Jennie Strong was the grandmother-in-law that I never knew. She died in the 1930's. But her large photograph is on my dining room wall and on the other side, in the living room, is her 1903 Chickering parlor grand piano.
McDowell's piano piece, "To a Wild Rose" from Woodland Sketches, was one of the most popular pieces in America during Jennie's young womanhood. From the amount of marked up music I found in her piano bench when we inherited her piano, I'd be willing to bet she played this tune herself many times.
Sometimes, just before I finish playing this piece, I think I hear somebody singing along, just on the other side of the wall.
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