247.—GENIUS DISCOVERED BY PUNISHMENT.
Madame Mara, one of the greatest singers Germany has produced, had her musical talent brought to light by a peculiar incident when she was a child.
Her father, besides teaching music, was a repairer of instruments. Frequently the little girl would perch herself on a high stool and gravely watch him while he mended some broken violin. One day he left a repaired instrument lying on his bench, and the inquisitive child undertook to play it and try to get from it the music she had heard others bring from the same source. But in her ignorance she broke one of the strings.
On her father's return she was roundly scolded and promised that a recurrence of such meddling would bring severe punishment. For some days this threat had the desired effect, but the wish to again produce the attractive tones made the little one forget the admonition, and again she tried her hand at playing, but this time she was caught in the act.
To punish her, the father declared he would make her learn to play the instrument she had tampered with. He expected she would shrink from this as a heavy punishment, but was greatly surprised to see her run eagerly to the violin and draw from it a series of smooth and pleasant musical tones.
Being a sensible man, he resolved to cultivate this faculty, and in due time Mara became a brilliant violinist, and later, winning great renown as a singer, the father was able to lay aside the repairing of voices and instruments.