The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-11-24
NO. 48

tOrCy-nYe degrees, tno eyes upVurueu,
the heavy lower lip.pendulous, and
there is sense of utter absorption in
the music. He has an odd way of
bringing this lower lip up and letting
it fall at short intervals, as fish works
his mouth while breathing. He uses
only one foot in peddalling-his
Highland nearly always it was the
loud pedal that he pressed. When the
passage called Tor no pedal he stuck
the front OF his foot under the pc ial.
This was lnvariable. After fini shlrg
his piece he stood up and his right
hand habitually went up to his face.
Tom played one OF his own compc-
s,tions next, "something that the birds
an / wind told him." It was simple,
fresh, melodioas thing, with good
dash of the sprightliness which colored
people are so fcnd Of in music.
"When did you compose that?"
asked Mr.. Lerche. !
"That, sir, I composed when was
seven years of age" repliel Tom W. b
J the same impressive gravity.
do you play anything of Reuben
stein's?" I inquired.
II play Reubenstein's melody in F."
he replied, and then, as usual, began
at once to play It, His technique, ex-
preston and correctness were perfect,
but in nothing that he played was
there any Interpretation of his own OF
the piece. But it was marvellous
enough without that. One need not
3 exaggerate the wonders of this simple
negroes mastery of the piano. They
Y are miraculous enough In a weak
mined man who knows theoretically
: nothing Of his art.
q Tom never drinks, swears, nor shows
g aay vicious inclinations. He is scru'
puously neat, and most regular and
Q methodcal in his habits. He rises at
o 7, has breakfast at 8, dinner at halt
It past l, and supper at g.. He goes Il
e bed at little after 8. He has an at
II tendant who looks after him at mea
q time as he has to have his meat Gu
for him. He finls his napkin and
2, tucks that In around his neck him
k self. He has good appetite, althong!
n by no means is he heavy eater. H7
t. is fond OF frult-watermelons preferred
e. likes all kinds of pie except mince, ant
IS Is very fond of sugar. He neyc
ID drinks coffee. He is sensitive to cold
D. Sometimes when he feels stron!
is breeze blowing on him he Will say
Toms IN draught. He may catcl
ie cold and die. Wouldn't that be tel
1e rii,Ia?" He has this artless lear
a death, yes he has composed funera
es march for himself, in which there
a. one movement so cheerfully brigh
as to be almost pathetic. This marcl
o. was played at the funeral Of his mas
20 ter, John G. Bethune, who was kille
y. in a railway accident in 1883.
ys; He has the habit of turning his eye
Nv up when he plays, or when he walk
ne about mumbling to himself. He like
/ to let the sunlight fall directly on hi
eyeballs. When he talks to hlmsel
S. he will repeat word or phrase sewers
en- times, either to emphasize it, {
d. through pleasure in the sound, or els
We because he is filing in time until som
ch other idea shall come to his mln'
lie For instance, he went on in this wa
th for some time as he strolled up an
down with his rolling gait on the v
W. randa: "Wagner. Yes. Wagner. M
he Wagner. Richard Wagner. Wagne
,ty Mr.. Wagner is dead. Yes. he
dead. His last opera. Yes. His o
ba era. His last opera was 'Parsifa
II sParsifal.' His last opera"
,ed When rose to 60 he shook han
ads and bade me goodbye, AMI as the c.
ace rage bore me off I heard him again
ich his beloved piano, the unwearying 81
sts. ace of his life. The soft music ire
np. the weak-mlnded negro escap
,ers through the shades Of the room, a
to the breath of the honeysuckle "
was waited in upon the blind child OF
any ture as lie sat there in the dim apa
He ment alone, yet companioned as II
and mortals are.
n is The strongest impression l o'
nee away was that of the sweet, content
the life the. poor, blind negro is leaoi'
There, was pathos in it. l had
ol,v pected to find wonder at the pla
de- and did, for his u'taught mastery
cent the instrument is so marvellous
ano. admits of no explanation. It's
but of nature, pure and simple Fr
# q the time when the Bethune lam
oad left the dinner table to see who co
d be playing on the piano, and disc
eal,- cred the sightleas pickanlnny OF 4 "
ocL nerched on the stool, his little ha
= of nlucking uncanny melody from
froro thot time until