Mozart's Youth

The hands of the house clock, which persistently kept up its monotonousticking, moved slowly forward. Minute after minute passed,and with every minute the vice chapelmaster grew more and moreanxious. A piano stood at one side of the room. To divert his thoughts
he went to it, and with trembling hands struck a few chords, whosesoft, full tones seemed to exert a quieting influence upon him. Hewiped the perspiration from his brow, and his dimmed eyes grewbrighter as he went to the window and looked up at the sky.“Let the dear God do as He wills,” he gently said to himself. “Hewill surely do everything that is for our best and highest good.”
He stood at the window several minutes with clasped hands anduplifted eyes. The sky was overcast with dark clouds, with here andthere occasional glimpses of the blue. The air was sultry and oppressive,and seemed to threaten a storm. Suddenly the dark cloud-veilwas rent, as it were, and the dazzling sun shed a brilliantly glorious flood of light upon the beautiful scenery of Salzburg. The glisteningsunbeams also streamed into the vice chapelmaster‟s room, and FatherMozart welcomed them with a serene smile.