Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-26

music would not make the true musician
weep; it should strike jre from his eyes
rather than tears; and surely it burned
with unqueneh liable flame in his own fiery
soul
Early in his career he felt terrible
shadow creeping over his life, and at last
he was forced to recognize that no help
could tighten it, A cruel and pathetic fate
was now his, for he slowly found it more
and more difficult to hear, until, in the
year 1900, he became quite deaf. For a
long time he struggled against his doom,
keeping out of society and growing more
Respondent. His anguish was so keen that
he almost despaired; he would allow peo-
pie 10 think he was rude or absent-minded
rather than ask them 10 repeat remark
All through his later life he carried an ear
trumpet and book and pencil This
affection made it much less easy for people
10 talk with him, and drove him more and
more 70 seek entire solitude This, though
the great. was by no means the only
trouble that came upon him. He adopted
"a nephew as his son. ard made great sacri-
/ fees for his support and education but the
young man grew up ungrateful and dissi-
pated. and was L source of sorrow to his
benefactor as long as Beethoven lived. The
receptions practiced on him by this boy
/ iiisAeaS MIN Vi OillClS anu 81 we
| find him in constant difficulty with his
! friends. Knowing how true and loyal the
master was at heart they often endured
much, rather than break with him; but
( sometimes the most loving could endure
| his treatment no longer, and withdrew
| their friendship. When he realized that
| he was in the wrong, Beethoven would
overwhelm himself with reproaches, and
make the most generous atonement for the
mistakes he had made. He also suffered
during his later years from a lack of appre-
citation, some of his works being played to
empty houses; indeed, nothing seemed tC
go smoothly with him
On the ID of December, 1896 he rode
with his nephew in an open carriage DIR
ing a severe storm, and took a heavy cold
| The youth was sent for doctor, but, ow-
ing to the neglect of the wretched boy, tho
doctor did not arrive until some days after
/ lung fever had set in, and ii was too late tC
cure The patient He died in much pain
while furious storm was raging through
out the city. Schubert was one of the pail
bearers at his funeral.
Few have been truer to an ideal thar
Beethoven. Nothing is good" he says
but to have beautiful, good soul which
one recognizes in all things, and before
which one need not hide oneself. One
must ne SOiIlStIlibS II oIC NOulNt appeal
something" His modesty equaled hi:
genius. In dedicating his beautiful "Ade
laide,n to the author of the poem, be beg
to be forgiven for attempting to set suct
beautiful words to music, only wishing
that he had the power to give worthy
frame to such poetry. He writes shortly
before his death: Il feel as if l had writ
ten scarcely more than few notes" anC
again he says: II hope still to bring few
great works into the world" This wa
worthy of the author of the nine eterna
symphonies; eternal for SO long as musi
lives, so long the creations of Beethovel
live. No school nor fashion can disturb
their sway. He spoke to the heart; he .feI
from the heart; his suflerings sound in hi
music; it was necessary that he shuold sui
fer, or he could not have touched, as h
has touched, every thought and emotion
that can be expressed in music. Shut OF
from people. alone with his own suffering
: sensitive spirit, he wrote the divine strain
which have in them more of heaven thai
earth. Beethoven is to music wha
Michel Angelo is to sculpture, or wha
, Shakespeare is to literature.