We held a matinee of classic music every Saturday, and the pupils were expected to be present. Those who were capable of playing ensemble music had therefore frequent opportunity of doing it with the Quintette Club. The same privilege was given to singers.

Our plans were all right, and we started off with goodly numbers,—not far from two hundred pupils. In October, just one month later, the great Boston fire occurred; and it made everybody poor. The majority of the pupils were from the city or neighborhood, and over one half of them were forced to notify us that they could not continue their attendance another term. The fire really killed our school. We worried along to the end of the year, met our losses as best we could, and returned to our old system of travelling,—in short, “took to the road ” again.