Page:Anecdotes of Great Musicians.djvu/133

Rh It is told of Mozart that, not finding any money in his pocket to give to an importunate beggar, he hastily sketched a song on some blank paper, and told the mendicant to present it at a certain publisher's and he would receive a good sum. The beggar did so, and received the money. But if this is true, why was Mozart himself so often in need of money? Why did he not present his own songs and draw the cash for himself?

Rossini, although having a reputation for stinginess, was liberal toward his old parents. After the first three performances of each new opera he produced he would send them two-thirds the amount he received for composing it.  

When Paganini had only reached his seventeenth year, he had already tasted the enjoyments of flattery and applause. Having thrown off the restraints of his father's control, he plunged into all kinds of dissipation, especially into gambling, a vice that was universal in Europe at that time. Many a night did this youthful gambler lose all the proceeds of more than one concert in the gambling room; and he was at one time even obliged to raise money on his violin as security to pay his gambling debts.

On one occasion, when the youthful violinist was announced for a concert at Leghorn, he had pawned his violin, and had to make some arrangement to borrow one for use at the concert. Hearing that a certain French merchant of the place possessed a very fine "Guarnerius," he applied to him for the loan of it. This gentleman generously granted his request and placed this valuable instrument in his hands.

After the concert, when Paganini returned the borrowed violin, its owner, who himself was no mean