A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.

Alfred Grandison was born in the ancient city of Bristol in the year
1831. His father had been bandmaster in a British Cavalry regiment,
but had retired some years previous to the birth of little Alfred,
and made a comfortable livelihood by teaching the children of the
wealthy residents of Clifton, the fashionable suburb of Bristol.
Young Alfred soon gave evidence of great musical talent, and used to
amuse himself blowing trumpet calls on his father's French horn,
although the instrument was almost as big as himself; he also
achieved considerable mastery over the piano, the flute and the
violin, but, though bright and intelligent enough, and always
maintaining a creditable position at school, it was evident that
nature had intended him for a musician, and that he could never
succeed in anything prosaic or mechanical. Accordingly his father
taught him not only to play, but also instructed him in the theory
and literature of music, and, when he was old enough, had him
entered as a chorister in Bristol Cathedral, where, in addition to
vocal music, he was carefully taught the art of organ-playing by the
Cathedral organist.

The boy soon became able to play quite skilfully, and when his voice
began to give way he obtained a position as organist in the church
at Shirehampton, performing on a small instrument with one row of
keys. From Shirehampton he shortly removed to a more remunerative
position in Bristol, and he was not long there before he fell in
love with the daughter of a hotel-keeper in one of the suburbs, whom,
in spite of the remonstrance of both relatives and friends, he
eventually married, although she was both poor and plain-looking,