CONTENTS.
ix
| PAGE | |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| New York once more—Six years foolishly spent—Roaming at random—Conceal myself in a desert—Live like a hermit—Poor fool for companion—Description of cabin and surrounding scenery—Compose 'Réponds moi,' 'La Marche des Gibarros,' 'Polonia,' 'Columbia,' 'Pastorella e Cavalliere,' 'Jeunesse,' etc.—My vagabond life restored to me—Living the life of primitive countries—A voice in the depths of conscience—Excuse for the demi-savages of the savanna—Strakosch offers an engagement—I accept—Poesy and youth—Concert at New York—Richard Hoffman an artist and a gentleman—The artist is merchandise—The press of the United States—Detractors—'Murmures Eoliens'—Emptiness of human things—First concert at New York—Losses—Wallace—Barnum's offer—Father's prejudices—Leave for New Orleans—Enthusiastic reception—Parisian reputation—Thrown on my own resources—Family obligations—Pay my father's debts—Tour in New England—First receipts at Boston—Discouragement—Losses—Return to New York—Letter from the Countess de Flavigny—Hall's offer—Success—Hall publishes 'Le Banjo' and 'La Marche,' etc.—Rapid sale—'Last Hope,' first sold for fifty dollars—Hall purchased it from the publisher for same price—Immense number since sold—New York as brilliant in 1862 as in 1857—Foreign journals on the war—Most governments interested in the fall of the republic—Ignorance of foreigners concerning the United States—Instances of this ignorance—Lacuna in our civilization—Brignoli—Companion of the desert follows me to New York | 117 |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Chicago—City raised from ten to twelve feet—House raising—Flour and grain at Chicago—Milwaukee—Banner of 'Great Hole in the Day'—Sioux massacre in Minnesota—Philharmonic society, theatre, and concert hall at Milwaukee—French cook gives a dinner—Amateurs of great talent—Convoy of wounded—Multiplication of Miss Nightingales—Toledo— Rage for conversion—Hamilton (Canada)—English soldiers—Musical taste not developed—Never listen to the public—Bishop of Chicago—Mdlle. Patti—Affecting incident at station—Lockport—Lincoln pardons a young soldier condemned to death—St. Louis—Society divided into cliques—Catholics in the majority—German professor of music—Maladroit imitation of the great professor of Bonn—Soap not incompatible with genius—Mass at Father Ryan's church—Why does the priest get out of the key?—Sacred music—Serenade to General Halleck—Announces great victory, and also a sad one—Cincinnati—Library of Young Men's Mercantile Association—Commerce of Cincinnati in lard and hams—Visit slaughter house—Jackson's defeat of Banks—Seventh regiment of New York—Riot in Baltimore—Bad business—Superb concert at Philadelphia—'L'Union' excites great enthusiasm—After concerts in New York and Philadelphia leave for Washington—Anxious to see army of the Potomac—Incident on the way to Washington in 1856—Winter of 1856—Seven hours from Brooklyn to New York—Reach the Chesapeake—Yankee activity of mind—His adaptability—Trains taken for troops—In the cars for Washington—Five hundred thousand troops on foot in twenty-four hours—Car fitted up for kitchen—Meals given by ladies of Philadelphia to three hundred and fifty thousand men—Ladies enrolled as nurses—Fifth volunteer corps New York artillery—Comfort of sleeping cars | 132 |
