The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-01-24
BENEVOLENT VERDI.
His Generosity to Old Friends and tc
 All Aged Musicians

His Generosity to Old Friends and to
 All Aged Musicians.
 The population of the little Italian village where Verdi was born was made up of uneducated. working. laborers, and his surroundings were Of the most prosaie kind. But the fire of genius was in the lad, says his biogra- pher, and these unsyn2pathetic enyi- ronments were powerless te extinguish i[
 The honor of first drawing attention to the boys gift ies with poor itine- rant vioinist, Ragasset by name. Tn his wanderings he frequently visited l4e Roncole. Little Giuseppe and he struck up friendship, and it was Bagasset who suggested to the boys father that the lad should be allowed 10 follow music as a profession. In af- ter years when Verdi had become fa- nous he found Bagasset again, then a very old man and poor, and, remem- .berins the past, did all in his power to hell him
 When Verdi was eight years old he became the proud possessor of an old spinet. This instrument he regarded with the greatest affection, and to the day of his death it occupied place of honor at his estate near Busseto. There was an interesting and quaint inscription written on q part of it. It gives particulars of certain repairs which had been effected and ends: This I do gratis in consideration of the good disposition the boy Giuseppe Verdi shows in learning to play on this instrument, which quite satisfies me for any trouble. Stephen Cayalet- ti, A. D. 1921"
 This spinet meant everything in the world to the boy at this time, and it was his enthusiasm in subjecting it to the expression of the latent music that was in him that caused the damage and necessitated the repairs referred to.
 Once he was playing chords on it and was delighted at having discoy- cred the major third and fifth of c. Trying to repeat this the following day, he was unable to find the chord again. Try as he would, he could not succeed, so in childish rage he picked up a hammer and proceeded to bang the spinet. His father came upon the scene at this moment, and, taking the part of the spinet in this unequal en- counter, he gave his son a lesson which doubtless sounded chords in the boys brain which were a revocation to hln.
 The benevoence of Verdi after his success was a byword, and toward those less fortunate ones of his pro- fession his help was at all times freely given. But everything was done in the most unobtrusive way. When his old librettist Piare was stricken with paralysis Verdi paid all the costs of his illness, made him an annual allow ance and at his death met the expen- ses of the funeral. In addition to this, he provided for the support of the old mans daughter.
 One day when he was chatting with Carduccl, the famous poet, an organ outside struck up an air from "Trova- tore" Thinking that Verdi would be disturbed, the poet went to the win dow to send the man away, but the composer pushed past him and, beck onlng to the organ grinder below, threw a handful of silver out, saying to his friend:
 Let him go on; it pleases me, and, besides, we must all live somehow"
 The perusal of his will shows that he never forgot those who had been kind to him in his struggling days. The bequest which is most widely known in his own country Is the Home of Rest for Musicians in Milan.
 It had always been a great idea of Verdfs to found some institution for the care of aged musicians whose la- bors had not resulted in making them Independent In the years when their work had come to an end. In his will he devoted large share of his proper ty to this scheme, and his generous gift affords home ito one hundred old muslcians.-Youths Companion.