of
1893, Miss Dicksee's picture of the boy Handel, varied somewhat from
the version just quoted. It says that the father forbade the child
following his bent, and banished all the musical instruments in the
house to the attic, where, however, the little musician discovered
them, and, under cover of night, resumed his beloved pursuit. The
sounds thus produced, and the flitting of the little white-clad figure
over the stairs, started the story that the house was haunted, which
was believed until the truth was revealed, as shown in the picture.

Miss Dicksee, an Englishwoman, and the sister of Frank Dicksee, R. A.,
has painted several deservedly popular pictures, having for their
subjects episodes in the lives of those who have reared themselves
above the common mass of humanity. Such are her "Swift and Stella,"
"The First Audience--Goldsmith and the Misses Horenck," and "Sheridan
at the Linleys."

Handel, whom the Elector of Hanover had made his capellmeister, first
came to England in the autumn of 1710, having been granted a year's
leave of absence by his royal patron. In the following February his
opera of "Rinaldo" was produced in London with great success, and at
once established the composer's reputation with the English public. At
the close of the season he returned to Hanover, where he remained over
a year, but was back in England again toward the end of 1712. In July
of the following year, his Te Deum and Jubilate, for the service of
thanksgiving held in celebration of the Peace of Utrecht, was performed
in St. Paul's, and Queen Anne bestowed a life pension of 200 pounds a
year upon him. In August, 1714, the queen died, and Handel, who had
long out-stayed his leave of absence from Hanover, felt some qualms of
conscience while awaiting the coming of his master, who arrived within
six weeks after Anne's death to be crowned as George I. George had
some reason to be vexed with both "his principal musicians: with the
capellmeister for neglect, with Farinelli, the concert-master at
Hanover, for obtrusiveness. In the thick of all the bustle consequent
on the court's leaving Hanover, this gentleman wrote and thrust into
the elector's notice a composition to the words, 'Lord, remember me
when thou comest into thy kingdom.' Handel was somewhat afraid to go
near his injured master, who, however, could not help hearing of him.
The new royal family cared for music, and for no other form of art.
They were not edifie