulow can
fessed to me that he wanted to MAKE !
loke' his time ali was open and
above board. He wish "a to do a SER
vlce 10 his agent one Wertheimer, and
he thought ne could best do it by writing
And publishing q comic song. "A comic
song by the classical Won Bulow would il
% sure to have an immense sale, and {
Nertheimer would reap q large profit
rom It Words were wanted, and Won y
bulow asked me to write MIN a few q
humorous stanZas, of which the burden J.
,r catch-word was to be IA little more
slnger! then, | believe, q popular 5
lang term. 1 wrote and delivered the u
words, and Won Bulow told ME to call
lpon him the next day to hear the we'd q
ling OF my words to music by him. b
vent, and after the composer had told \,
40 his success in finding a tune be sat =
{ the piano and played it Never did n
near . more cramped. unmelodious,
nd unsingable melody. and the piano y
orte accompaniment bristled with diffi- ot
ulties. requiring skill no less than bis
wn to play. ! was amazed speech n
sss! Well" he said. farming on the 10
iano-stool, what do you think Of IL II
oets" 4 told him with the most perfect
'ankness that the voice part Of bis q
lusicai joke was unsingable, and the b,
lano part unplayable. my dear fell II.
~. ne said. with something Of pity in m
q tones. that is the joke. ."-BoStoR ra
GsErddy Evening Gazette. w