Favorite Songs and Hymns For School and Home, page: 0042

450 Of The World's Best Songs And Hymns, With Lyrics & Sheet music for voice & piano.

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	42	FAVORITE SONGS FOR SCHOOL AND HOME.
	Early Genius.�Gounod, the musical composer, early manifested his talent. How he secured liberty to follow the bent of his genius, is told in the follow�ing incident: It seems that when a boy at college, every effort was made to destroy his musical genius. His professor, M. Poirson, was in despair. His par�ents intended him for the ecole normale. On its being announced to him that he was to go up for the necessary examination, the boy burst into tears, and steadily refused to continue his classical studies. His mother appealed to M. Poirson, and implored him to recall her boy to what she considered to be his duty. The stern professor accordingly sent for him, and, in		a tone more threatening than encouraging, said to him : " So you wish to be a musician?" " Yes, sir," replied the terrified boy. "But that is not a pro�fession." "What, sir; the pnifession of Beethoven, of Mozart, of Gluck, is not a profession ?" " But, re�member that Mozart at your age had composed music worth publishing, whereas you have only scribbled notes on paper. However, here is your last chance; if you really are a musician, you can set words to music." The old man copied out the poem, "Joseph," "A peine au sortir de Ten France." The boy hurried to his school desk, and after studying the subject, wrote an air and accompaniment, which he brought
	MARY OF ARGYLE. Moderate.		S. Nelson.
	back to his professor, and showed to him, pale with emotion. He felt that on his judgment his future career depended. He sang it to the old man, who listened in amazement, and led him to his drawing room, where he made him play the accompaniment on a piano. Those present were enraptured by the beauty of the composition, and it was at once de�cided that young Gounod must follow the bent of the undoubted genius with which he was gifted. Passing by one the city schools yesterday, we lis�tened to the scholars singing: MOh, how I love my teacher deal!" There was one boy, with a voice like a tornado, who was so enthusiastic that he em-		phasized every word, and roared " Oh, how I ove my teacher dear I" with a vim that left no possible doubt oi his affection. Ten minutes later, that boy had been compelled to stand on the floor for putting shoe�maker's wax on his teacher's chair, got three demerit marks for drawing a picture of her with red chalk on the back of an atlas, been well shaken for putting a bent pin on another boy's chair, scolded for whistling out loud, sentenced to stay after school for drawing ink moustaches on his face, and blacking the end of another boy's nose, and soundly whipped for throwing nine spit-balls against the ceiling. You can't believe more than half a boy says when he sings.�Hawkeye.