Marxsen’s interest in the boy’s progress increased from week to week, as he realized his talents.  “One day I gave him a composition of Weber’s,” he says.  “The next week he played it to me so blamelessly that I praised him.  ‘I have also practised it in another way,’ he answered, and played me the right hand part with the left hand.”  Part of the work of the lessons was to transpose long pieces at sight; later on Bach’s Preludes and Fugues were done in the same way.

Jakob Brahms, who as we have seen was in very poor circumstances, was ready to exploit Hannes’ gift whenever occasion offered.  He had the boy play in the band concerts in the Alster Pavillion, which are among the daily events of the city’s popular life, as all know who are acquainted with Hamburg, and his shillings earned in this and similar ways, helped out the family’s scanty means.  But late hours began to tell on the boy’s health.  His father begged a friend of his, a wealthy patron of music, to take the lad to his summer home, in return for which he would play the piano at any time of day desired and give music lessons to the young daughter of the family, a girl of about his own age.

Thus it came about that early in May, 1845, Hannes had his first taste of the delights of the country.  He had provided himself with a small dumb keyboard, to exercise his fingers upon.  Every morning, after he had done what was necessary in the house, Hannes was sent afield by the kind mistress of the household, and told not to show himself till dinner time.  Perhaps the good mistress did not know that Hannes had enjoyed himself out of doors hours before.  He used to rise at four o’clock and begin his day with a bath in the river.  Shortly after this the little girl, Lischen, would join him and they would spend a couple of hours rambling about, looking for bird’s nests, hunting butterflies and picking wild flowers.  Hannes’ pale cheeks soon became plump and ruddy, as the result of fresh air and country food.  Musical work went right on as usual.  Studies in theory and composition, begun with Marxsen, were pursued regularly in the fields and woods all summer.

When the summer was over and all were back in Hamburg again, Lischen used to come sometimes to Frau Brahms, of whom she soon grew very fond.  But it troubled her tender heart to see the poor little flat so dark and dreary; for even the living room had but one small window, looking into the cheerless courtyard.  She felt very sorry for her friends, and proposed to Hannes they should bring some scarlet runners to be planted in the court.  He fell in with the idea at once and it was soon carried out.  But alas, when the children had done their part, the plants refused to grow.

Johannes had returned home much improved in health, and able to play in several small concerts, where his efforts commanded attention.  The winter passed uneventfully, filled with severe study by day and equally hard labor at night in playing for the “lokals.”  But the next summer in Winsen brought the country and happiness once more.