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The National Music of America. 267
and at Jefferson College (Cannonsburg, Pa.), Foster was always a desultory student and was largely self-taught. He made himself familiar with French and German and was a tolerably good painter. He taught himself to play the flageolet at seven years of age. Later on he familiarised himself with the compositions of the German classical composers. He acted as bookkeeper for his brother for some time. His first great success in composition was " Oh ! Susannah," and after this he poured out song after song, " My Old Kentucky Home " and " Massa's in de cold, cold ground" proving how thoroughly he was in sympathy with the Southern life and how well he could picture it in tones. He often attended negro camp-meetings and studied the music of the coloured people with assiduity. He married happily, in 1854. The life which began so charmingly was destined to meet with shipwreck. The appetite for alcoholic stimulant grew strongly upon |
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