The one aim of Paderowski, tho great pianist, is to forget ono painful episode of his past life. Many years a"o, when the young Polish pianist was very poor, he was wedded to a beautiful but delicate woman. Padcrewski could not afford to pay for the luxuries which were necessary to keep his wife in good health. And so it came about that Madame became alarmingly ill. Tho musician's home was then in Warsaw, and when one day an engagement was offered to him to play in the drawingroom of a Parisian lady famous in tho French capital for her musicales he tramped tho whole distance between the two cities. Four pounds was the fee paid to Padcrewski on that occasion, and, as it was before fame had come to him, it seemed an enormous one. Thac night Padcrewski played as he had never done before. His success was instant- and unmistakable. When leaving, his hostess with regret remembered the smallness of the pianist's fee, and offered tho use of her carriago for his return home. With a grim smile, remembering tho miles that separated Paris from Warsaw, Padcrewski declined the offer, and walked home. On the morning of his arrival his wife died, and tho musician has never ceased to regret declining tho Parisian lady's offer; for he imagines that had lie arrived sooner the money ho earned might have saved his wife's life. So asserts a London contemporary.
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Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1020, 9 January 1911, Page 6
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240Untitled Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1020, 9 January 1911, Page 6
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