fingers being placed a little farther in on the keys than is natural for
the first and fifth. Of course the hand takes an arched position and the
joints nearest the tip of the fingers must be firm; there should be no
wavering nor giving in there. The whole arm, of course, is relaxed, and
swings easily from the shoulder.


A PIANO HAND

"I have, as you say, a good hand for the piano; much depends on that; I
have always had a good deal of what is called a natural technic. Thus
when I am obliged to forego practising I do not lose my facility; an
hour's work puts the hand in condition again. What do I do to accomplish
this? Different things. First some finger movements, perhaps with
fingers in an extended chord position; then some scales and arpeggios;
then a Chopin étude, and so on. When practising regularly, I do not
generally work at the piano more than four hours a day; it seems to me
that amount is sufficient, if used with absolute concentration."

Later we adjourned to the pretty garden back of the music-room, and here
we were joined by a beautiful gray Angora cat, the pet and pride of his
mistress, and a very important personage indeed. He has a trick of
climbing to Miss Goodson's shoulder, from which point of vantage he
surveys the world about him with all the complaisance of which an animal
of such high degree is capable.




XI