GENIUS AND GRIT.

Mataura Ensign, 25 January 1911, Page 3

GENIUS AND GRIT.

WHAT TWO BOYS DSD. A LESSON TO THEIR BROTHERS. Residing at this moment in the Aussere Haliisehe Strnsso of Lhe quaint old German city of Leipsig (says a contributor in the 'Age') arc two obscure Australian vouths. of whom their eor.ntrytnen—did they know it—have excellent reason to be proud. They are both very young —one is under twenty yea' - -: of age—yet each, his already do- '.(• things in his short lif-j that art richly deserving of being published to the people of Australia, for they reveal such qualities of pluck, persistency, resolutio l and st:rling honest conduct that merely to read of them is to be inspired with a -pleasant glow of admiration, and to experience a new pride i:i his great free sunny land of ours in '/Inch the lads were born and bred. The eld v.- youth is named Harold Norman Sturrock. He is the son of very poor parents, who formerly resided at NeVtown, New South Wales. When Harold was still a child his mother was deprived of hcv husband's support and obliged to earn a livelihood for herself and her family by the Hardest Forms of Mental Work. Harold Sturrock was passionately devoted to his mother, and he could not endure the thought of adding to her cares by remaining dependent on her toil. Before he was twelve years old, without asking anyone's permission, he left school and quietly essayed the task of making his own living. Being a strung, athletic boy, he was not long in search of employment, and he soon contrived to bo of substantial assistance in keeping the wolf from the family door. For some years he spent his days at work, his evenings at study. He became a great reader, particularly of philosophical and historical literature, and his reading developed his mind to a very extraordinary degree. At length ' a very sad and disastrous accident befel , him. While executing one day a job for the man who employed his services in a New South Walec country town, he ran a rusty nail into his foot. Bloodpoisoning supervened, and he was taken to a hospital. A few days later his leg was amputated, and he was thereby s condemned for lire to be a cripple. The surgeon who attended him throughout ; his long and dangerous illness 7 - elates > that Harold Stia rock never gave way f for a single moment to despair or to despondency. The lad was true grit--I through ,ancr through. When told that - he must lose-his leg he laughed gaily I and inqaired the price of stumps. He - bore the pain of the operation without - wincing, and as long as he remained in the hospital ' his bright and merry - nat ire made constant sunshine in the :• place and deeply endeared him to all l the inmates When finally discharged 1 he surprised the doctor and nurses who » had treated him by presenting each ) with a small but tasteful little gift, which he had secretly purchased out of ' his slender store of money. "You've all • been so jolly good to me," he said at ! the parting, "that I simply couldn't - clear put without letting you see that I i appreciated it." He 1 Left the Nursing Staff in Tears. i From the hospital Harold stumped his way to the coal-mining township ; near Newcastle, where his mother was . then residing. But he was as firmly • determined as ever not to.be a burden • upon her exiguous resources. Nor was fate unkind to him. Although a cripple , he soon acquired a surprising dexterity of movement on his wooden leg, and he was able to undertake odd jobs and | light work at and about the mines. Thus he not only managed to support ( himself, but to render financial assistI anee to the mother he loved so dearly. It was about this time that Harold Sturrock became acquainted, and entered into terms of friendship, with the other subject of this narrative, David Francis Burt. David Burt was some [ years younger than Harold, but of a | more singular and precocious intellect. I Born at Wallsend on August 11, IS9O, I lie was the son of a local coal miner of I essentially restricted circumstances. I From infancy David Burt has displayed 1 an -abnormal aptitude .jor music, and | when nine years old he was enabled, ! through the kindness of a local musi- , dan, Mr W. G. Scott, to begin the , study af the violin. Later on he rei ceived two years' tuition from. MiRivers Allpress at Sydney, and then re- | turned to Newcastle, where he con- ' tinned frs studies under Stephen Jansen, ft vas at this period that he foregathered with Harold Sturrock. The tv.<. boys appear to have been irresistibly attracted to one another. Harold fell instantly under the sivnv of jDavkVs musical genius, and David's impressionable artistic tempo* anient |\ias completely dominated by the virile independence am! original force and enterprise of Harold's character As their friendship ripened both boys exhibited unerring signs of the benefits mutually derive:! from and conferred by tlu-i ■ intimacy. David became stronger and more self-reliant; Harold became mere intelligent ; ml more refined., (.1 ie day David confessed to his friend His Long'Cherisheel Ambition '; to become a really great violinist. As \ he !i-.d ah'.aah r.v- ds : p;., ■ i da- ',- -..: | ■■■<-•.■;! t... ! hi rope and c.aipi: to hi:-: ma»aI cal ei-ncation under so; 10 great master I oi -..-hi. older woi!<!. i.vi'i. Liils v^rjd for he was poor and utlady i; i • i< i; •: j ~ ai, J and his parent:; con!,! by ia; mcaos af- [ ford the expens-a ~!' ;-eii' ! ing bin; jabi-'.uj. Harold listened in sib ace. iiiiL |bcff»- the o-.h-r L : I ■:■■:; ' is :. - 1 "ever since i tan remember i haw ad I v.avs i..m-,.ed to see il;e v.orid. 1 . ;a.u,,,v, :y<.;i -dial) ■■:.<>, mv ha.-, and I ball p, ] to plot ':i'V«l p!aa I - ,:' 'dad 7." h - ;'. •!"! , ! compact ai.vay- ie he!,:- one aeataa-i- a: d \ stick together. They would go to (!:■;•- ! many, -end David should study mush. | while Humid worked to supiaul .boil:. iT'iicii when David';; musical odacata.e i should halve .been finished Harold wonl: 1 be David's business manager, they. J would four the world ami Wfg._ their j

fortunes out of David's violin! !t wars a pretty dream, but the question was how to translate it to the sphere of fact, for each lad was as poor as a crow. But pluck and energy can ae complish marvels when properly directed. The boys set out about arran'dnosome concerts, and after a lot of hard ivork and trouble a few Hounds were thereby collected 'mougli to pay David's fare, and louotlu-r with the 1 money generously contributed by tbe young'violinist's parents, to see him on his way. But "Harold's fare had still to be pro-j vicled. For a time be racked his brains! in vain for an expedient to raise the I wind; then I Forfyn? Favor:d H?"n, His one treasure wa ; a bulldog, which he owned from a pup. This dog was well bro)l, and a a rent fighter, and consequently much esteemed by the \Yweastle coal miners, most of whom hare an extraordinary fondness for bulldogs! (and dog fighting, too, be it confessed), j Harold determined to sell it, and ho was so lucky as to find a buyer v. hose charest object was to acquire a bulldog which might "down" a champion owned by a rival fancier. j Harold sold his dog to this man for, the splendid sum of £s(l, and his 1 troubles were at an end. Part of the money he forced upon his mother. Armed with the balance he set out with David Burt for Europe in the steerage; of a mail boat. The courageous pair knew not a word of the German tonguo, but they made straight for Leipsig and the conservatoire, and arrived at their destination without accident. David at once commenced his studies. Harold as promptly roamed the city in search of work. Incredible as it may appear, he found employment without much difficulty through the friendly offices of a chance encountered Canadian gentleman who lives in Leipsig. The friends have now been more than two years in Germany. During that time David Burt has occasionally been assisted by his parents, but Harold Sturrock, of the one leg. has not received a single farthing from Australia. He has contrived not only to live by his own exertions, but even, whenever required, to assist his friend. The boys spent their last holiday in London. With the daring of unconquerable selfconfidence they started from Leipsig without a shilling beyond the ; r fares. Arrived in the capital of the Empire, they cheerfully proceeded to exploit it by a musical bombardment. David Burt's name was as unknown in London musical circles as that of King Billy of Murwillumbah; but this trifling fact mattered nothing to The Hardy Young Soldiers of Fortune. Harold, in his capacity of entrepreneur, stumped Iris way into the confidence of a concert hall proprietor, and presently succeeded in interesting the great man in David's talent. The result was that the hall was let to .them on trust. Several concerts were promptly* given. The auditors, alas! were few, but they made' up in zeal for lack of numbers, and the boys ultimately returned to Leipsig free from debt, and, better still, with some money in their pockets. Shortly afterwards an examination was held under Professor Becker at the Leipsig Conservatoire. David Burt was thus at length provided with an opportunity to discover his genius to the keenest musical critics in Europe. The consequence has added a signal honor to the repute of Australia in the older world. This boy, who is not yet twenty, snatched from all contestants the triumph of the coveted honor scholarship of the Conservatoire, which carries three years' free tuition; and he was further selected by the unanimous vote of the directors to perform at all their concerts this year as the representative student of the Conservatoirej for which services he is to be paid a handsome fee. The glowing dream which these lads conceived sn long ago at Newcastle is now well on the way of "dreaming true." David's future is assured—his present wants are fully supplied. Harold, as full as •ever of sanguine enthusiasm, is working and waiting for his friend. Neither lad ■owes a penny in the world ; neither is ■directly indebted to others for what ho has and is. The fair fortune which the future now seems to hold in store for tfhom is due entirely to their genius, their unwavering friendship, their integrity of purpose and their grit.