short time. He fastened his third finger into a machine, of his own
invention, then practised unceasingly with the other four. At last
he lost control over the muscles of the right hand, to his great
distress. He now practised unremittingly with the left hand, which
gained great facility, remarkable long after he had given up piano
playing.

Under these difficulties piano lessons with Wieck had to be given
up and were never resumed. He studied theory for a short time with
Kupach, but soon relinquished this also. He was now free to direct his
own path in music and to study--study, and compose.

One of the first pieces he wrote was "The
Papillons"--"Butterflies,"--published as Op. 2. It was dedicated to
his three sisters-in-law, of all of whom he was very fond. In the
various scenes of the Butterflies there are allusions to persons and
places known to the composer; the whimsical spirit of Jean Paul broods
over the whole.

Robert began to realize more and more his lack of thorough theoretical
knowledge and applied to Dorn, who stood high in the musical
profession in Leipsic. On his introduction, in spite of his lame hand
he played his "Abegg Variations," published as Op. 1, and Dorn was
willing to accept the timid quiet youth as pupil. He studied with
great ardor, going from the A.B.C. to the most involved counterpoint.

Thus passed two or three busy years. Part of the time Schumann had
a room in the house of his teacher Wieck and thus was thrown more or
less in the society of Clara Wieck, now a young girl of thirteen or
fourteen. Later he gave up his room--though not his intimate relations
with the family--and moved to a summer residence in Riedel's Garden,
where he spent the days in music and the evenings with his friends.

The year 1833, was one of the most remarkable in his life so far.
Not the least important event was the establishment of the "Neue
Zeitschrift fuer Musik." Schumann himself says of this:--

"At the close of the year '33, a number of musicians, mostly young,
met in Leipsic every evening, apparently by accident at first, but
really for the interchange of ideas on all musical subjects. One day
the young hot heads exclaimed: 'Why do we look idly on? Let's take
hold and make things better.' Thus the new Journal for music began.

"The youthful, fresh and fiery tone of the Journal is to be in
sharp contrast to the characterless, worn-out Leipsic criticism. The
elevation of German taste, the encoura