Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-04
so SOON WE FORGET

E-diiy III July, SAID young SapitoI
Hill matron, my husband and 1 spent a
few days at q fine Old rambling hotel, with
several acres of ground around it, in the
rolling hills of Sullivan county, N. Y.
There were about hundred jolly folks
spending theshot spell at the hotel. most
of them young married people from New
York city q
I'm the same bug that took us from the
station to ting hotefswas a thick-set man of
middle age, with q great mass of curly
dark hair mixed With gray. He had come
up on the same train with u.s. although we
hadn't seen him on the train. His face
was very familiar Ito me, but 1 couldn't
place him. q asked my husband if the
mans face didn't seem familiar to him,
100, and he replied that he'd been trying
TO hsure out where he'd seen him from the
moment our fellow passenger entered the
BUS 1t was obvious that the man didn't
know u.s. for he simply glanced at us and
then looked out of the bus window, and
a professional man of some sort or other
whose portrait we had seen in the news
papers or magazines.
THE man whose face seemed so familiar
TO US was given seat at our table, but
he didn't appear to have any appetite for
supper, the first meal we took at the hotel.
He left the table before the rest of Us
were half finished, and presently we heard
ing from the reception roOm which wasn't
Tar removed from the dining room. The
music was so excellent that L nudged my
husband.
4 guess it's that fellow with the hair
that came up in the bus with u.s. he said.
probably he's professional piano player
that we've heard and forgotten about.
The music didn't appear to strike any
OF the others at the table as being out of
the ordinary. although they all belonged
TO a pretty good class of people, of whom
you naturally expect some musical aD
probation
when we had finished our supper my
husband and 1 walked into the reception
room, and found that it was our fellow
passenger in the bus who was playing.
AS we entered he was playing 'Czardas'
with the soft pedal on, and playing them
very beautifully. 1 felt that the man was
a master of the instrument, but for the life
OF me couldn't recall him We sat down
not lar from the piano to listen, and pres
emily, when he ceased for a moment, my
husband got into conversation with him
and then boldly asked him to play the
moonlight Sonata of which he is very
iona. The pianist smiled amiably and
plaEed the composition as, l am sure, |
never heard it played before. AS he played
lot of the hotel guests trooped in, laugh
ing and chatting boisterously, but the mu-
sfcian didn't seem to be annoyed by the
noise at all. 1 instantly said to myself.
This man plays very beautifully, but he is
not a professional pianist, else he would
ny iilt' d rage over the tumult this
room ana leave the instrument in q huff
The guests continued to talk and giggIe.
ana number of the young men skylarked
rouS hiy' while the man at the plano was
rendering the Moonlight Sonata and I felt
rtal1y sorry for the performer, although he
dlun appear to mind the noise a bit When
ne mad finished the composition he smil-
insiy turned to my husband and asked him
IL mere was anything else he'd like to hear,
and Jack, nothing 10th. asked him for some
CHOPIN. The musician began PLAYING one
OF the nocturnes with delicacy of touch
Such as L nave rarely heard equaled but
the clatter and merriment in the room went
right on. The musician was right Il, tho
midst of one of the most tender passages in
the nocturne he was rendering when three
or io"r young women surrounded an idiotic
looking young Willie-boy who was siegline
IN a corner of, the room and loudly Insisted
on MS singing 'Ahm a Ragtme Million
aire' and All Wants the Filipino Man to
MS own accompaniment. The idea caught
on at once all over the room. and there
We're VocifernuS demands for the yo1Inp
man ragtime music. The man It the pfano
couidn help but hear these demands and
man ragtime music The man at the nianl
win a smile He didn't appear to be at ali
put out. and J couldn't help but marvel at
his patience. My husband and | left the
room when the Wilie-bny began shouting
his ragtime imbeciiities and walled into
the hotel rotunda. The pianist was leaning
against the desk, abstract eddy. as we en-
tered. and just then a boy on a panv rode
up 10 'he motel and walked up to the desk
Say said the Had !ton+he hotel clerlt
holding out telegram. Is there. a man her.
naped Jose-fy?'
ne musician reached out his hand for
the dispatch. '
I am Joseffy' he said, in nuiat topa
TO the lad and then [ had a chance To
medltate upon the endurance of fame, and
knew why the mans face was so familiar
70 me; The man who had been driven from
the piano by snoop of a boy who sang
ragtfme ditties was no less n master tba5
JoSely, who, about fifteen wears ago no
fore the day of Paderewski Rosenthal and
Re" others, was regarded as the greatest
OF the worlds piano virtuosi and who 10
now teaching in New York city. where lit
Tie or nothing is ever heard of him. A for
getful old world. Is it not2,'