tremely
interesting and convincing; but allow me to request an answer to various
objections and considerations which are now and then brought forward,
particularly by teachers.

DOMINIE. To that I am quite accustomed. The good and the beautiful
never obtain uncontested recognition. No one has ever offered any new
improvement, and fearlessly spoken the truth, without being attacked,
defamed, and despised, or entirely misunderstood. Our age can show many
proofs of this; for example, let us remember homoeopathy and magnetism.
Clara Wieck was not appreciated in Leipzig until she had been admired in
Paris; nor Marie Wieck, because she does not play exactly as her sister
Clara does. The same is the case with my present book, which
relentlessly treads upon the incredible follies and lamentable errors of
the times. I am quite prepared for opposition of any kind.

MRS. SOLID. I should like to suggest to you that there are other
teachers who have given themselves a great deal of trouble, and who are
very particular; but it is not their good fortune to have daughters like
yours to educate.

DOMINIE. Have given themselves a great deal of trouble? What do you mean
by that? If they do not take pains in the right way, or at the right
time and place, it is all labor in vain. Of what use is mere unskilful,
stupid industry? For instance, when a teacher, in order to correct a
stiff use of the fingers and wrist, and the general faulty touch of his
pupil, gives some wonderful etude or a piece with great stretches and
arpeggios for the left hand, and gives himself unwearied trouble over
it, it is a proof of abundant painstaking; but it is labor thrown away,
and only makes the imperfect mode of performance the worse.

And now with regard to my daughters. It has been their fortune to have
had me for a father and teacher: they certainly have talent, and I have
been successful in rousing and guiding it. Envy, jealousy, pride, and
offended egotism have tried as long as possible to dispute this; but at
last the effort is abandoned. They say that it requires no art to
educate such talent as theirs, that it almost "comes of itself." This
assertion is just as false and contrary to experience as it is common,
even with educated and thoughtful people, who belong to no clique.
Lichtenburg says: "It is just those things upon which everybody is
agreed that should be subjected to investigation." Well, I have made a
thorough investigation of these accus