Litchfield enquirer., 1865-03-02
.Atisfella,,p.
The Moonlight Sonata.

azf-
 Did ever tell you how or why B. ethove
 composell the Moonlight Sonata,' 10 7s'aas 1 It happened at Bonn. Of course You kno, 1 in house in the Rheingasse i; but first knew the Romerplatz. He was wretchedy poor ius
 then 50 poor that he never went out for
 walk except at night. on account of the povert
 of his appearance However. he had a piano pens. paper ink and few books, and iron
 these be contrivsd to extract some little hap piness, despite his prvations. At this time
 you know, he had not the misfortune to bs
 deaf He could at least enjoy the harmony O
 his own compositions Later in life he hat
 not even that consolation. One winters eve
 ming I called upon him, for I wanted hiH te
 take walk. and afterward to sup with me. found him sitting by the window in the moon light without fire or candle, Lis head buried in his hands, snd his whole frame trembling with cold for it was freezing bitterly. Aroused hin. persuaded him to accompany me, urged
 him to shake of his despondency. Hs went l but the was very gloomy and hopeless tha, 1 night, and refused to be comfUrted. hate life and the world 7 he said, passionately. = hate myself. No one understands or cares for me. have genius, and am treated as ar l outcast. have Eeart and none to love I wish' it were all over. and forever! wish l 1 were lying peacefully at the bottom of the river wonder. I sometimes find it difficult to resist the temptation And he pointed to the Rhine, looking cold and brighi in the moon light. l made no reply, for it was useless tc argue with Beethoven so l allowed him to go on in the same strain, which he did. nor paused till We were returning through the town, when he subsided into sullen1 silence. did mol care to interrupt him. Passing through some dark. narrow streets within the Coblentz gate be paused suddenly. Hush " he said What sound is that r I listened, and heard the fee ] ble tones of. what was evidently very old pi, ano. proceeding from some place close'at hand
 The performer was playing plaintive move ment in triple time, and, despite the worth. lessness of the instrument, contrived to impart to it considerable tenderness of expression.- Beethoven looked at me with sparkling eyes. It is from my symphony in F ! he said, eager ly. This is the house. Hark how we'll it with light shining through the chinks of the shutters. We paused outside and listened.-V The player went on, and the two following ty-the same expression. In the middle of
 
 mentary silence, then the low sounds of sob |s cannot play any more tonight, Frederich ]! gently. T scarcely know why, unless that ii is SO beautiful, and that it seems so utterly be- yopd my power to do justice to it's perfection Oh. what would not give te go tonight to Cologne! There is concert given at the Kaufhaus, and all kinds of beautiful music to be performed. It must be 30 nice to go to a concert 'Ah my sister.' said the man, sigh 1 ing, none but the rich can afford such happi- ness. It is useless to create regrets for our
 selves where there can be no remedy. We car scarcely pay our rent now. so why dare even tt | think of what is unattalnable?' You are right Frederick was her reply. And yet sometimes when am playing, wish that for once in my life might hear some really good music anl 1 fine performance. But it is of no use--of nc usel' There was something very touching 1T the tone of these last words, and in the manuel of their repetition. Beethoven looked at me 1 Let us go in,' he said, hurriedly Go in r exclaimed. How can we go in? What can we go in for ? I will play for her, and she will appreciate it. And before 1 could preyen
 him. his hand was upon the door. It was only latched, and instantly gave way ; so followed him through the dark passage to half-opened door at the right of the entrance, which he pushed open and entered. It was bare, eom fortless apartment, with small stove at one end, and sclnty furniture. A pale young man was sitting by the table making shoes and near him, leaning sorrowfaly upon an old
 fashioned harpsichord, sat 6 young girl, with 6 profusion of light hair falling over her bent face Both were cleanly but very poorly dressed, and both started and turned towards us as we entered. Pardon me- said Beetho 1 ven, looking somewhat embarrassed, pardon me, but-but heard music, and was temp ted to enter. l am a musician.' The girl blushed and the young man looked grave somewhat annoyed. '. ''I-I also overheard something of what you said continued my friend. You wish to hear-that is you would like-that is-shall play to you? There was something SO odd, so whimsical, SC hrusque in the whole affair. and some thing so pleasant and eccentric in the very manner o
 the speaker, that the ice seemed broken in g moment, and all smiled involuntarily. .Thanl you,' said the shoemaker, but our harpsi. chord is wretched, and we have no music.'- l' No music r echoed my friend. How, then does the fraulein--' He paused and colored !up, for the girl looked round full at him, and l n the dim melancholy gaze of those clouded ] eyes he saw that she was blind. essI. Isentrea | fyonr, pardon. he ,stammered but 1 had not perceived before. Then, you play from ear :? | I Entirely And where do you hear the mu- sic, since you frequent no concerts uset I to hear | lady practicing near us when we livet atBrohi, two years ago. During the summer evenings her window was generally open, anl walked to aud fro outside to llsten to her. And have you never heard any music r. l None, excepting street music She seemed ' thy, 60 Beethoven said no more, but seated
 himsslf quietly before the piano,s and began t, I play. il He had no sooner struck the first chort
 than. ] knew what would ,follow--how grand h, 4 would be that night ! And was not mistaken l Never, never, during alithe years I knew him did l hear him play as he then played, tos cha blind girl and her brother! Never heard
 such fire, such passiohats tenderness; such, ii, 6aits gradasions of ofHmelody and modalatien.- He vas inspired, and from. the instant that bi ,sl fingers began to wander along the keys th, a very tones 6f the instrument seemed to rpo, lsweetes aad moro !equalE sBreafhlessi and len .a tranced. we sat totisteninga sThea brother an. il sister were silent with wonder and rapture ! The former laid aside bis work. the latter l with her head bent, slightly forward, and hel hands pressed tightly over her breast. crouche down near the end of the harpsich0td, as i
 tssrfnl let eSen the beating of her heart shoul T bseak the aQW of those magical sweet sounds l F yas y q " if xs were q! bound in q strang
 drsAm. and only feared to wake. S1ddsnl