erefore, to be wondered at; but, beyond learning the
violin from his father, he had not progressed far in his studies when,
in his tenth year, he found himself bereft of both his parents and
taken into the charge of his brother Christoph, who filled the post of
organist at the neighbouring town of Ohrdruff. Christoph, who was
fourteen years older than Sebastian, possessed nothing more than an
ordinary amount of talent for music, and in addition lacked the sense
to appreciate the gift which his little brother at once began to
display in response to his teaching. To give Sebastian lessons on the
clavier and send him to the Lyceum to learn Latin and singing and
other school subjects seemed to Christoph to comprise the full extent
of his responsibilities; but that Sebastian possessed genius which
called for sympathy and encouragement at his hands appears only to
have aroused in him a feeling of coldness and indifference, amounting
at times to stern repression.

Beneath this shadow of ill-feeling Sebastian suffered in silence, but,
fortunately, the force of his genius was too strong to be crushed, and
the spirit which was lacking in his brother's lessons he supplied for
himself. The injustice of the denial with which Christoph had met his
request for the loan of the manuscript music-book had fired him with
the determination to possess himself of the treasure at all costs, and
even the drudgery of playing over and over again pieces which he
already knew by heart appeared to him in the new light of
stepping-stones to the attainment of his cherished desire. Yet for
some time it was difficult to see how the book was to be abstracted
without his brother's knowledge.

One night, long after the other inmates of the house had retired,
Sebastian stood at the open casement of his chamber, buried in
thought. The moon was flooding the valley with her silvery light,
rendering the most distant objects clear and distinct, and throwing
into still deeper shadow the sombre hills which encompassed the town.
But the boy had no thoughts to bestow upon the music of the scene thus
spread before his eyes; his mind was absorbed by a great project which
he was resolved upon carrying out that night, and to which the
presence of the moon lent a promise of success. Perfect stillness
reigned in the house, and Sebastian, deeming that the opportune moment
had arrived for embarking upon his venture, closed the casement and
crept softly downstairs to the p