187.—PUBLIC CRITICISM.
Critics who give vent to their ideas in public places should be sure of their neighbors before using a loud utterance.
Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream" overture was first given in Paris. There had been reserved for the composer a seat in one of the prominent boxes, and in the same box were some well-known musical amateurs who were, as it happened, ignorant that the composer of the music to which they were listening was in their company.
After the music had progressed for some time one of the gentlemen got up to take his leave, saying, "Yes, it is good, very good, but we shall not relish the rest;" and they left the box, ignorant of Mendelssohn's presence. Perhaps their idea in leaving was that they were satisfied and pleased and had had the worth of their money, and did not care to undergo an attack of musical indigestion by a continuation of the feast! Perhaps such was the case, but we doubt if Mendelssohn took that view of it.