FIGHTING THE INSECTS 



often to their beer-gardens and to their Sangerbund concerts, 

 and in general led a not unusual life. 



It may be of interest here to say a few words about music. 

 My mother was a charming singer, and my father had a good 

 tenor voice. Both their families were musical. In college I sang 

 in the University Glee Club, and played the bass viol in the 

 Curtis Society Orchestra. As a substitute I also sang with my 

 mother in one of the church choirs. She was the leading soprano 

 in the quartet, and whenever the bass or tenor or alto was ill, 

 I took his or her part. Soon after I came to Washington, I 

 joined the old Philharmonic Society — a choral society which 

 occasionally gave concerts throughout the winter. It was led by 

 Dr. John P. Caulfield, an Irishman, who was a doctor of music 

 from the University of Dublin. I remember that we sang several 

 oratorios, and on one occasion, with great success, Rossini's 

 "Stabat Mater." 



In fact, it was through music that I met my wife. She was 

 a girl of twenty-one and had a glorious soprano voice. The old 

 Philharmonic Society died and was succeeded by the Washing- 

 ton Choral Society under the leadership of Harry Sherman, a 

 man famous in musical circles in Washington at that time. 

 I had met Miss Clifton, and at the opening meeting of the 

 Choral Society I discovered her among the sopranos, so during 

 the first winter I took her to rehearsals. She was then singing 

 in the Choir of St. Matthews, the principal Catholic Church in 

 Washington. We were married a year later, and in the six years 

 before children began to make their appearance we went con- 

 stantly to musical things. Every winter we went to New York 

 to hear the Nibelungen Ring at the Metropolitan. 



I am bringing in this reference to music to make an interest- 

 ing psychological point. In spite of my devotion to the best 

 music, there came a time when my liking for it left me sud- 



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