Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1883 — A Resolute Bargain. [ARTICLE]

A Resolute Bargain.

“When Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war,” the old saying is. The like happens when two equally willful people dispute over a difference in opinion or a transaction in business; but in the latter case the friction is usually some haggling about a price which the buyer refuses to pay. In curious contrast with this, the following anecdote is told of Haydn (the famous composer of the “Creation”) and a bluff English sailor. While the great composer was staying in London, the Captain of an East Indiaman entered his chamber one morning, saying: “You are Mr. Havdn?” “Yes.” “ . “Can you make me a march to enliven my crew? You shall have 30 guineas; but I must have it to-morrow, for to-morrow I sail for Calcutta. ” Haydn agreed, the seaman left him, and the composer opened his piano and in a quarter of an hour the march was written. Haydn appears to have had a delicacy rare among the musical birds of prey and passage who come to feed on the unwieldy wealth of England. Conceiving so large a sum for a labor eventually so slight a species of plunder, he came home early in the evening and made two other marches, in order to allow the liberal seaman his choice, or to give them all to him. At daybreak the purchaser came. “Where is my march?” “Here.” “Try it on the piano ?” Haydn played it. The CajHain counted the 30 guineas on the piano, took up the march and went down stairs. Haydn ran after him. “I have made two others, both better. Come up and hear them and take your choice.” “I am satisfied with the one I have.” The Captain still went down. “I will make you a present of them. ” The Captain went down only the more rapidly and left Haydn on the stairs. Haydn, from one of those motives not easily defined, determined on overcoming this singular self-denial. He immediately went to the Exchange, ascertained the name of the ship, made a roll of his marches, and sent them, with a polite billet, to the Captain on board! He was surprised at receiving, shortly after, his envelope, unopened, from the Englishman, who had judged it to be Haydn’s. The composer tore the whole to pieces on the spot. Many men would take more pains to give less than they were paid for than Haydn* did to give more.