The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-26
PREcocITY AND ITS RESULTS.
Some Interesting Facts About Inter
esting People in Their Youth.


From the Washington Star.
1t is often said that precocious intellects
are doomed to future the reverse Of what
their early brilliancy presages. Exactly
how a belief 50 at variance with fact has
gained credence is not readily explicable.
The brightest stars that have illumined the
musical world are those that displayed a
meteoric youth. HENDERSON,, prior 70
his 9Th birthday. had. by his power
full memory. sensitive ear and delicate
conception. won for himself the admira-
ton Of critics and large share of popu-
lar esteem. Berger, Hemming and Zelter
became his preceptors. His debut in Ber-
lin at the age Of 9, was an unqualified ar
tistic triumph and in the succeeding year
he created furore on his inaugural an
pearance before the Partisan public His
to the midsummer Nights Drea m,n was
written when be was little beyond IL, and
this, together with the songs and the ora
torios Of st. Paul and Elijah, constitute his
heritage. MeYerbeer is another instance
Of Juvenile promise faithfully fulfilled. He
made his initial appearance at the age Of 8,
and by his 9th year had attained inter-
national fame, aud was regarded as the best
pianist in musical Berlin. In his 5th year
little Giacomo could extemporize with
grace and play at sight. His first operas,
being built on purely technical basis, met
with no popular favor. His success as
composer was made posterior to his journey
to Italy, where he imbibed love for the
Italian method. and henceforward imi-
tated it,
Mozart sprang from musical family.
Dulcet tenderness was the predominant
feature of his mind, and his heart seems to
have been the embodiment and incarnation
of melody and pathos. Mozart the elder
was, in his generation, a violinist of distinc-
ton. Mozart the junior, at the tender age
Of 4, composed several tuneful minuets
which have been preserved in the music
books of his sister Maria. His tlrst public
appearance was in the university hall Of
his native Salisbury during his 5th
year. The accounts of this performance
dwell rapturously upon the beauties OF his
playing. Although feted aud lionized by
royalty his life was pecnniary struggle
and oft wrought with perjury and want
After composing the requiem he died at the
premature age Of SO and was buried in a
pauper's grave. Nothing can exceed in
career could be more cAustic commentary
upon the Wanted charity Of society.
budwig Won Beethoven was born at Bonn
in ITO. His father was musical mediocrist
Of dissolute habita Young Ludwig was q
prodigy, though the glorious promise of his
future was blurred by deafness in 1909, but
he continued to compose till his death in
1897 at Vienna, In 1916 a statue was erected
to him in the MunsterplatZ, but his "Fidslisn
and Mount of Olivesn are more enduring
monuments than piles Of stone.
Shumann, Haydn and Handel merit con-
spicuous places in the category of phe-
nomena- Adele aus der Ohe, Patti, Sem
brich, Salchi, Sontag and Gerster were
precocious, but space prevents due tribute
to their genius.
The triumphs Of little Hoffman are still
fresh in the minds of news readers, but
whether the extraordinary promise OF this
wonder will be substautiatsd remains for
time to determine.
Jeanne Douste, at the age Of 516, was
famed for her Interpretation Of the masters
and her piano skill
Metastasio, the father of Italian opera,
extemporized poetry at 10, as did Adam
Oehlensclaer, the laureate of the Scandi-
navian tongue.
Theodore Hook produced his well-nigh
inimitable Soldiers Return" at II; John
Howard Payne edited the Thespidn Mirror
with marked ability at Is, while John
O'Keef inaugurated his career as dramatist
at Is by writing most agreeable comedy.
The statue Of Joan dare In the museum Of
Versailles, scnlptured by the Princess Marie
Of Orleans before her 10Th year, proves
her to have been a marvel of high degree.
Landseer, the animal painter; Turner, the
/ portrayor OF the London fog; Stevens, the
creator of the Wellington monument In st.
Pauls, and Maria ShurmAn, the artist, lin
gust and musician, were noted prodigies
| Francis Bacon at IL was Specializing on
the laws OF the imagination; at 10 was
criticising the Aristotilian deductive system
and formulating his deductive philosophy.
He was queens counsel extraordinary at 2S.
His essays, "Novum Organum" and the
Advancement of Learning, Testify that the
rose made good the pledges Of the bud.
Grotius edited "Maricanus Capella" at
IA, thus displaying familiarity with Pliny,
Euclid, Strobs and Aristotle; began his
diplomatic life at l6, and at an early age
was accepted as authority on international
law. His definition of equity, shat wherein
the law by reason Of its universally is de-
ficient," is of itself an immortellant.
Pascol publised tractate on conic sec
tions at 16, at II anticipated Torricelli in
hydraulics and at "a was Napoleon of the
higher mathematics.
Gibbon was Latin scholar at Z. I sub
init his history as evidence, nay, as proof,
that his was not an abortive life.
John Barratier, a Frenchmen, wrote
learnedly in Latin and translated Hebrew
at the age of 10.
Dorothy Scholozer of Hanover was ge-
ometrican, minerologist and walking poly
glot at 9 and doctor of philosophy of the
University Of Gottiagen at II.
Hamilton, Pitt, Raphael, Agassiz, Whit
field, Cowley, Pope, Master Betty and Bux-
ton are entitled to consideration In any
~ x1Yr An A.adIo faI 90