This was just eleven days before
the battle of Waterloo.
In November of this year Beethoven's brother Karl died, leaving the
composer as an heritage his son Karl, then nine years of age. With the
clairvoyance which approaching dissolution often brings, the father saw
that the uncle would be a much better guardian for the boy, than the
mother, and consigned him to Beethoven's care almost with his last
breath. It was characteristic of such a man as was Beethoven, to accept
the charge without hesitation, from an exaggerated sense of duty; to
fight for its possession even, although it revolutionized his life and
brought him face to face with all sorts of difficult and untried
conditions.
As might have been expected, Karl's widow, who was the daughter of a
rich citizen, contested his right to the control of the boy, and began
legal proceedings to obtain possession of him. This was the
advance-guard of a series of troubles that began to close in on him at
this period, ending only with his life. Years of litigation followed,
the issue being at times in favor of one side, then of the other, the
boy meanwhile being in charge of the successful party.
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