t of the
other great musicians were forced to do. Their music was often the
expression of struggle and sorrow. He had none of these things to
bear; he was carefree and happy, and his music reflects the joyous
contentment of his life.

The Mendelssohn family originally lived in Hamburg. Their house faced
one of the fine squares of the city, with a handsome church on
the opposite side. The building is still there and well preserved,
although the principal story is used as public dining rooms. A large
tablet has been placed above the doorway, with a likeness of the
composer encircled by a wreath of laurel. Here little Felix was born,
February 3, 1809. There were other children, Fanny a year or two
older, then after Felix came Rebekka and little Paul. When French
soldiers occupied the town in 1811, life became very unpleasant for
the German residents, and whoever could, sought refuge in other cities
and towns. Among those who successfully made their escape was the
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy family, the second name belonged to the family
and was used to distinguish their own from other branches of the
Mendelssohn family. With his wife and children, Abraham Mendelssohn
fled to Berlin, and made his home for some years with the grandmother,
who had a house on the Neue Promenade, a fine broad street, with
houses only on one side, the opposite side descended in a grassy slope
to the canal, which flowed lazily by.

It was a happy life the children led, amid ideal surroundings. Felix
very early showed a great fondness for music, and everything was done
to foster his budding talent. With his sister Fanny, to whom he was
devotedly attached, he began to have short music lessons from
his mother when he was only four years old. Their progress was so
satisfactory, that after a while, professional musicians were engaged
to teach them piano, violin and composition, as a regular part of
their education. Besides these, they must study Greek, Latin, drawing
and school subjects. With so much study to be done each day, it was
necessary to begin work at five o'clock in the morning. But in spite
of hard work all were happy, and as for Felix nothing could dampen the
flow of his high spirits; he enjoyed equally work and play, giving the
same earnest attention to each. Both he and Fanny were beginning
to compose, and Felix's attempts at improvising upon some comical
incident in their play time would call forth peals of laughter from
the inseparable ch