The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-04-14
LIST AS AN IDOL
The Great Musician Was Petted
by English Royalty.
A SOUVENIR OF THE MASTER.

The Singular Memento That Was Sa-
eredly and Secretly Treasured by a
Cold, Rigid and Rather Disasreeabie
Old Englishwoman.
when l was a very small boy In
deed" writes Ford NJ. Hueffer In Har-
clothes, red stockings and long golden
curls. thus displaying TO an unsympa-
thetic world the fact OF my pre- lta.
phaelite origin, was t9kcn one day
TO very large hail. IN front of us
was a wooden platform draped all
In red. Upon the platform was
grand piano.
"In front OF me the first row of the
stalls had been taken away. and in
place of them there had been put three
gilded armchalrs, before which was
table covered with a profusion Of
flowers that dropped and trailed to the
ground. Suddenly there was applause
"a considerable amount OF applause.
a lady and gentleman we're coming
from under the dark entry that led to
the artists room. They were the
Prince and Princess of Wales. There
was no doubt about that even for a
small boy like myself.
And then there was more applause.
What applause! 1t volleyed, it rolled
round the hall. All were on their feet.
! People climbed on to their chairs,
they waved hands, they waved pro-
grams, they waved hats. they shouted,
for in the dark entrance there had np-
peared, white and shining, a head
with brown and sphinxlike features
and white and long hair and the eter-
nal wonderful smile
"They advanced, these three, amid
those tremendous shouts and enthusi
asm-the two royal personages lead.
ing the master, one holding each hand
They approached the gilded armchairs
Immediately in front of me, and the
prince and princess indicated to the
master that he was to sit between
them ut the table covered with flowers
"He made little pantomimes of mod
esty. he drew his hands through their
grasp. he walked quickly away from
the armchairs. and because l was just
behind them he suddenly removed me
from my seat and left me standing un-
der all the eyes, solitary in the aisle Of
the coulter of the hall. while he sat
down. do not think was frightened
by the eyes, but know was terribly
frightened by that great brown, aqui-
line face with the piercing glance and
the mirthless, distant. inscrutable
smile.
And Immediately just beside me
there began what appeared to be a
gentle ana courtly wrestling match. A
gentleman OF the royal suit approach
ed the master. He refused to move
The prince approached the master. He
sat indomitably still Then the prin
cess came and. taking him by the hand
stall. for 1t was my stall. after all
And when he was once upon his
feet. as II to clineh the matter, she sud
denly sat down In it herself, and will
sudden touch of good feeling SHE
took me by the hand-the small soil
| tuiy Doy Win thO boiNch Nuiio uho I'm
red stockings--and sat me upon he
lap. ]. alas, have no trace Of the dat
on which | sat In a queens lap. for
Syas all so very long ago; the king
dead. the master Is long since dead
the hall itself is pulled down and ha
utterly disappeared.
81 had distant relative--oddl,
enough an English one. not a Ger
man-wbo married IN official of thu
court of Weimar and became lady fl
waiting on the grand duchess. AS far
as | know, there was nothing singu-
Iarly sentimental about this lady.
When ! knew her she was cold. rigid
and rather dlsagreeable. She had al
ways about her a peculiar and disa-
greenble odor, and when she died n
few years ago It was discovered that
she wore round her neck sachet, and
In this sachet was half smoked cigar.
"'This was relic of Franz List. He
had begun TO smoke II many years be-
fore at dinner which she had given.
and, he having put It down unfinished,
she had at once seized upon 1t and had
worn 1t upon her person ever since.
This sounds inexplicable and incredl-
bic. but there 1t is