The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-25

in the piano shine, and she forgot.
The folk gossip about the Podolia peas
ants playing reached Warsaw, and a
grave professor, with bristling black whis-
kers and hair and thoughtful blue eyes,
went down to hear.
HE Icrt to the little cottage and listen
ed outside the door. HIS grave eyes
frightened. "SchoenI Schoenv he said. He
was 50 pleased that he quite forgot to
knock. He pushed open the door. The
girl wife was pressing her lips upon her
husbands hand, and he was stroking her
hair.
The Warsaw professor coughed. The
child husband and wife stared.
I'VE want you at the Warsaw Conser-
vatory." said the man with the bristling
hair. VIII you accept?"
Paderewski and his wife-remember they
were only children-burst into tears. When
the professor left he had their promise
that they would go to Warsaw in TWO
weeks
One night two angels lowered over the
Podolia musicians cottage. They. were
the angel of life and the angel of death.
Each one brought his gift and departed.
In the morning Ignace Pade.ewski knelt
beside the bed where his wife lay with
white face and still lips and eyes-those
tender eyes-closed forever. In the next
room the Village women gathered and
gossiped about weak. wailing babe, with
limbs as helpless as a wooden dolls. Some
times they peeped into the next room and
saw the musician kneeling. with face hid
den in his hands. beside the bed. and
crossed themselves.
They buried the musicians wife in the
simple Podolia cemetery. Paderewski was
very quiet that day. Only one person
heard him say: THE stars have gone out.
The s:ark have gone out"
lie went to Warsaw and took the oesy-
ism infant with the limb as helpless as
wooden dolls with him. He PLAYED badly
at irst, and his instruction was feeble. He
knew It. The stars have gone out The
stars have gone cut" he would whisper.
The grave professor. with his bristieing
beard and hair. remembered and under
stood, and he was very patient. He came
upon Paderewski once sitting lstlessly be-
fore the piano, his hands at his side, his
head bowed upon his breast.
"She is not pleased to see you thus,
said the professor softly.
Pade-ewski raised melancholy eyes to
his
do you think she knows?"
YES" said the professor.
In little while he heard music in the
room he had left. 1t was sad music. 1t
made him weep for the first time in ten
years. Then a note OF hope stole into the
strains, then the subdued song of resigna-
ton, then a strong note of prophesy and
hymn of reunion.
When the professor looked up Ignace
Paderewskl was beside him.
al believe she knows. 1 think she was
with me then. l could feel her eyes upon
me-" he said.
The old Warsaw professor Is still Pader-
ewsxi's copfidant It Is his story that has
come across me Atlantic in answer to the
reports Of Paderewskfs marriage.
"Win Padefewski marry?" the curious
ask him.
Never" says the professor. smiling and
folding his arms as one who knows.
Paderewski went to the Strasbourg Con-
servatory of Music from Warsaw in 1854.
He gave up teaching and became a virtu-
Oso. He went to Vienne and learned OF
Theodore Leschetizky, the famous trainer
OF pianists. He toured Germany with sue
cess He went to Paris in 1889. and at
once became lion" He has made three
tours of America. lie IS the greatest pian-
list of the age. He has composed an opera
TO be sung at Dresden in the fall. He is
the prince in the realm Of music.
And ever his inspiration has been the
tender eyes of his young wife, the eyes
that are bright still in memory. the eyes
that he believes are still upon him as he
plays and writes and that watch ever be-
side him while he wakes or sleeps.
His crippled son is now as old as Pader
ewski was when he married. He has
never walked. and he cannot use his arms.
He does not care for music, but he loves
his father vita abject devotion. and he
looks at him from eyes like his mothers.
Paderewski Is very tender of this child OF
his one love.
Next year he will leave off playing and
live on his farm in Galicia, close 10 the
border Of Russia and Of his native Poland. |
Dhither he will take his invalid child. !
and the time he can spare from him he |
will give 10 composition. Though only |
Paderewski is an old man at
heart. He has suffered and worked more |
than less sensitive men OF twice his sge. |
He Is tired and sraves rest with his son.
The pianist and his son are both in Paris. |
The son lives in the home OF Nine. Elena |
Gorski, who was the friend Of the boy /
and his father In their friendlessness and |
obscur!ty No medical skill can ever give
the MANNED boy the strength denied him
at birth in the cottage at Podolia.
This is the love story OF Paderewski as
told by the old Warsaw professor in Paris
last week. 1t is said to be the theme OF
his opera. and that all the incidents are
strung upon il as pearls upon thread OF
gold.
Nobody has sympathy for a fat man,
though every real tat one needs 1t all the