n ehre, und *wie Sie dies
*heuer hierin und in andren Faellen handeln moegen nach ihren Grund fuer
zueinander wie Muehe, mich finden Sie *nur gut und als

"Ihren Freund
Beethoven"]

An incident of his visit at Toeplitz, showing Beethoven's humility and
kindliness will bear narrating, as it was characteristic of the
man. It relates to a stern parent, a lovely daughter, an ardent wooer.
The first two characters of the _dramatis personae_, were the innkeeper,
at whose house Beethoven dined, and his daughter. The part of lover was
taken by Ludwig Loewe, an actor, while Beethoven's part in the little
drama is not much more important than that of scene-shifter. Loewe was a
man in good standing, and came from a family of some prominence, but the
father objected to him and forbade the daughter speaking to him. It
appears that Beethoven was in the habit of coming late for dinner, so
the plan was hit upon that Loewe was to take dinner late also, at which
hour, the other guests having eaten and gone, and business being over
for the time, the father was not apt to be around to interfere. "All the
world loves a lover." Beethoven was an interested spectator of the
little comedy, no doubt casting occasional friendly glances in the
direction of the young couple. The father finally appeared on the scene,
ordered the actor to leave the house, and forbade him coming there any
more. At this crisis the lovers were in despair, that is for a while.
Love laughs at locksmiths, as we know, and it had not got so far as that
yet. Loewe, with the resources of a true lover, managed to meet Beethoven
accidentally away from the inn, and looked at him so intently that he
was rewarded by an answering nod of recognition from the master. The ice
being broken, the actor disclosed his troubles. Meeting with sympathy,
he was emboldened to ask him to deliver a letter to Fraeulein Therese. To
this Beethoven agreed, and, taking the letter, started to go, thus
closing the interview. But Loewe was not so easily gotten rid of. With an
embarrassed manner, he managed to convey to Beethoven the fact that
there would be an answer. "So! And you wish me to deliver it? Well, meet
me here to-morrow;" and so Beethoven became the go-between for the
lovers during the remainder of his stay in Toeplitz.

Allusion has already been made to the acquaintance which he formed with
Goethe this summer. That Beethoven had the highest esteem for the poet,
there is no doubt. In speaki