DOMINIE. Have given themselves a great deal of trouble? What do you mean
by that? If they do not take pains in the right way, or at the right
time and place, it is all labor in vain. Of what use is mere unskilful,
stupid industry? For instance, when a teacher, in order to correct a
stiff use of the fingers and wrist, and the general faulty touch of his
pupil, gives some wonderful étude or a piece with great stretches and
arpeggios for the left hand, and gives himself unwearied trouble over
it, it is a proof of abundant painstaking; but it is labor thrown away,
and only makes the imperfect mode of performance the worse.

And now with regard to my daughters. It has been their fortune to have
had me for a father and teacher: they certainly have talent, and I have
been successful in rousing and guiding it. Envy, jealousy, pride, and
offended egotism have tried as long as possible to dispute this; but at
last the effort is abandoned. They say that it requires no art to
educate such talent as theirs, that it almost "comes of itself." This
assertion is just as false and contrary to experience as it is common,
even with educated and thoughtful people, who belong to no clique.
Lichtenburg says: "It is just those things upon which everybody is
agreed that should be subjected to investigation." Well, I have made a
thorough investigation of these accusations, with regard to my three
daughters, and all the talented pupils whom I have been able to educate
for good amateurs, and, according to circumstances, for good public
performers. The great number of these suffices for my justification. I
must add, still further, that it is exactly the "great talents" for
singing, or for the piano, who require the most careful, thoughtful, and
prudent guidance. Look around at the multitude of abortive talents and
geniuses! Talented pupils are just the ones who have an irresistible
desire to be left to their own discretion; they esteem destruction by