ation of sounds
produced by the falling and running water, something so
enchanting to Tom, that from his early childhood to the time
he left home, whenever it rained, whether by day or night,
he would go into that passage, and remain as long as the
rain continued. When he was less than five years of age,
having been there during a severe thunder-storm, he went to
the piano and played what is now known as his 'Rain Storm,'
and said it was what the rain, the wind, and the thunder
said to him. The perfection of the representation can be
fully appreciated by those only who have heard the sounds by
the falling of the water upon the roofs, and its running off
through the gutters.

"There was in the city of Columbus a German music-teacher
who kept pianos and music for sale. The boys about the city,
having heard much of Tom, sometimes asked the boys of the
family to take him to town, that they might hear him. Upon
these occasions they asked permission of this man to use one
of his pianos; and, though he would grant the permission, he
would not hear him. If he was engaged, he would send them to
the back part of the store, which was a very deep one; if he
had nothing to do, he would walk out into the street. When
Tom was about eight years of age, a gentleman, having
obtained permission to exhibit him, hired a piano of this
man, and invited him to visit his concert. He indignantly
rejected the invitation.

"The man, however, succeeded in awakening the curiosity of
the wife of the musician sufficiently to induce her to
attend; and she gave her husband such accounts, that he went
the next night. After the performance was over, he
approached the man, and said,--

"'Sir, I give it up: the world has never seen such a thing
as that little blind negro, and will never see such
another.'

"Encouraged by this, the exhibiter the next day applied to
him to undertake to teach Tom. His reply then was,--

"'No, sir; I can't teach him any thing: he knows more of
music than we know, or can learn. We can learn all that
great genius can reduce to rule and put in tangible form: he
knows more than that. I do not even know what it is; but I
see and feel it is something beyond my comprehension. All
that can be done for him will be to let him h