Putnam patriot., 1930-01-16

New York City. January l5, 1880.
 The general effect of having Christ mas and New Years fall in the mid dle O. the week. was, for the older generation at least, to give the im- precision of an oversupp.y of Sundays. This was not true of the youngsters, however. for ali through the holidays they have been dancing and dining throughout the city and never have there been seen so many starehed shirts and pretty gowns rushing from one party to another. Come what crashes of the market there may, youth goes on it's blithe way forever and if there was an undercurrent O. apathy and worry about business af- fairs. New York threw it to one side during the holiday season and made high festival.
 IL is true that the city did not have an overmantle of sn9w for the 1uie- de but there were Christmas trees here and there and the custom of hanging wreaths and lighting win dows seemed to have increased within the year. And there is. too, distinct revival of the old New Years custom of calls and greetings. Here and there people fcregathered over q glass of -nogg quite as in the good old days. Top hats and dressy adies walked in the avenues and there was a general air of freshness and antic- ipation and holiday making.
 The Latest Prodigy
 AmonQ the Christmas parties that we attended none gave us more of a thrill than that given by a famous pianist to many of his friends and fellow musicians. Everyone was ask ed to come at ten as the host had a surprise in store. The surprise turned out to be a half hour recital by the latest of the child prodigies of the violin, the little nine-year Ricci, late ly come out of San Francisco to startle the musical world to it's very foundations. Some of the great talent of today came to hear and to be amazed. There in a corner sat HeiIetz and his lovely wife. the former Flor ence Yidor of screen fame. Also pres ent was Zimbalist and his equally ia nous wife, Alma Chuck. There were pianists and composers and singers. At ten there came into the room a little boy in short velvet trousers and wide Eaton collar. Under his arm he carried a small violin. With the greatest cOmposure he gazed at the company from large wide inte ligent brown eyes.
 Then he started to pay and to play magnifieently bravura of Vieuxtemps. More interesting than the splendour of the child's talent was the wonder that was written on the faces of the three great violinists present. They literally paled with amazement and almost shouted with excitement as the boy played number after number with increasing bril- hance.
 The evening recalled to us two stories of musicians. both of them in their turn child prodigies grown to greatness now.
 Not for Violinists"
 A certain American lady, wife of the Minister to St. Petersburg was commanded to appear at a charity en- tertainment organized by one of the grand duchesses. With her party she dutifully appeared in a box and sat through half of program of amateur performances which proved to be a terrible bore. After the intermission the lady decided she would not pun ish her guests any longer and they arose Co leave As they were getting into their wraps a tiny little boy tod dled out on the stage and sat at a grand piano. "Heavensw she said, let's hurry it's another terrible child" !" At that moment the child struck the piano and began a brilliant rendition of the Chopin Revolutionary Etude." Instantly the party seated themselves and for half-hour they listened en- traneed Co a brilliant genius. It was the first public appearance of Josef Hoffman.
 The second story is of the first American appearance of Heifetz. Heralded with tremendous publicity, Carnegie Hall was crowded with an audience which included every musi- elan of note in New York at the moment. In a box sat Mischa Elman with Leopold Godowsky, the pianist. Heifetz played. The house went mad with enthusiasm Elman, mopping his brow after the great ovation turned to Godowsky and said Its very hot in here. don't you think?" To which Godowsky eryptically replied: Not for pianists."
 And then there is the Groucho Marx story. Marx. Heifetz and some others were sitting about discussing their early days. Said Heifetz; "As you may know, at the age of seven l was supporting en entire family '' To which Groueho replied: And suppose that before that you were just plain bum"
 The Poor Old Opera