Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-06-01
:, :. FED tII.HsI A KISS
And Rubinstein Repaid Her With
 a Torrent of Melody.
MOODS OF THE GREAT MASTER

I
 Composer In His Home In St. Peters burg, When His Efforts at the Piano
 Left Him Ashen Faced and Exhausted In her "Recollections of Rubinsteln, | published in Harper's Magazine. Lii | Han Nicha throws some new tights OF | tue character and temperament of one
 of the famous composers of the fast
 century Her earliest acquaintance l with Rubinsten was when, as q child. l she resided with her parents in Dub
 lin. She afterward travelled with him i during an English tour that the com i poser made and met him again in St ! Petersburg at rehearsal. when the great master invited her to dinner that same evening. The author says: "1 spent the rest of the afternoon practising. and little before $ o'clock | found myself at last in Rubinstein'S study amid all his intimate associa lions. touching the books and music ] that belonged to him. sitting before | the piano he played on. glancing ovet i the pages of manuscripts that he had | just finished in short. at home with him. 1 found then that he was nc longer the sphinx man of the concert platform. but genial gracious hos, ] asking after the friends I had recently left in Frankfort and making inquiries
 after those in Ireland and England
 especially after all young artists. foT q kindness Sand sympathy Possibly his | own student days in Vienna. when
 he had, literally starved, had something to do with this. At the dinner table
 l found out he was thoroughly q bol
 vivant.
 "After dinner I had to go through the ordeal of playing for him. and | when 1 had finished. his manServant
 brought in a card table. and we sat down to a game of vindt. q difficnlt
 sort of whist. much like present day bridge. RuhinsteiD and l were part
 ners and lost hamefully-scarcely to
 be wondered at. for 1 had inst learned
 whist but he insisted on playing again and again.
 'Matve. the servant, then brought ill tea in the long Russian glasses with
 their silver holders. lemon. not cream being served. and one of the ladies present. knowing l was newcomer l and ignorant of the fact that it was l an unwritten law as unaterable as | that of the Mcdes and PerSianS that i his guests should not ask him to play, whispered to me to make him go to the piano. Cheerfully and innocentIy went up to him and, running my arm through his. said coaxinyly: "'Do come and play somethi1lg.'
 His face changed in moment AZ ominous silence fell on those present
 Even the cnlprit who had led me into | the trap looked disturbed. As for Ru l binsten himself. he gave me scowl
 and fairly flung my hand away.
 No he said shortly. I never play Don't forget this
 "'The sudden change in his mnnne, 1 nnnerved me, for the tears started to
 my eyes. and stood gaping at him As matter of fact. l was thoroughly l disconcerted and taken aback. As
 soon as Rubinstein saw this his face
 changed again. and laughing, ne held out his hand to ne apologetically.
 "'WeIl come; give me kiss and
 will play for you!
 "I had just reached the age when
 my kisses were not lightly given. Be
 sides, was cut to the hearts core
 and turned my head away in denial
 "'What! cried one of the women
 present Could you refuse Anton GregoriewitchT
 "'Yes. cried Rubinstein. and just
 for that l am going to play for hr'
 anyhow. for she is the first that ever didr
 "Rubinstein was in one of his raresl | moods. and those of us who were pres l ent will never forget the ineffahle beauty of-the Chopin r major hlla1r
 as he started the opening theme, one oi whom Rubinstein had designated die Seele des Fortepiano.' When he had finished the ballade he passed. almost ! without d pause. to the prelndeS. fonl of which he played Then he dashed into his favorite maZurla and ended l with the heroic sharp minor polo
 naise. Across the room l could see 1 some figures huddled. as it were, in fcal
 and terror. The thunders of that mn sic rang through the room. It was as
 if the Polish legions were marching
 swords outstretched. banners flying | hastening to die like heroes for faith
 and country. singing their love songs
 galantly. although the funeral dirge
 was to follow.
 "When Rubnstein had finished his
 face was ashen white. his breath was coming in gasps. and he was laborin2
 under the excitement caused by that
 malady which, alas. q few years late,
 was to carry him off. None of us
 guessed it then. for. brawny of build
 impatient of sympathy. scornin2 ali
 bodily weaknesses. ne hid his suffer ings from those abont him till too late