Sealed Lips — page 27: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SHALED LIPS. 19 person. He had very few friends, either among young composers or the older masters. The first for the most part considered that they were rivals, unjustly frustxated by fate. The others were not attracted toward a talent that rose so quickly. They accused him of being a miser, and, of all cen- sure that they had given him, this above all caused them to withhold their sympathy. In reality nobody could be less avaricious than he, but in his tranquil existence the gold that he earned deposited itself like clay upon a ground cov- ered with stagnant water. Perhaps with time these faults that were attri- buted to him would prove to be untrue, a circum- stance of frequent occurrence. From continually hearing that he was a misanthrope he thought the world blind and unjust and disagreeable. It made him still more dignified when they reproached him for his pride, and if anything made money of value in his eyes it was to see to what a point those who did not have it made faces at those who did. He learned more and more to dispense with others’ society, a quality that is nearly related to egotism. However, upon these moderate and easily explained transformations of character art and work con- tinued to rule in a masterly manner. If be was not the happiest of men, he was surely one of the least to be pitied. The ideal steeped his soul in the purest delight; reality spared him sorrow for the present, Gomicbooks (Cl Q)