came to the subject
'Harmonics,' I found myself at a loss as to how to explain
these tones; not as to how to produce them myself, but to
give a correct _theory_ of their production. I searched in
vain through a multitude of musical works, not knowing or
thinking of anywhere else to look. I stopped for several
weeks, and began a series of observations on the vibrations
on the strings of my guitar; having nothing to aid me but my
eyes, fingers, and ears, and a knowledge of the fact that
the vibrations of a string were doubled in number for every
octave of ascent in pitch of tone. I thus discovered the
true theory of the harmonic tones to be the vibrations of a
single string in a number of equal sections, more or less,
and all at the same time; and that their production was at
the pleasure of the operator as he desired higher or lower
tones. Having fully verified my discoveries, I then
corrected the erroneous theory on this subject of the great
guitarist, F. Sor. I learned afterwards that the subject was
discussed and explained in some scientific works that
treated on acoustics."

I have before referred to the pecuniary disadvantages under which Mr.
Holland had to labor in the beginning of his career. These followed
him for a long period. It seems that much time must nearly always
elapse ere even genius becomes acknowledged, and its possessor
receives that pecuniary reward so necessary to his support. This
acknowledgment, and, to an encouraging extent, this substantial
reward, came to Mr. Holland after a while, but not until after he had
passed through many very trying scenes. One of the latter has been
thus described:--

"He always had a horror of asking any one for credit or a
loan. At a certain time he found himself out of ready money.
It was Sunday, and he had not the 'wherewith' to get his
breakfast on Monday morning. He had always lived retired,
forcing intimacy with none, and generally mingling only
where business called him. He therefore did not feel
intimate enough with any one to offer to borrow, nor did he
feel like asking anywhere for credit. He had, however, a
small job of writing that had been sent in, for which, when
done, he was to receive about twenty-five dollars. Here was
Mr. Holland's resource. He began his work about seven
o'clock on Sunday eve