in 1840. From now on Schumann began
to write songs. In this one year he composed as many as a hundred and
thirty-eight songs, both large and small. He writes at this time: "The
best way to cultivate a taste for melody, is to write a great deal for
the voice and for independent chorus."

He now began to express himself not only in song but in orchestral
music. His first effort was the beautiful B flat major Symphony,
which, with the songs of that time seems to embody all the happiness
he enjoyed in winning his Clara. She proved a most admirable helpmate,
trying to shield him from interruptions and annoyance of every sort,
so he should have his time undisturbed for his work. Thus many of
his best compositions came into being in the early years of wedded
happiness.

This retirement was interrupted in 1844, by a long concert tour
planned by Clara. She was firmly decided to go and made Robert
solemnly promise to accompany her to St. Petersburg. He was loath
to leave the quiet he loved, but it had to be done. Clara had great
success everywhere, as a pianist, giving many recitals during their
travels from place to place. From Russia the artist pair went to
Helsingfors, Stockholm and Copenhagen. They started on their tour in
January and did not reach home till the first of June.

Schumann now seemed to lose interest in the Journal and expressed
a wish to withdraw from it and live only for his creative art. An
alarming state of health--both mind and body--seemed to make this
retirement desirable. Perhaps owing to this condition of health he
decided to leave Leipsic for good and make his home in Dresden. He and
his wife took formal leave of Leipsic in a Matinee musical given on
the eighth of December.

But life in Dresden became even more strenuous and more racking than
it had been in Leipsic. He threw himself into the labor of composing
the epilogue of Goethe's "Faust" with such ardor that he fell into
an intensely nervous state where work was impossible. However, with
special medical treatment he so far recovered that he was able to
resume the work, but still was not himself. We can divine from brief
remarks he let drop from time to time, that he lived in constant
fear--fear of death, insanity or disaster of some kind. He could
not bear the sight of Sonnenstein, an insane asylum near Dresden.
Mendelssohn's sudden death in November, 1847, was a great shock and
preyed on his mind.

Schumann had intervals of reprieve from t