The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-07-19
ECCENTRIC REMENYI.
THE FAMOUS MoLlNlsT USED TO
HIDE FOR YEARS AT A TIME.

THE FAMOUS WOLlNlST USED TO
HIDE FOR YEARS AT A TIME.
The Delightful Fairy Story That the
cenins Told 81 Little Girl After One
~ His Periodical Retircncnts
Fron, the Haunts of Men.
Edouard Remenyi, the famous violin
;sf. was an eccentric genius IN more
ways than one, and many odd stories
are told of his peculiarities. lie was
passionately fond Of children ana
would give to them many hours at
times when he might have employed
himself to grealer profit. One OF the
eccentricities OF his nature was TO lose
himself about once so often, and When
the world had concluded that he was
dead from shipwreck or had been eat
en- by .cannibals he would reappeaf.
unchan sed, smiling, fiddling. 1t was
after the story had been current Tor
three years that he and his ship had
gene down one stormy night OH the
australian coast that he came back 70
s,nerica and visited old Chicago
friends, among them the very dear
ones that he held at the Virginia hotel.
In this circle Of friends was little
girl who lad grieyed over the suppos,
ed drowning Of the fiddler because ne
had once played for her. When he re-
turned. Size was delighted, and at their
first meeting she begged of Remenyl
that he tell her Of his adventures
where he had been, what he had sui
fered and how he had escaped. Ihls
is the story that he told her:
isMy little friend" he said, Il was
not shipwrecked. I was standing on
the deck of my ship with my dear i'd
die under my arm-you know always
keep it there, even when sleep-and
a big wind came UP, and was blown
off the ship into the air. l thought l
was going to drop into the ocean and
would thereafter have to fiddle for the
fishes, but the wind was so strong that
syas carried right along until came
over Wirrawilla land. You don't know
where that is. but will tell you that
It is in Australia, and my ship was OF
the coast Of the island when was tax
.eu by the wind. Over Wirrawilla Land
+ went in q great hurry. still hugging
nv fiddle and thinking of you and the
many friends who would wonder what
became Of me. I blew past Arundel
pain and the Turret mountains and
came into a great place of mountains
and desert.
4The wind suddenly stopped, but not
so quick but what came gently down
to earth right among a lot of people
who were black and who were so tall
-thats / could scarcely see their faces
when looked up. They did not un-
derst:.ad my language. although
spoke to them in every tongue / knew,
but when ! took up my fiddle and
drew the bow across the strings they
all smiled. thought would try the
Miller Of the Dee on them, so gave
them few bars, and they were quite
tickled. l was quite sure they would
not kill me or eat me UP. Anyway
such a little. old. bald headed man as
am would not make good eating. They
made signs to me, and followed them
I'D into the mountains until we came
to a high place on which there was q
throne. and on this throne sat black
man. who. afterward learned. was Is
feet and 10 Inches in height.
by the side of this man stood a fid
die which was ten feet high and which
had bow nine feet and eight inch
es long. The strings on this fiddle
were as thick as your wrist, and the
bridge was made Of pure iyory-st
p1re that tie sunlight came through |;
IN ali colors. The big fellow sitting or
the throne was a king, and was plac
ed before him. We could not talk tt
each other, but he ,motioned that
Should play on my fiddle, and | did the
best / knew bow. Never did any one
ever hear me play SO sweetly or Sc
we'll. vas very proud Of my playing
and you know have a right to thinl
that am the best fiddler even thai
you ever heard. When had done. the
big king said nothing. but he got ou
OF his throne and, STOPPING down. pick
ed me up and put me in it. Then ht
picked up his bow and struck chor(
on his fiddle-the great fiddle so mon
strous that it's like exists nowhere else
'.Ah, thought could fiddle! Bu
that fellow. He made the mountain!
tremble, the clouds stopped moving
the sun wiggled in its course, animal!
made NO noise. and all the land wa.
Iiiled with music. When he touched
scftly. you could hear the summer rair
falling on the leaves. smell the flower:
in the forest. hear brooks laugh, fee
tie gentle wind. He was a monstror:
payer. and |. Remcnyi. knew that
WAS not fldler-not rs he.
Well. lie kept me there 8 years ant
. days. and we came to understand
each otl,er, md il he didn't enjoy my
dddling did his,and learned many lit
tie tricks. which I have brought bacl
with me and which you shall see il
time. When left him, told him tina
would come back some day, and
Will. but not for many years, fear
z2any years. But such q fiddle as ht
lad and such a bow and such music
I'm glad the rest Of the world does moi
know Of him. dear, else they would
,.svcr care to hear me fiddle again."
Is it true:" asked the little girl. hc
eycs almost popping out Of her head
lust MS true," said Remcnyi. 81.