Show i EXCHANGES 1 J The Last O Obligate GUISEPPE was slowly dying in the hospital at Paris He was an old down broken-down musician a violinist formerly formerly formerly for for- merly of considerable reputation in Italy as a teacher What his malady was not even the physicians could tell unless i it t way wat old age But after all he was not so very old only sixty they said For many years my home had been in Paris and it had been my custom annually after completing the seasons season's engagement with the concert company to visit t the great hospital and sing to the patients It was on one of these occasions that I found the old violinist in a small room by himself apparently very lonely He had heard me singing in the large ward and had asked that he might see me personally On entering entering enter enter- in ing the room where he was sitting in a large chair arm-chair I had forgotten to inquire inquire inquire in in- quire his name of the attendant but at first sight of him I was convinced that I had seen him before At h his is further request I sang one of my favorite bal lads and upon concluding I noticed that his eyes were closed and that he was rocking to and fro evidently in a state of agitation I asked if the song was di displeasing pleasing to him N No No 0 kin kind lady he said Oh no but it is so much like her voice voice her her voice he mur mur- mur II Of Of whom do you speak I T inquired red Hereupon he opened his eyes and with an inquisitive look as asto asto asto to whom I might be scanned my mv features 1 Then he requested me to take the chair 1 beside him and he said he would tell me who this unknown was whose voice was so like mine I seated myself as ashe ashe ashe he desired and in tremulous tones he he- thus related his story II It I t was twenty ty years ago and I was teaching in Cremona One day I met a a charming young oung girl who had the sweetest sweetest sweetest sweet sweet- est voice I thought I had ever heard Her name was Vitalia Vitalia-Vitalia Vitalia Vitalia Gonzales That is a Spanish name but she as an Italian and I loved her at first sight I wanted her to marry me but hut she would uld not promise at once to do so although I thought she loved me She used to sing her beautiful songs and I would play many an obligate for her on my old violin There Then was one song in particular lar she would sing mote mOle than the others It was mournful enough to be sure but it was a beautiful thing and she sang it because I had written an unus unusually unusually ally charming accompaniment It was called Non t all urna Many Manyan an audience did we move to tears by it One day Vi Vitalia talla disappeared and I never saw her again No Noone one could tell where she had gon gone I watched for notices of her singing elsewhere but buther buther buther her name did not appear And And it it left me broken She ha hai i forsaken me without the slightest warning yearning and yet she was so much younger than I that I could hardly blame her I was forty she only half as old and yet I loved her I have never heard a word concerning her from that day to this I kept on teaching until I could endure it no longer Then I traveled from city to city and country to country learning what I could but always looking for my Vitalia In a few years years my health gave out an and 1 became prematurely a very old man unable to do anything for myself myself myself my my- self and here I am dying of of-of of of a broken heart for I ha have ve never forgotten my singer At this point he paused and I was wasas wasas wasas as much move moved by the details of the story as by the emotion of the old man After some moments he spoke again and said Do you know the song of which I told you Very well indeed I replied replie a and d since my voice is so like hers of whom you you have been speaking perhaps you youA I d A J Lj a i dr would like to hear me sing it or would the recollection be too painful No no sing it sing it he cried Yes but wait a moment So saying with great difficulty he arose to his feet and tottered across the room to a table on which lay his violin in in n its old case worn by hard usage Drawing it forth he sat down a again gain and said N Now o begin and I will play playas as I used to Then with unusual expression of feeling I began began began- Non all urna Che il it cener mio Questa Quest a terra E JS sacra al mio mio dolor Through this and the succeeding stanza the violinist had been p playing laying in weird yet charming sweet tones but butas as he began the third broke out into a wild and trag tragic ic strain G GEmilia Em Emilia ia I Em Emilia ia I allora unfit daita traeva la vita Nell ansia e nei sos ir I ceased the old man had ceased play playing ing also H His is head had fallen on his breast but his bo bow w still rested on the strings I spoke to him he answered not I called the attendant and we found that he was wa dead Physicians and nurses were all surprised sed that he had died so su suddenly denly I was not This was the reason reason reason-I I was Vitalia Gonzales The Italian my voice from the first but I had changed I s sang ng that lament as I had never done before and once more he knew me I uttered the words he he might well have spoken himself It was too much for a broken heart and Guiseppe had played his last obligate gato |