e life. He was vivacious, active, hard working at music and
reasonably healthy in early youth, but not of a hardy organism. His
mother and sisters constantly cautioned him to wrap up in cold or damp
weather, and like an obedient son and good brother, he obeyed.

Young Chopin greatly wished to travel and see something of the
world. A much longed-for opportunity to visit Berlin came to him the
following year. An old friend of his father's, Dr. Jarocki, Professor
in the Warsaw University, was invited to attend a Philosophic
Congress, presided over by Alexander von Humboldt, to be held in that
city. The good Professor was willing to take his friend's son under
his wing, and Frederic was quite beside himself with joy, for now he
believed he could meet some of the musical celebrities of Berlin, and
hear some great music. As to the latter his hopes were realized, but
he did not meet many musicians, and could only gaze at them from a
distance. It may have been a certain shyness and reticence that stood
in the way, for he wrote home about a concert in the Singakademie:
"Spontini, Zelter and Felix Mendelssohn were all there, but I spoke to
none of these gentlemen, as I did not think it becoming to introduce
myself." Music and things connected with music, music-shops and piano
factories, took up most of his time, as he declined to attend the
meetings of the Congress.

"At the time of the Berlin visit," writes Niecks, his biographer,
"Chopin was a lively, well-educated, well-mannered youth, who walked
through life, pleased with its motley garb, but as yet unconscious
of the deeper truths, the immensities of joy and sadness, of love and
hate, which lie beneath the surface."

After a stay of two weeks in the Prussian capital, Professor Jarocki
and Frederic started on their return to Poland. During the journey
they were obliged to halt an hour for fresh horses. Chopin began to
look about the little inn for some sort of amusement to while away the
time. He soon discovered in a corner, an old piano, which proved to
be in tune. Of course he lost no time, but sat down and began to
improvise on Polish melodies. Soon his fellow passengers of the
stage-coach began to drop in one after another; at last came the post
master with his wife and pretty daughter. Even when the hour was
up and the horses had been put to the chaise, they begged the young
musician to go on and on. Although he remonstrated, saying it was now
time to go, they protest