The Nevada journal., 1859-05-06
LAST MOMENTS or BEETHOVEN.

tude by the contempt OF the world, and
by the natural bent of a disposition rem
dered harsh. almost savage, by the in
justice of his contemporaries. But he
wrote the sublimcst music that ever man
or angel dreamed. He spoke t" man
kind il his divine language, anl they
disdained to listen to him. He spoke to
them as nature speaks in the celestial
harmony ofthe wind, the waves. the
singing of the birds amidst the woods
Beethoven was a prorhet, and his utter
ance was from God.
And yet was his talent so disregarded
that he was destined more than once to
sufEerthe bi,terest agony Of the poer. the
artist. the musician. He doubted his
own genius.
Haydn himself could find for him o
better praise than in saying, He is a
clever pianist"
Thus was it said of Gericault, "He
blends his colors well" and thus of
Goethe, "He has tolerahle style. and
he commits no faults in orthography."
Beethoven had but one friend and
that friend was Hummel. But poverty
aud injustice had irritated him, and he
was sometimes Unjust hl,nself. He quar-
relied with Hummcl, and for long time
they ceased to meet To crown his
misfortunes, he became completely
deaf
Then Beethoven retired to Baden,
where he lived, isolated and sad in
small house that scarcely suficed for his
necessities. There his only pleasure
WAS in wandering amidst the green al
leys of leautiful forest in the neigh
burhnnd of the town. Alone with the
birds and the wild flowers, he would
then suffer himself to give scope to his
genius, to compose Lis marvellous symp-
honies, to approach the gates of heaven
with melodious accents, and to speak
aloud to angcls that language which
was too beautiful for human ears,
and which human ears had failed to
comprehend.
But in the midst If his solitary dream
ing. letter arrived which brought him
back, despite himself, to the affairs Of
the world. where new griefs awaited
him.
a nephew whom he had brought up,
and to whom he was attached by the
,od offices which he had himself per
f,rmed for the youth. wrote TO ifnplnre
his uncle's presence at Vienna. lie
had become implicated in some disas
trous business, frnm which his elder re-
ia;ive alone could re ease him.
Beethoven set off upon his journey
aud compelled by the necessity of ec"n-
omy. accomplished part Of the distance
on foot. One evening he stopped be-
fore the gate of small, mean-lnoking
house. aud solicited shelter. He had
already several leagues to traverse be-
fore reaching Vienna. and his strength
won.d not enable him to continue any
longer on the road.
They received him with hospitality
9 partook of their supper. and then
a, installed in the masters chair by
the reside
When the table was cleared. the
father of the family arose and opened
an old cIavecin. The three sons took
each a vinlin, and the mother and
daughter occupied themselves i'll some
domestic work.
The father gave the keynote, and all
four began playing with that unity and
precision, that inraie genius, which is
peculiar only to the people of Germany.
1t seemed that they were deeply inter-
estcd in what they played, fer their
whole souls were in the Instruments
The two women desisted from their oc-
cupatiom TO listen, and their gentle coun-
tenanses expressed the emotions oftheir
hearts.
To observe all this was the only share
that Beethoven could take in what was
passing. for he did not hear single
note. He could only judge of their per
formance Fl em the movements "fthe cx-
ecutionists, and the fire that animated
their features.
When they had finished, they shook
each others hands warmly, as ifto con.
gratal,te themselves on community
ofhappiness. and the yonng girl threw
herself weeping into her mother's arms.
Then they appeared to consult togeth-
er; they resumed their instruments
they commenced again. This time their