Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-03-01

Reference has been made to Cho-
pins liking of the favor of the nobil-
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, it
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 refnements, 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
I 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 sojourn on the island
of Majorca in search of health, Nine.
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
monplaee accompaniment of illness
soon banished romance. Chopin be-
came so miserably i'll 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 we'll
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
health of the invalid, and Chopin in
this period labored assiduously at
composition, taught, and occasionally
played But at last nursing and com
| panionship ceased the union came to
a disastrous end. In 1S47, after VIC.
lent quarrel, the couple separated. In
the history of her life and in sketch
of the days in Majorca, George Sand
gives a very different picture of her
companion than is presented in work
published the year of the separation,
wherein Chopin is drawn as a fiighty
and exasperating invalid. He never
recovered from the effects of the quar-
rel, the excitement and distress at.
tending the rupture are thought to
have fastened his death. Disappoint.
ment and poverty as well as ill-health
marked his later days. In February
1913, he played for the last time in
Paris, then fleeing from the revolution
went over to London. He was not at all
strong, but persisted in, trying to
] work, played when he had to be car
| ried upstairs TO the concert room. He
engaged in a tour in Scotland, and
made some visits there, but finally had
: to surrender to the fact that the end
was not fsrSoEs that work and play
must be lid aside. Shortly after re
Eturn to Paris. he died, on the morning
of October II, 1S49. At the impress
tsive funeral services held in honor Of
: the great musician, Mozart's Requiem
was sung. A resting place for him was
chosen beside the graves of Cherubin
and Bellini.
~ KATHERINE PoPE