apidly declining health; and for
the next decade, his existence was only a continued succession of the
alternations of disease. At last, he began to fail so rapidly that the
fears of his friends assumed the shape of despair. He scarcely ever left
his bed, and spoke but rarely.

'His sister, upon receiving this intelligence, came from Warsaw
to take her place at his pillow, which she left no more. He
witnessed the anguish, the presentiments, the redoubled sadness
around him, without showing what impression they made upon him.
He thought of death with Christian calm and resignation, yet he
did not cease to prepare for the morrow. From week to week and
soon from day to day, the cold shadow of death gained upon him.
His end was rapidly approaching; his sufferings became more and
more intense; his crises grew more frequent, and at each
accelerated occurrence resembled more and more a mortal agony.
He retained his presence of mind, his vivid will upon their
intermission, until the last; neither losing the precision of
his ideas, nor the clear perception of his intentions. The
wishes which he expressed in his short moments of respite,
evinced the calm solemnity with which he contemplated the
approach of death.'

'The inevitable hour came finally not without a certain strange,
romantic beauty in its solemn aspects.

'The parlor adjoining the chamber of Chopin was constantly
occupied by some of his friends, who, one by one, in turn,
approached him to receive a sign of recognition, a look of
affection, when he was no longer able to address them in words.
On Sunday, the 15th of October, his attacks were more violent
and more frequent--lasting for several hours in succession. He
endured them with patience and great strength of mind. The
Countess Delphine Potocka, who was present, was much
distressed; her tears were flowing fast when he observed her
standing at the foot of his bed; tall, slight, draped in white,
resembling the beautiful angels created by the imagination of
the most devout among the painters. Without doubt, he supposed
her to be a celestial apparition; and when the crisis left him
a moment in repose, he requested her to sing; they deemed him
at first seized with delirium, but he eagerly repeated his
request. Who could have ventured to oppose his wish? The