The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-02-26


pins liking of the favor Of the nobll'
ity, a weakness suggested in that so
much of his work is dedicated to
countesses and harnesses, a couple OF
princesses in the list of titled. person
ages. Never robust, very susceptible
to the influence of surroundings, 1t
may be he found an atmosphere OF
ease and luxury very restful, restoring
When i'll able to. afford it he made
strenuous effort to keep up appear
ances before the people Of wealth with
whom he associated. was very fastidi'
Gus about his personal belongings, al
ways approved of the delicate and re-
fined rather than the snowy and or
nate.
Friends to serve and obey appear
not to have been wanting, and we
now come to that mysterious, famous
friendship, Observation-Disclosures not
| able to agree on the right name be:
| tween Chopin and George Sand
mime. Dudevant), the novelist. The
two met at the instigation of List.
some time early in 1897. The woman
of masculine brain, the man effemin-
ate in his refinements, found each the
other strangely congenial. Unlike IN
their tastes of widely differing mental
caliber, they entered into companion
ship, union, that lasted several years,
continued until shortly before Chopin's
death. At the time Of the meeting
| Chopin's health was becoming more
and more frail, an affection OF the
lungs making Roadway. Plans were
prepared for a sojourn on the island
of Maiorca in search of health, Mme
Sand to accompany the invalid, and
late in 1888 Chopin with Nine. Sand.
her two children and a servant, set
forth for the island, taking up resi-.
dence in Palma. At first all was
rose-hued, delightful, but the COM
monplace accompaniments of illness
soon banished romance. Chopin be.
came so miserably Ill his landlord re-
fused to have one so much an invalid
in his house, and there were strenu'
Gus days for both i'll and well.
Il On return to France Chopin and
Nine Sand spent their summers at
the latter's country place in Nohant
their winters in Paris. Devoted nurs
ing was rewarded by partial return to
J, health of the invalid, and Chopin in
, this period labored assiduously al
: composition, taught, and occasionally
played. But at last nursing and com
partnership ceased, the union came t
| a disastrous end. In 1847, after vic
: lent Quarrel, the couple separated. II
, the history of her life and in sketch
!. Of the days in Majorca, George Sane
! gives a very different picture of he
t | companion than is presented in worl
: published the year of the separation
t wherein Chopin is drawn as a flight.
i and exasperating invalid. He neve
: recovered from the effects of the quar-
e rel the excitement and distress al
j. tending the rupture are thought t
), have hastened his death. Dsappoin'
n ment and poverty as we'll as ill-healt
S marked his later days. In February
e 1S4S, he played for the last time il
d Paris, then fleeing from the revolution
}. went over to London. He was not at a
# strong, but persisted in. trying t
h work. played when he had to be ca
n ried upstairs to the concert room. H
d engaged in tour, in Scotland, an
IS made some visits there, but finally ma
r to surrender to the fact that the en-
g, was not far off, that work and pla
y must be laid aside. Shortly after r
IS turn to Paris, be died, on the mornir
TO of October II, 1S49. .Atathe impre
TT siye funeral services held in honor
E. the great musician, Mozart's Requie
is was sung. A resting place for him W
lie chosen beside the graves Of Cherubi
q: and Bellini.
KATHERINE POPE.