ter he began piano
lessons, and before he could handle a pen. His teacher had to write
down what the little composer played. Among those early pieces were
mazurkas, polonaises, valses and the like. At the age of ten he
dedicated a march to Grand Duke Constantine, who had it scored for
band and played on parade. He started lessons in composition with
Joseph Eisner, a celebrated teacher, who became a life-long adviser
and friend.

Up to the age of fifteen, Frederic was taught at home, in his father's
school. He now entered the Warsaw Lyceum, and proved a good student,
twice carrying off a prize. With this studiousness was joined a gaiety
and sprightliness that manifested itself in all sorts of fun and
mischief. He loved to play pranks on his sisters, comrades and others,
and had a fondness for caricature, taking off the peculiarities of
those about him with pose and pen. Indeed it was the opinion of a
clever member of the profession, that the lad was born to become a
great actor. All the young Chopins had a great fondness for literature
and writing; they occasionally tried their hand at poetry, and the
production of original one-act plays, written for birthday fetes and
family parties.

The most important event of Frederic's fifteenth year was the
publication of his first composition for piano, a Rondo in C minor.
This was soon followed by a set of Variations, Op. 2, on an air from
Mozart's "Don Giovanni." In these early pieces, written perhaps even
before he was fifteen, we find the first stages of his peculiar style.
Even at this early time he was pleased with chords that had the tones
spread apart in extended harmony. As his hands were small he invented
a contrivance which separated the fingers as far apart as possible,
in order that he might reach the new chords more easily. This he wore
even during the night. The contrivance however, did not result in
injury to his hands, as did Schumann's efforts to strengthen his
fourth finger.

In 1827, Chopin finished his studies at the Lyceum and determined
to adopt music as his profession. He was now seventeen, of slender
figure, finely cut features, high forehead, delicate brows above
dreamy, soulful eyes. Though not weak or sickly, as some accounts make
out, he was never very robust; he would far rather lie under beautiful
trees in delightful day dreams, than take long excursions afoot. One
of his aversions was smoking or tobacco in any form; he never used it
in his whol