Boys Who Became Famous Men

ose following could watch its motions and keep in perfect accord. Behind him marched the singers, two by two. They carried neither book nor music sheet, but every eye was fixed s

an embroidered Maltese cross of gold, while below it appeared the[Pg 10] crimson let

tepped forth the smallest boy of them all, who paused a pace or two in advance of the others, and took up the strain alone. Clear

le Bach," an

e best sopranos at St. Mi

dsome, but was very earnest; and a certain plaintive note in his voice [Pg 11]appealed to the company with singular power, for while the carol falling from his lips was blithe indeed, the

urst from his audience, but the boy stepped quickly back t

a coat and cap of rough gray fur smiled br

inquired a stran

the fur-coated man. "I am the organist at St. M

of the child, for he

g

im-ah, here come

ystanders went the boys, passing their wooden pl

genuine music-lovers, and they knew that the money gathered in this f

ected in all the streets of the town, and blac

bastian?" asked Georg Erdmann,

er, "I am going to th

exclaimed a woman who had overheard the boy's speech.

g

re, and the fur-coated organist, who had lately seemed

ed him, clothed him, and taught him everything that he knows about music, he should try to outstrip me in my own work and shame me before my friends. I won't have it! I won't bear it! I'll admit that the boy is industrious and generally obedient, but I sha'n't let him impose on me

d so clearly annoyed him. The peal of the organ was filling the place from floor to dome, but

is willing to work could do as well. There is nothing remarkable in

he presence of kindred or stranger. Page after page he rehearsed, s

placed it with a[Pg 15] second book of musical manuscript.

forward to be sure that he heard aright, and as the inspiriting theme rolled through the vaulted spaces

ep to his own pieces, but must filch out mine during my absence, and fumble them on the organ so that my friends can laugh at me for being outdone by a ten-year-

g

ian quietly took his music bag under his arm and started homeward, conscious that he w

the organist's young wife had cared for Sebastian with all the gentleness of a sister. They sent him to the Lyceum school, and Christoff taught him music at home. At first the elder brother rejoiced over the boy's progres

g

th such force that he usually came off victorious. Bringing this same determination to bear upon his music, he soon left his fellow-students far behind; and practising hour after hour and day after day, with his mind set upon conquering all obstacles as soon as they appeared, he climbed and presently leaped into musicianly skill. Some of h

orgave him his musical progress, and in every game and c

bastian on, but of late he had grown crabbed and irritable, and the lessons had come to be hours of harsh and sneering criticism. Sebastian did not dream that his brother was jealous, but this was really the case; and Christoff heard th

g

which served the family for dining-room and living-

rly done!" he cried, throwing down his music and h

urning the fowl that browned so temptingly above the blaze; but upon

she whispered, indicating the cham

she could reply, a door above was heard to open, and down the wooden stairway at

g

oughly by the arm,

trying to learn them behind my back, so tha

tian blankly, unable to comp

hoodwink me any longer, my young cub. I'l

Christoff? I don't

t Arnstadt, taking pains to lay ho

it," returned Se

o my room, taking music without my permissio

if I learned one or two of Pachelbel's fugues, it would b

ext time I go from home for a week you will surpri

book," protested Sebastian, paling u

ing her husband's arm with a coaxing gesture; "I knew that he borrowed your musi

"I'll see whether I am not to be master in my own house. If I can't leave my belongings in my room without fear that my brother will

hook and tape, ripped it apart, seized his roll of manuscript, thrust it into the shelf

ir noisily, and dropping into his place at table wit

st's rosy-cheeked wife tried to banish the gloom by speaking cheerily upon subjects not akin to music; but Christ

g

e he hurried away to his own room, where, deeply deje

wed figure, a quick footstep sounded behind

d. See, I have brought you a bowl of bread and milk, for I noticed that you ate no dinner. So now forgive Christoff for what he said when he was ang

agerly rais

nk me a thief

orrowing his book, and how hard you practised to learn the second fugue against his return; and he s

ereafter, and learn to play the

lowly, her blue eyes fixed

e would never scold you again for having taken it last week, but

boy in keen distress, "why d

know; I do

ow, and I have no others to[Pg 25] study. Music is so costly that I cannot buy any for myself,-yes, I may as well forget tha

le and sometimes cry with the sweetness of my music, and little children would drop their toys

e money you earned to-day in the pa

o Georg Erdmann, so that he might go to Gotha to visit his grandmother, and I p

stepped inside, and quickly[Pg 26] emerged, be

to put it on the dinner table, but the troub

But, Bübchen," she said in a fondly chiding tone, "you should not

ristoff, and music," re

Mrs. Bach, laughing merrily. At sound of a voic

t go down. You promise, Sebastian,

nodded

ise," h

d "stole." The murmur of voices below ceased finally, and he realized that the rest of the household was wrapped in sleep. He lighted his candle and tried to study his lessons for scho

lay. I have

tion of the plaint, and when the whine expanded to a howl, Sebastian leaped from his chair

ubel in, and it's b

h the dark room, unbolted the

g

nd Sebastian, brushing the snow from the sh

e you to stay in this room. Come al

oss the dark kitchen, and trotted through

ugh the uncurtained pane and illuminating one of the much-used music sheets that had fallen from the

Sebastian. "One could read the no

it to be quite true that the dots

g

," and idly lifting a pen from his sister's table, he dipped

t seemed to turn him to stone, for he stood motionless, with head thrown back and pen uplifted, while

very night. If I could get hold of Christoff's fugues, and copy them here in the moonl

e doors were of strong steel lattice work, and Sebastian saw that it would be [Pg 30]impossible either to i

nd his sense of the justice of his purpose, wou

o and fro, drawing it ever nearer until it lay at the outer edge of the shelf. Slipping one finger and thumb through the mesh, he seized the roll firmly and drew it from the cabinet. For a moment he could do nothing but hug th

g

e moon rose higher in the heavens, his pages grew shadowy, and he was obliged to draw the table into the sheen of her passing radiance. The fire died o

anuscript, strapped it as usual, pushed it through the lattice, adjusted it to its former position

untenance. No reference was made to the distressing scene of yesterday, and[Pg 32] the brothers set off together

his mind was filled with his daring enterprise, and the tremendo

d fell into heavy slumber; then once again he stole down to the kitchen, arrange

gil, and no one of the family suspected that any

icy water,[Pg 33] tramp up and down his chamber, and bite his tongue severely in order to keep awake. Even these heroic measures failed when the moon was delayed until the middle of the ni

fail. His organ lessons with Christoff were carried on in a half-hearted fashion, old selections being rehearsed, and studies previously finished, indifferently played and heard. Had not Sebastian been fired with a dominant purpose, and bent upon mastering his art at any co

found the manuscript within reach; but though Christoff took it daily from the cabinet,

box, when accidentally he stumbled upon the hearth-rug, and overturned a chair with a great clatter. Christoff, roused

der the dining-table, convinced that its drapery would not screen him from his brother's eagle eye. He

Nothing out of the ordinary greeted his gaze, for Sebastian had hastily righted the chair before beating his retreat, and the music roll had not yet been taken from the

midsummer's night, Sebastian finished his book. He was so beset with agitation upon[Pg 36] discovering t

ss the paper. "One line more, and the fugues will be mine! Now, a si

le Bach's courage an

vercome with weariness, he laid down his head b

tired child's face was as white as the page beside it. Even she withdrew at length,

ed by a voice

hat are you

g

r Mrs. Bach stood beside him, and th

started up

started up,

ered he, dazed by the brightn

ed and shook hi

. See, it's breakfast time, and I am ready to p

l page, lying next Christoff's, and

ent, but prudence stifled the

and I'll get this roll back into the cabinet.

om of the stairs Mrs. Bach called h

g

onally chose the hour when his brother was engaged in teaching at a distant quarter of the town. Every day, when Christoff set off to the house

n climbed to the organ-loft, placed his cherished book

tered the church. Passing up the stair, she drew a stool

nd smile, for the sympathy of his s

g

elling from the organ at touch of his flying fingers vib

ed to hear a footfall upon the stair, and both were u

hoot in Sebastian's ear. His hands were grasped as in

the organist; "again you have sto

his feet, and confron

en your book. Th

"pray, where did you get a

g

covered the existence of his manuscript, so Sebastian in a fe

orn. He laughed harshly when the tale was ended, and, catching the fated bo

eel lattices are not sufficient protection against your prying fingers, I'll lock my book behind a door of sol

breaking into sobs; "do not be so cruel as to tak

e abruptly as her ey

g

instead, his countenance was singularly serene. Turning toward his

is all written in my heart. You can bury my volume in the earth or the ocean, but you

is brilliant court in the throne room at Potsdam to listen

e entered the hall, and dropped upon his kn

tion[Pg 42] from any one at a moment so ill chosen, and was about to dismis

ne of joyful surprise, and rising quickly, h

tone; "Bach has come; the mighty maker of mus

ent, and presently a man of distinguished appearanc

up the hall to meet the new-comer. By a quick gesture, h

y fo

and speedily the room[Pg 43] was filled with such musi

nt, but sat close by, in rapt enjoyment, while Bach

have come to my ears of the court composer of Poland and Saxony. I have heard of the princes who are proud to take you by the hand; o

would have throbbed with hospitality, for within its well-defended walls slept two who le

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