is thought he
did not appreciate music. Camilla was sure he did not like her style of
bowing.

The very next day after the journey was over Camilla returned to the
little room in the corner of the Conservatory and took her place by the
window that looked out into the court-yard where the school bell hung in
its tower, where she could see fat and rosy Massart tramp up and down
the floor and scold the boys in his dear, cross old fashion. That stick
flourished about as lively as ever. Her own fingers and limbs felt it
once in a while when she became careless. It was not often now. She
would be nine next Spring. She was getting to be a big girl and knew too
much to be caught napping by Massart. The "German Tour" as she proudly
called it had sharpened her wits and made her even more attentive and
careful. She took up her studies in solfeggio and harmony and settled
down into the routine of hard, persistent study with renewed vigor.
Those boys were far ahead of her. Never mind. She would catch them
presently.

When we see Madam Urso play to-day we think her steadiness of posture
and grace of playing very easy. None can count the days, months and
years of trial and labor she spent to attain such skill and grace. In
playing it may be noticed that she stands very firm and erect on her
left foot, with the right slightly advanced in front. Even so simple a
matter as this cost weeks of painful effort and many a bitter tear. They
put her right foot into a china saucer in such a way that the slightest
weight upon it would crush it. She broke several before she fully
acquired the proper position. It cost tears and china ware, at first.
Now it is as nothing.

The playing appears to be easy enough to spectators. Her fingers fly
over the strings with unerring certainty. It seems as if it would be
impossible to go wrong. We look on the strings to see if there are
finger prints, or other marks to show where the strings should be
touched. There is nothing. On the piano each key is plainly marked out.
Knowing the notes and the keys we may in time touch them with absolute
certainty. On the violin, the fingers must find the right place without
assistance. The notes must be found, as it were, in the dark. Only by
learning just how far to stretch the fingers and by the employment of
years and years of practice can any degree of skill be obtained.

In spite of all this, here was our nine year old Camilla getting ready
to compete for the pri