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Fischer, George Alexander

"Beethoven"

Just
before the testimonial concert, he was at times absolutely without
funds, his housekeeper being occasionally required to advance money from
her savings to tide him over until a windfall should happen. The
proceeds from the seven subscriptions to the Mass in D, amounting to
three hundred and fifty ducats (about eight hundred dollars) helped him
out to some extent, and something must have been coming in all the while
from his previous publications. With good management there would have
been sufficient for a man of his simple requirements, but in nothing was
he so deficient as in business ability, or the faculty of looking after
his worldly concerns. He was probably cheated right and left in his
household matters.


CHAPTER XVI
THE DAY'S TRIALS
Those who are furthest removed from us really believe that we are
constituted just like themselves, for they understand exactly so
much of us as we have in common with them, but they do not know how
little, how infinitesimally little this is.
--WAGNER: _Letter to Liszt_.


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