As Beethoven grew older, however, he learned to love his work. After a while some musical people in Bonn began to recognize his genius. The dream of his boyish heart was to hear the great Mozart play.

At last came the chance to go to Vienna. We have seen how Beethoven became acquainted with Mozart. The

his return, and a little later Beethoven's sister died also. His home must now have been very gloomy. His father was a drunkard. There were two younger brothers whom Ludwig had to feed, clothe and educate.

The young man bravely took his place as head of the

little family. He gave lessons, led an orchestra, composed music, and made several life-long friends who helped him in every way that they could.

When Beethoven was about twenty-two years old, Joseph Haydn stopped at Bonn on his way home from London. Haydn became interested in Beethoven and urged the young man to come to Vienna.

And so, for the second time, Beethoven traveled to the capital of Austria. Since his first visit a sad change had taken place in the musical life of Vienna. Charming, affectionate, light-hearted Mozart had died.

Beethoven became a pupil of Haydn. Papa Haydn was deeply saddened by Mozart's death. He had loved the. young genius very dearly. It is not strange that he should have compared his new new pupil-shy, clumsy Beethoven-with the marvelous musician who was gone forever. The old man did not think it possible that Beethoven could ever equal Mozart.

XI.

THE DEAF MUSICIAN

Beethoven once wrote to a friend: "I wander about here with music paper among the hills and dales and valleys, and scribble a great deal. No man on earth can love the country as I do."

In the summer Beethoven used to spend many hours in the open air, listening to the birds and the soft rustle of

the trees and the plashing of the brooks. Whenever he went for a walk, he carried a notebook with him. Often he would stop and write down the notes of some music which happened to come into his mind.

A French artist has painted a picture of Beethoven in the country. The master is writing music by the roadside. A funeral procession is coming up the road. You can see that the people are carrying the coffin on their shoulders. The priest who is walking at the head of the procession has just recognized Beethoven. He is telling the choirboys to stop chanting for a while in order not to disturb the great composer.

One day Beethoven was strolling in the fields with a friend. They saw at a distance a peasant playing on a bagpipe while he watched his sheep. Beethoven listened, but he could not hear the sound of the bagpipe.

"Why doesn't the shepherd pipe?" he asked. "He is piping," replied the friend.

Beethoven walked on in silence. For the first time the sad knowledge had come to him that he was growing deaf.

He realized that he was in danger of losing his hearing altogether. He went to many doctors and tried all sorts of cures. He was willing to spend any amount of money. But no one could help him at all. Within two years, he became almost stone deaf.

Beethoven was very unhappy when he knew that he could never again hear sweet sounds. But he felt that

he could still give the world much beautiful music. Although he could not play any more, he was able to compose.

It is sad to think of this mighty musician living year after year in a world of silence. He carried a pad of paper with him everywhere. When people tried to talk with him, he handed them the paper and asked them to write instead of speaking. Sometimes he held his violin close to his face while he played, and tried to feel the music.

He was able to conduct an orchestra as well as ever, although he did not hear the loudest sounds that the musicians made. When the performance was over, he did not know that the audience had broken into thunders of applause. He had to be gently turned around to see the applause.

Most of his life Beethoven spent in Vienna. He made many true friends there. He never married and he usually lived in poor lodgings.

Musicians who called upon him in Vienna describe his rooms as very dreary and untidy. Music, money, papers and clothes were scattered on the floor. The bed was not made, the open piano was covered thickly with dust, and broken coffee cups stood on the table.

A little boy of ten, who afterward became a well-known musician, visited Beethoven. When he grew up, he described the composer in this way: