In the small German town of Halle there once lived a barber-surgeon
named George Handel. In those days barbers were nearly always surgeons
as well, and George Handel was a very respected member of the
profession. He had a large family of sons and daughters, the youngest of
whom was called George Frederick. When quite a small child this little
fellow showed a decided taste for music. In the nursery his only toys
were trumpets, drums, flutes, and anything out of which he could get
musical sounds. As he grew older this intense love of music increased,
until it became the one great thought and pleasure of his life. Seeing
this his father was very distressed and alarmed, for he did not wish his
little son to take up music as the means of earning his living.
At that time organists and musicians were very poorly paid, and George
Handel wanted his boy to get on well in the world. So he tried to turn
the child's mind away from all such ideas, by never allowing him to go
to any place where music was performed, and by sending every instrument
out of his house. But in spite of so much care and trouble taken, it was
impossible to destroy the strongest desire of the boy's nature.
One night, after the household had gone to bed, Mr. Handel was awakened
by the sound of soft music stealing from an unused garret. He arose in
great surprise, and calling his wife they went to find out the cause of
these strange sounds.
Going quietly to the garret they paused to listen outside for a few
moments, when their astonishment was increased by the beauty of the
melody which met their ears. Then, opening the door and holding up the
candle he carried, George Handel peered wonderingly into the dusty old
lumber-room. There, seated at a clavichord (an instrument something like
a piano, only much smaller), was his little son Frederick, then only six
years old. The child had coaxed one of his aunts, who was his friend and
sympathizer, to help him smuggle the clavichord into the garret, where
he taught himself to play while his parents were asleep, or out of the
house.
The wonderful sweetness of the music, together with the earnest
entreaties of the tiny performer, softened the heart of his father to
forgiveness of his conduct. But even then the old gentleman could not be
induced to allow his son to follow the profession for which nature had
so well fitted him, as he feared he would not be able to earn his living
at it. However, it happened not long after that the Duke of
Saxe-Weissenfels heard the boy play, and was so struck by his genius
that he persuaded his parent to consent to have him properly trained.
When once he was enabled to continue his studies under the guidance of a
good master, it did not take young Handel long to show not only his
father, but the whole world, that he was a truly great and marvellously
gifted musician. To-day his famous oratorios are played everywhere, and
people delight in them and marvel at them just as much as when they were
first produced.
[Illustration: THE CHILD MUSICIAN]
[Illustration: COLUMBUS ON HIS VOYAGE TO AMERICA]