The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-24

row there was one who brought him
cheer IN his last days. It was a lit
lie southern girl 20 whom he gave
vocal instruction. Sometimes. when
the lesson was over she would pin
a rosebud on his coat or send some
little dclicacy 20 his studio. Some
times she would bring him bunch
Of Southern roses. He would place
them on his piano and play out his
soul 20 the sweet-scented beauties.
One day, late in the fall OF 1904.
Lust was too III 70 teach. but he
undertook the task. That morning
his pupil sang sweeter than usual
and there was something especially
tender in his music. But the effort
was too much for him. All OF sud
den his head began 20 reel. his eyes
dimued. and his voice failed. He
clutched at a chair and fell TO the
floor. He aWOkc on a couch and
felt the touch Of q gentle hand upon
his brow. He seemed 70 realize that
the end was drawing near. and his
eyes filled with tears as he cazed
upon the young girl In her he saw
the image Of the only girl he ever
loved. and he seemed 90 DE living in
the past as he began to talk.
Your name IS Rosa. Il IS
sweet name. You have been nv
best friend; you are my Rosa" Then
a sudden light came into his ewes
and he spranE from the couch. MY
Rosa he exclaimed. My Rosary,
I viii write music 70 that poem. He
faltered n minute and then added
in pathetic voice, and fear II
viii be my last"
i was then that one or the sweet
est songs ever composed was born.
He was enthused with the inspl-a-
ton and. almost TOO sick 10 stand
alone, went 20 his studio. There. all
night long. by the light OF an oil
lamp. he toiled ar the piano putting
his emotions into music. He adapt
cd Robert Cameron Rogers poem
My Rosary" TO the music OF his
inspired soul.
BY daylight IL was finished He
made copy OF IL and carried IL to
her TO try. He never played an ac-
compartment as he did that morn
ing. and she sans the song as II
has never been sung since. A week
later she sang It in Il concert. and
IT caught the public ear like a
whirlwind.
But the musician never recovered
from the shock. He took to his
bed, and gradually the eyes dIrnmed
until they closed forever. During
his Illness almost every morning
there was a bunch Of roses beside
hts bed that had been gathered by
the fair Southern girl. and often she
would drop in for a few minutes 70
cheer him up and bring some deli
cacy which she had prepared with
her own hands 70 tempt his appe-
tite. It was she who sat beside his
bed and cooled his brow as the last
light in his eyes faded away. The
funeral took place at the church
which he had served as an orranist
II was an unusually solemn occa-
sion. Just as the minister finished
his discourse a beautiful SUNNI
faced girl stepped 10 the chancel
rail and began the strains of an>un-
usually sweet and tender song 20
the accompaniment OF the great or
gan. MY Rosary" was the singer.
and the song was the same. The
dead composer lay at her feet. The
audience was as still as death. and
as the last notes OF the pure. sweet
voice died away many eyes were
filed with tears.
The remains were laid away in
Greenwood. and on the red earth Of
the new-made mound girllsh fig-
ure placed a large bunch of South
ern roses.
4 short time after the death Of
Lust, New York impresario went
to Europe. One night, while occu-
plying box in theater at Vienna
with a party Of friends. a singer
came out on the stage and sang
The Rosary" In the party with
the impresario was Leah Lessl a
well-known singer Of that country.
There was something in the song
which touched the woman in the
box. and after the play she was in
troduced 20 the singer. She was
shown a copy Of it and there learned
that the song was composed by her
lonE-lost sweetheart. On the title
page Of the music was the story Of
his death. Miss Lessi was complete
" unnerved, and at once made ar
rangements that the grave in the
far-oT country should never be neg
lected nor without its rose.
Press" ComDsnyJ