The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-31
BILL NYE AND HOFFMAN,.
Any One May Become a Child Wonder
Easly. I'm Life If He Sticks to 1t.

Any One May Become Child Wonder
Early. i'm Life If He Sticks to 1t.
/ spent the evening at the home of young
Josef Hoffman, last Saturday, knowing that
the little wizard of the pianoforte would this
week be riding ON the bounding billow borne
toward his home. | wanted to ask him a
great l-lany questiozs relative to music and
other things, and SO had jotted down few
which would assist me and refresh my men,
| DRY. wanted to ask him when it first &C.
CURED to him that he could succeed as
prodigy, also what books had helped him.
and whether Holman was his real name or
only nom de plume 1t was my idea that
1 could take him on my knee and while
told him about Jack and the Beanstalk
could ever and anon read his very soul and
afterward print several columns about him.
called at the pleasant house of DIR. Lam
bert and his sister, on Twenty -seventh street,
and for half an hour talked to them about
myself in a very chatty but interesting way,
while we waited for Josef to come down from
his own room, which was a very pleasant one
on the first floor facing Twenty-seventh
street, and not only large, but very Hastily
furnished and CHEEKY. For another half
hour l talked about my struggles as child
ceeded at last, at a time of life when it
brought me very little joy.
DR.. Lambert said it certainly must be dis
heartening to find myself at last within
reach of my goal and about to win a place
for myself as an infant prodigy, but, alas at
a period of my life when no longer looked
well in a Garabaldi waist and knicker-
bockers
Hnf lor1fl in hor
stairs developing a negative in a dark room.
lie was given camera, ETC., by Mr.. Falk the
other day, and now he can make very good
picture and tell you how he does it. While
we were talking about it he marched in with
the negative under his arm. He wore kind
of belted blazer of soft dark red and black
stripe and knickerbockers and dark hose.
His turn down collar was fastened with a
white scarf with pale pink dots on it, and he
had the air of a very busy man weighing
about forty-seven pounds
He held out his hand to me and I took it
in mine as l would little stormbeaten tom
tit. l addressed him in easy, well modulated
tones, telling him that had read about him
in the papers and that l had come to play
with him and stay all night. He then drew
away from me and went in another room,
but returned in less than an hour and talked
freely with the family in a Franco-German
way about matters that were entirely foreign
to me. He speaks French and German flu
emily, and / enjoyed his gestures very much
He has been somewhat spoiled by adulation,
and gathered from some of his gestures that
he was very much bored by something. do
not understand French as it runs know some
French idioms, but he did not seem to use
any of those while l was there German
speak with strong, female seminary accent,
but when try to converse with people who
have never had the advantages of an Ameri-
can seminary l do not succeed in riyeting
their attention l remained some time talk
| ing with DR.. Lambert and then Master Hof-
maun said good-by to me and went upstairs
to bed, from which l gathered that the inter-
view had terminated
do not claim to understand the German
language when uttered in the rapid and reck-
less, aSthmatic tone assumed by Germans.
who rely upon it solely, but judged by the
way Josef took off his boots upstairs and
said his prayers that change of scene and
rest would do him good
He is certainly a very bright boy, ex-
tremely nervous, precocious and very natu-
rally spoiled by the gross fatterv he has re-
ceived while here. AS a matter of fact. his
parents have almost lost control of him since
he ihas been so worshiped as he has here.
And what can parent do with 1O-year-old
boy who can fill the Academy of Music and
turn people away every night for weeks with
his wonderful music? Can you reprimand
the musical hero of the season, OF shut up
the leader of an orchestra in dark closets
Can you deprive a pianist of his pie
when he may retaliate by refusing to
playa Can you spank a party with a
technique OF tan the jacket of a virtuoso9
Can you compel a composer to remain in
after school, or box the ears of a maestro?
Nay, nay. Behind his divine fortissmo and
musical motif he is safe When he said to
himself, 81 will become a child WONDER be
began to outgrow the rules which govern the
actions of other children and, saving up his
pennies until he had enabled himself to pur-
chase concert grand piano, it was not long
until he had technique which sounded first
rate.
Josef Holman has shown us that steady
industry and devotion to one object will at
last succeed. This should teach us valuable
lesson. It shows us that one may become a
child wonder early in life if he will set him.
self about it and stick to it. Do not be dis
couraged about becoming child wonder on
account of your youth. Persevere and you
may win at last.
Still, greatness brings its resulting penal
ties Little Josef Hofmann at time when
other boys are just waking up to the sad
truth that ''the cow is in the LOTT ''the pig is
in the sly ''the sun is up and we are up.
too" ETC., is receiving mail like member
of congress each day, and in it people ask
him about his methods, and they ship large,
Ill,
him to write in them, and they send alligator
covered albums and low browed leather al
buns and meek little floral albums with in
famed bouquets on each leaf and fancy de-
signs made by local penmen in violet ink and
bluing; also, albums in which Hetty asks
Alfrida eff she remembers the day they went
over to Uncle Stikeeather's"
People write to ask him to come to their
homes to amuse them, for they are tired of
other things and pine for phenomenon.
do not blame Josef for going home where
freedom is not run into the ground. Had he
remained here another year he would have
gone home with softening of the brain or St.
Vitus' celebrated glide. Even great, strong
man like Chauncey Depew has all he can do
to stand in the full glare of the great public
eve and, with glass of Apollinaris water in
one hand and cracker in the OTHER, speak a
kindly word TO each and all without giving
offense, or telling the same story twice in sue
cession, or impairing his gastric functions
So what can little forty pound phenomenon
do with the applause of great democratic
people, the majority of whom feel moved to
go to the man they love and remain with
him till Saturdays What can a small child,
with a nervous system like central Office
and a body like haby's, do with the adula-
ton of great country like ourss
1t is quite common to consider young
IL oarlu doIfartI1ra rocI1lt of