The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-23

the lady was ssain dashed ~ his lack Of N
equal social standing. Nothing short OF .
complete renunoiation Of music would have
prevailed upon the parents to consent to their
daughters union with the composer. Once
again there was offered to Handel the choice
Of domestic happiness. coupled with the bne;
Rntion Of all that to him rendered life worth
living. without . moments hesitation he re-
fused TO give up his art. We are told that not
. love letter remains TO bear witness to these
passages OF Affection in Handel's life. They
left no trace behind. unless some reminiscence
OF them may be detected In the soft melodies
OF Theodore" or in the imrassioned strains
Of "Acis and Galatea-"
N.
The story Of Haydn's marriage casts q good
deal OF light upon his character. As a poor
boy in Vienna he was glad to accept from 4
.good-nature red wig maker the offer OF an attic
ROBIN: he continued to occupy 1t for many
years. and used to take his meals at the family
table without paying for them. The wig maker
had two daughters, the elder OF whom was as
much distinguished for the sweetness OF her
disposition as the younger was for her scold-
ing tongue and quarrelsome temper While
Haydn was a guest at Keller's house. the
bright eyes and amiable ways Of the elder ais
ter made q deep impression on him. Unluck-
lily for him she was . devout Catholic. and
meekly acQuissced in the suggestion Of her
confessor that she should enter a convent.
Poor as he was. Haydn endeavored to prevent
the fulnlment Of the plan. and repeatedly told
Keller that he should particularly like to call
father-in-law. 1t would. as Mr.. Rowboth-
am observes. be difficult to give a man q
broader hint that you wantto marry his daugh-
ter. Keller. however. did not tnke the hint.
and Haydn gradually abandoned hope.
Years afterward. whom Haydn was enjoying
a competence through tho liberality OF tho
Esterhazys. he again came into contact with
Keller. who was now in reduced circum-
stances. To show his gratitude to his former
benefactor. Haydn proposed for the hand Of
the younger daughter. and was accepted. The
temper OF this young woman must have been
VOL known to him. and she does not seem to
have been more celebrated for virtue than che
was for amiability. On the whole. she was o
woman to be avoided. but she was Keller's
daughter. and tho ELUSIVE heart Of Haydn
all the drawbacks to tho match.
The ultimate effect OF this marriage was to
drive Haydn away from his homo whenever he
wanted quiet or recreation. Like all discreet
mon he bowed to the storm OF female irrita-
tion. and mover attempted to withstand It.
His happiest evenings were henceforth
spent out OF doors. at other peoples
houses. and generally In the drawing
room OF some female acquaintance whom he
treated as a confdante or paid court to as an
admirer. Haydn vas BY nature much dis
posed to gallantry. and in his later years his
relations with women were somewhat lax.
This is attributed by Mr.. Rowbotham to the
unhappy life he led at home. than which, he
thinks. there can be no surer way to throw q
man into the arms OF rivals.
Ill.
It is we'll known that Chopin and List, as
we'll as Alfred de Musset. figured in the life OF
George Sand. 1t is said that Chopin was
handsome In youth. but the ravages Of an ILL
ness to which he was continually subject con.
verted him in middle life into a cadaverous
looking man. who could only by n stretch Of
Imagination be credited with Cood looks.
Added to an unprepossessing countenance
was o very fragile and delicate physique,
which boro witness to great bodily weakness.
Fond as he was OF mixing in society. his tenn
was tho reverse OF gay: By nature
he was reserved and taciturn. His practice
at the piano was SO incessant that he caused
permanent injury to his spine by sitting
on the stool with his back unsupported for
" - " l Woulo o
peat ono bar over and over again nearly a
thousand times. till people living in the
house with him were aGhast at the monotony
and at the tremendous pains about tribes
which the pianist took.
1t is customary to think OF Chopin as q Pole,
and he used to indulge In much romantic talk
about Polish patriotism. but, as q matter OF
fact. he was only born in Poland by accident.
being the son OF o French teacher OF languages
who had settled in Warsaw. He first played
In Paris in 1881. whom he was barely 81 years
old. There. for about six years. he lived q
happy and comparatively untroubled life. but
then the seeds Of consun ption began to de-
velop in his delicate frame. and about tho
same time he formed the acquaintance OF
George Sand. The attachment between them
lasted nearly eleven years. from about 1896 to
1S47. and when It was broken the effect on the
snfeebled constitution Of Chopin was to has
ten his death. which. In any event. must have
soon occurred. Throughout this liaison he
was the constant prey OF jealousy. for which
George Sand gave him good ground. Her &C.
panied him being himself fastid-
ious. he shrnnk from seeing the lady clad in
mons clothes. cooking ono leg over the back Of
n chair and emitting blue clouds OF smoke
from a mouth whose teeth were less white
than yellow. Chopin sank into sickness aoon
AFTER mo acquaintance began. ana on GeOFgo
Sand devolved the duty OF nursing him. In
the hope OF recruiting his health. she took
him to Majorca. but the "detestable patient"
rs she calls him. did not improve. and in the
spring OF 1910 she took him to her place at No
liant. Various causes are assigned by those
who were acquainted with the pair for their
eventual separation. According to List.
who knew them both intimately. Chopin was
strongly opposed to the marriage OF George
Sands daughter. and this was the cause OF the
karasowski maintains with greater
that the lady grew tired Of the In
valid. and finding that. with the broadest OF
she could not get rid OF him. she Carl
him In the novel "Lucrezia Flori-
AMI" the proof-sheets OF which she ha nded
him to correct. There Is no doubt that the
Karol in that book is intended for
Chopin. and. II the world at large can soc the
no could scarcely fail to detect 1t.
Whatever was the cause. the separation came
at last In lS47. Chopin took 1t bitterly to
heart. and two years later he expired OF con-
,..-Al - An ~ Al nr~ CoaA