The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-11-08
THE ORIGIN OF GENIUS.
Mystery Surrounding the Cause OF
Greatness in Men.

The revival of interest in Chopin, due
to the appearance of a biography and
discussion of his place among mu-
sical composers, has also called atten-
ton to the fact that there is also no
discovorable origin of his genius. His
parents, while not of the lowest peas
ant class, were not remarkable people,
nor did any of his brothers or sisters
display any marked characteristics to
distinguish them from the average
human kind. Chopin, however, from
infancy, gave evidence Of superior
musical development. He speedily
distanced his instructors upon the
piano, wrote such difficult music that
he was compelled to devise his own
method of lingering, and improvised
long before he knew anything OF
technical counterpoint and harmony.
His genius was intuitive. No one
can tell whence it came. All de-
lighted in its manifestation.
What is true of Chopin is true of
nearly every other genius the world
has known. A family pursues its COM
mon place existence for Veral gen
erations, and then, without any ap-
parent reason, son or daughter, en-
dowed with faculties quite foreign to
parents and relatives, mount to the
highest PEDESTAL of fame. Genius,
however, does not beget genius, and
so, as soon as nature has sported
with the one shining example, the
glory dies away, and once more the
dead level of common humanity is
resumed.
There was not, for instance,
gradual ascent to nor an equally even
descent from the height which
Shakespeare reached. He stands
alone, with nothing before and moth
ing after. Neither his father, re-
putable mercant in Stratford, nor his
mother, the daughter of respectable
land holder, was apparently destined
to give to the world so great son.
Wagner's father was the clerk Of
police court, although he passionate
ly loved the theatre, and his mother
possessed no especial gifts. Beethov-
en'sc father was an ordinary musician
and his mother was the daughter of
"a cook. The list might be indehn-
itely extended, including great lead
ers of men like Mahomet and Ma
poleon; or poets, from Homer to
Tennyson; or painters, from Raphael
to all the famous artists of the present
day.
In all of these men the mystery Of
genius was present. Its presence ex-
cited curiosity, as well as admira-
tion, and yet its cause remained
sealed book. All that is said and
written is mere guesswork. No one
knows what peculiar convolution of
the brain, what Particular activity Of
undiscovered cells, makes the poet,
the musician, the artist, Or the gen.
eral We say that man is born
poet of born musician, and there
we pause. Science brings nothing
definite TO our aid, and leaves the cur
tain darkly down.
While it is true, as Carlyle said, that
genius is capacity for taking infinite
pains, it is also true that no amount
of labor can supply the missing ele-
ment of genius. A man who lacks
the vital spark at his birth might as
we'll accept the place which nature
as assigned him. 1t is not for him
to be great. Perhaps the time will
come when the researches Of the
scientists will reveal to US how
genuises are made, discovering the
conditions which create the wonder
full gifts which make the whole
world bow in admiration. Until
then, however, the mystery of genius
must be ignorantly worshiped.
1t is even poor consolation to
agree with Shopenhauer that there is
2 touch of eenius in every man. He