, and when father and
son returned to Berlin it was with the settled conviction on the part
of the former that thenceforward the boy's life must be devoted to
music.

And now a great change came into the daily life of the family. The
house in the Neue Promenade was exchanged for a statelier and more
commodious mansion, No. 3, Leipziger Strasse, situated on the
outskirts of the city near the Potsdam Gate. The grounds of the new
house adjoined the old deer-park of Frederick the Great, and in
themselves were almost large enough to be styled a park. Stretches of
green turf, shaded by fine forest-trees, winding walks amidst
sweet-scented flowering shrubs, and arbours nestling in retired
corners, inviting retreats for study and meditation, comprised an
ideal spot for one who loved the surroundings of Nature. Nor was the
house itself behindhand in offering special attractions for the
purposes of study and recreation, in addition to the more solid
requirements of comfort and accommodation. The rooms were spacious and
elegant, and comprised one large apartment perfectly adapted for
musical or theatrical entertainments. But, just as there are not a few
of us who, in choosing a residence, are drawn towards the garden
before proceeding to investigate the dwelling itself, so Felix's
delight was first of all expressed with regard to the beautiful
surroundings of the new home. And there was one feature of the garden
which opened up to his mind splendid possibilities in connection with
his beloved pursuit. This was a garden-house, containing a central
hall capable of accommodating several hundred people, and furnished
with windows and glass doors opening and looking upon the lawns and
trees. The garden-house was as essentially a part of the garden as any
large summer-house could be, and yet comprised sufficient rooms to fit
it for occupation as a separate dwelling if such were necessary.

No sooner had the family established itself in the new home than the
musical and artistic gatherings were resumed on an even larger scale
than heretofore. The Sunday concerts were held in the 'Gartenhaus,'
which, on most of the other evenings of the week, was the resort of
friends, both old and young, who came to listen to the music, or to
play or act, or in other ways amuse themselves. So famous did these
gatherings become, and so completely were the mansion and its
surroundings identified with the family which occupied it, and
dispensed its open-