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


row there was one who brought him
cheer In his last days. II was a lit
tie Southern girl 10 whom he gave
vocal instruction. Sometimes. when
the lesson was over. she would pin
a rosebud on his coat or send some
little delicacy 70 his studio. Some
times she would bring him n 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 81 10 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 a sud
den HIS head began 10 reel. his eyes
dimmed. and his voice failed. He
clutched az a chair and fell 10 the
floor He awoke on a couch and
felt the touch Of gentle hand upon
his brow. He seemed 20 realize that
the end was drawing near. and his
eyes filled with tears as he gazed
upon the young girl In her he saw
the image OF the only girl he ever
loved. and he seemed TO be living In
the past as he began to talk.
Your name IS Rosa. II is a
sweet name. You have been nv
best friend; you are my Rosa Then
a sudden light came into his ewes
and he sprang from the couch. NY
Rosa" he exclaimed. NY Rosary,
I viii write music 20 that poem. He
faltered a minute and then added
In a pathetic voice. and I fear II
will be my last"
II was then that one Of tho sweet
est songs ever composed was born.
lie was enthused with the inspi-a-
ton and. almost 100 sick 10 stand
alone, went 20 his studio. There. all
night long. by the light Of an oil
lamp, he toiled at the piano putting
his emotions into music. He adapt-
ed 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 II TO
her 70 try. He never PLAYED an &C
compartment as he did that morn
ing. and she sang the song as II
has never been sung since. A week
later she sang It In a 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 dimmed
until they closed forever. During
his illness almost every morning
there was a bunch Of roses beside
his bed that had been gathered bv
the fair Southern girl. and often she
would drop IN for a few minutes TO
cheer him up and bring some deli
cacy which she had prepared with
her own hands 70 tempt his anne
tite. II 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 organist.
1t was an unusually solemn occa-
sion. Just as the minister finished
his discourse a beautiful sunny
faced girl stepped to the chanceI
rail and began the strains of an>un-
usually sweet and tender song TO
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
filled with tears.
The remains were laid away in
Greenwood, and on the red earth Of
the new-made mound a girl!sh fig
ure placed a large bunch Of South
ern roses.
\ short time after the death Of
Lust. a New York impresario went
TO Europe. One night. while occu-
plying a box in n 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 Lessi, 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 TO the singer. She was
shown a copy Of It and there learned
that the song was composed by her
long-lost sweetheart On the title
page Of the music was the story Of
his death. Miss Lessi was complete
ly unnerved, and at once made ar
engagements that the grave in the
faT-Off country should never be neg
lected nor without its rose.
Press" Company