rtant bearing on his subsequent
life. This was Von Breuning. He and Beethoven took violin lessons of
Franz Ries. Stephen von Breuning liked Beethoven from the start and
introduced him at his mother's house. The Breunings were in good
circumstances, cultivated, good-natured and hospitable. They delighted
in having him about, and treated him with the utmost consideration.
Madame von Breuning formed a sincere, motherly affection for him; he was
soon on a footing in their house almost equal to that of a member of the
family. He went with them about this time on a visit to some of their
relations in another city. They were instrumental in shaping his
destiny in various ways, and their friendship was of great moment to him
throughout life. Beethoven, then in his eighteenth year, gave lessons to
the daughter Eleonore, as well as to the youngest son, Lenz. Eleonore
afterward married Dr. Wegeler, who was in the same circle. Many years
later he collaborated with Ries's son Ferdinand in writing reminiscences
of the master.

The names of Count Waldstein and the Von Breunings are indelibly
associated with Beethoven's name as friends from the beginning. When we
consider how every circumstance of Beethoven's family and mode of life
tended against his forming desirable friendships, how rough in exterior
and careless of his appearance he was, we can ascribe it only to the
force of his character that he should have the friendship of such
people. He had done nothing as yet to lead people to believe that he
would ever become a great composer. As has been stated, however, he was
a pianist of great originality, with a remarkable talent for
improvising, which, no doubt, had much to do in making him a welcome
guest wherever he went.

Madame von Breuning, with her woman's tact, and the fine intuitive
perceptions that were characteristic of her, looked after his
intellectual development, and was helpful to him in various ways,
encouraging him as well in his musical studies. But Beethoven was by no
means an easy person to get along with, as she soon found out. He was
fiery and headstrong, disliking all restraint, being especially
impatient of anything that savored of patronage. She seems to have known
that in Beethoven she had before her that rarest product of humanity, a
man of genius, and had infinite patience with him. His dislike for
teaching was pronounced, then, as in after years, and she was often at
her wits' end to get him to keep his