The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-12-30
Mistella
Mozart and Burns---A Curious
Parallel.

In the Christmas Century the one
hundredth wear after Mozirt's death is
celebrated in an illustrated article, by
Mrs. Mason of Chicago, who wrote the
papers on THE Women of the French
Salons" We quote the following pas
sage: "In the midst of his triumphs
he is summoned to take his place in the
suite of the archbishop, who has gone
TO Vienna for the festivities that fol-
lowed the accession of Joseph III. to
the throne. This is the final turning
point in his career. The long series of
humiliations that made life so intoler-
able to him in Salzburg reach their eli
max. He is forced to dine with COOKS
and Wallets, refused permission to add
to his scanty income by playing at prl'
vate concerts, and expected to walt In
the antechamber, to be always ready for
his tyrannical masters bidding. AT
half-past eleven we take our places at
the table, he writes, the two Udtets de
chambre, the controller, the pastry cook,
the two under-cooks OF his Greatness
and my Littleness. The Ualets de cham
bre have the places of honor; l have
the privilege of coming before the under
cooks AT last he can bear it no longer,
and in fit of anger and despair at some
fresh outrage, he regains his position.
CSC A most self-sufficient young man.
the archbishop thinks him. The world
gossips about him. His father chides
him and loses faith in him; but neither
advice nor entreaties avail in the least
to change his resolution. 1t is the
heart that ennobes the man. he writes
in burst of rage at being treated like
a mental. This is an echo of the senti-
ment that breaks from the lips of the
peasant poet who is toiling and despair
ing at the same time among the bare
and somber hills of Scotland. These
children of song were both doomed to
a hopeless struggle with adverse for
tune, haunted by poverty, stung by the
insults of patronage, and wounded by
neglect. Both asserted themselves with
the pride of genius and the dignity OF
conscious manhood, but the spirit of the
coming age had found its voice too soon.
Burns had more combative temper, a
stronger and more ineligible weapon
to turn against the world that frowned
upon him, though the shafts OF his
satire glanced from an impenetrable
surface, and only crushed him in the
rebound. The tragedy of Mozarts life
has not been so clearly outlined in his
work. 1t has found expression only in
music that speaks from soul TO soul, but
tells no defL tie tale of wrong or suffer-
ing. The genius of these men was un-
like, ant. they differed widely in charac-
ter as well as education, but there is a
certain kin hip in the spirit that under
lies Tbs, pathetic baaladS csaes+ one and
:. tsusz - czss>.rsi lit the other If
,,.Yve and humor, the in
epfSnity, the irrepressible SYM
with all living things that has
ought them 50 near 10 the heart of
e world. Both were poet-singers,
|th We're clear, simple, tender, natgal
d true. Both, toil-worn and uhfor.
hats,. died early, and it was left for
no,her geRN ton TO shed lts tears and
Hst its LAT rels over their graves. No
Where is tas bitter irony of fate more
j striking THAI in the stately mausoleums
and magnificent statues reared over the
dust or built in memory of these i'm
mortal singers. l asked for bread and
We gave me stone.'"