on September 5, a date which he considered
lucky for ever after. A few days in the city soon saw an end to his
money. He applied and got work at a carpenter's shop, but was driven
away by the coarseness of his fellow-workers. Hans made a friend of the
porter at the stage-door of the theatre, and begged for some employment
in the theatre; so occasionally he was allowed to walk across the stage
in a crowd, but obtained scanty remuneration, and the lad was often
hungry. Starving and destitute, the happy idea occurred to our hero to
try and earn something by his voice. He applied to Siboni, the Director
of the Music School, and was admitted to his presence whilst the latter
was at dinner. Fortunately for Hans, Baggersen the poet and Weyse the
celebrated composer were of the party, so for their amusement the boy
was asked to sing and recite. Weyse was so struck by the quality of his
voice and Baggersen with his poetic feeling, that they made a collection
among them there and then for him, and Siboni undertook to train his
voice. Unfortunately, in six months' time his voice gave way, and Siboni
counselled him to learn a trade. Hans returned to the theatre in the
hope of employment, and his persistence finally gained him a place in a
market scene. Making a friend of the son of the librarian, he obtained
permission to read at the library, and he wrote tragedies and plays,
some of which he took to the director of the theatre. This man became
Andersen's friend for life, for the grains of gold which he saw in his
work, marred though it was by want of education, roused his interest.
The director brought Andersen to the notice of the King, and he was sent
to the Latin school, where he took his place--although now a grown
man--among the boys in the lowest class but one. The master's tongue was
sharp, and the sensitive youth was dismayed by his own ignorance. The
kindness and sympathetic encouragement of the director was the only
brightness of this period of Hans' life. University life followed that
of school, and Andersen took a good degree. He now wrote a play, which
was accepted and produced at the theatre with such success that he wept
for joy. Soon his poems were published, and happiness and prosperity
followed. Later the King granted him a travelling stipend, of forty-five
pounds a year, and travelling became his greatest pleasure. Andersen
visited England two or three times, and reckoned Charles Dickens among
his friends. He was