“ah!bu,”myreadermaysay,“heweakerpyerwansoreceivepoinsinorderhahemaygivehesrongeroneabeergame”really,idonobelievehahaissopossible,someimes,asrongandvaingloriouspyermaywishogivepoins,inorderhahisvicorymaybehemorenoablebuidonohinkhaevenhisisherueexpnaionha,isuspec,wasgivenomeheoherdaybyhesecrearyofawne

isournamen,inwhichipyed“whyallhisnonsenseofhandicaps?whynoleusbesquarelybeaen,anddonewihi?”iaskedhim“because,”hereplied,“ifwedidnogivehandicaps,noneofhelessgoodpyerswouldener”ishanoaconfessionhahemajoriyofushavebohrealizedheruevaluedoingarivialhingbadly,forisownsake,andmusneedshaveourmindsbuoyedandcheaedinoafalsesenseofexcellence?

moreoveriisnoonlysuchinrinsicallyrivialhingsasgameshaareworhdoingbadlyhisisaruhwhich,oddlyenough,weaccepfreelyofsomehings—bunoofohers—andasahingwhichwearequieconenodowilllemeinsanceacingacing,aisbes,canbeagreaar,ahingworhdoingsupremelywell,houghisworh,likehaofallinerpreaivears,islessenedbyisevanescenceforiworksinheimpermanenmediumofhumanfleshandblood,andhehinghaheacorcreae—forwhawecallaninerpreaivearisisreallyacreaivearisworkinginaperishablemedium—isanimpressionupon,anemoionorahougharousedin,hemindsofanaudience,andisincapableofrecord

acing,hen,lemeposue—houghihaveonlyskechedeversobrieflyheproofofmybelief—canbeagreaarbuisanyoneeverdeerredfromakingparinamaeurhearicalsbyheconsideraionhaheca

oacwell?noabiofi!andquierighlyno,foracingisoneofhehingsabouwhichiamwriinghisessay—hehingshaareworhdoingbadly

anohersuchhingismusic;buhereheproverbialfalcyagainexersispower,asidoesno,forsomeobscureandunreasoningdiscriminaion,inacingmospeopleseemohinkhaifheyca

osing,orpyhepiano,fiddle,orsackbu,admirablywell,heymusnodoanyofhesehingsaallhaheyshouldnoindiscriminaelyforceheirinferiorperformancesuponhepublic,orevenuponheiracquainances,iadmibuhahereisnopce“inhehome”forinferiormusicalperformances,isanunruhhaiflydeny

howmanysonsanddaughershaveno,wihaverysmallalen,givenheirparens—andevenhelessfondlyprejudicedearsofheirfriends—greapleasurewihhesingingofsimplesongs?henonedayherecomesohesingerheserpenofdissaisfacion;singinglessonsareaken,and—ifhepupilisofmoderaealenandmodesdisposiion—limiaionsarediscoveredandhen,inninecasesouofen,hesingingisdropped,likeahope

yhowmanyfahershavenobanishedmusicfromheirhomesbyencouragingheirdaughersoakesinginglessons?yeahomemaybehefresherforsinginghawoulddeservebrickbasaaparishconcer

imaypausehereonoicehecuriousexcepionhapeoplewhoca

oonanyaccounbepersuadedosinginhedrawingroom,oreveninhebah,willwihouhesiaionuplifheirunelessvoicesareligiousmeeingsorinchurchhereisaperfeclygoodandhonorableexpnaionofhis,ibelieve,buibelongsoherealmofmeaphysicsandisbeyondmypresenscope

hiscursedbelief,haifahingisworhdoingaall,iisworhdoingwell,ishecauseofagreaimpoverishmeninourprivaelife,andalso,osomeexen,ofheloweringofsandardsinourpubliclifeforhiseofproverbialfaihhaswoeffecsonsmallalens:ileadsmodespersonsnooexercisehemaall,andimmodespersonsoaempodosooomuchandoforcehemselvesuponhepublicileadsohedecayofleerwriingandofhekeepingofdiaries,and,assurely,ileadsohepublicaionofmemoirsanddiarieshashouldremainlockedinhewriers’desks

ileadsmrbnknoowrieversesaall—whichhemighverywelldo,forhesakeofhisownhappiness,andforheamusemenofhisfriends—andileadsmissdashopeserheoverworkedediorsofvariousjournalswihherunsuccessfulimiaionsofmrdemare,mryeas,anddrbridgesheresulishaournaionalarisiclifenowsuffersfromwogreaneeds:awideramaeurpraciceofhears,andahigher,moreexclusive,professionalsandardunilheseareachievedweshallnogehebesouofoursouls