225.—A SIGHT FOR THE BOYS.
Moscheles tells the following story of Beethoven: "One morning I went to call on Beethoven quite early, and found him still lying in bed; but he happened to be in remarkably good spirits, and jumping up immediately without dressing, placed himself as he was, at the window looking out on the street, to examine my arrangement of certain numbers from 'Fidelio.'
"Soon a crowd of boys collected under the window, and seeing them he roared out:—
"'Now, what do those confounded boys want?'
"I laughed and pointed to his slightly adorned figure.
"'Yes, yes, you are quite right,' said he, and hastily put on a dressing gown."
226.—PAGANINI IN COURT DRESS.
Musicians are like the rest of mankind. Some are sensible, others foolish; some liberal, others stingy; some foppish, others careless; some have much general education, others have none; some are broad in their views, others narrow; some are egotistical, others modest; some regular in habit, others unreliable; some just, others unjust; some prompt in meeting obligations, others never meet them if they can help it; some are respected, others forfeit respect; some pay attention to the conventionalities of life, others by their capricious actions make themselves ridiculous.
However great the musician, back of the musical skill there is but frail humanity, so why should the world expect from the musician as a man, aught save the actions, ideas, and peculiarities of the average man?
Among the great musicians who succeeded in making themselves ridiculous, not many were so successful as Paganini, the king of violinists. Several instances of his caprice might be cited, but one will suffice. The
