The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-06-01

flowers and fragrant plants had perfumcd with
sweetsccntcd Odors, the bamy zephyr, as it Ian
gudly sighed through the tops of the pines The
birds were there pouring FORTH IN soft and raptu.
fouS songs their orisons Of praise. Both feit the
cNllillratng influence Of the scene In the father,
l. awoke feelings of reverence and spiritual COM
munings with lis God. But the sons heart was
bursting with music. To him every thing was
/ singing-uc trees, breeze, brook, birds and G.
ven the great luminary of heaven, just then be
ginning It's diurul course, if he heard not its
music awoke in III, Imagination strains as pure
rs It ever caused to yibrate from Mentions stat
ne lie wished hmselfa blrd-anyth only
hc might sing as unrcstraincd is the Gathered
+ songsters. Just then n lime. pcTchcd himself Il
boyc them, aud poured forth lis melting lay in
SO cnmptnriEg notes that Lc could lorbpar no
longer.
Father said he why do not the Friends have
singing at their meetings OF worship, as well as
other christians =
John" he replied "thy heart rs is natural in
youth, is aycrsc to the inner and spiritual commu-
nIngs with its Maker. Noisy sounds are mista-
ken by thee for true worship. Know tLis God is
spirit, and seeketh such only to worship him as
will worship him in spirit and truth Therefore
noise Is not worship, It is an invention Of the T.
VII One to draw away mems minds from the silent
spiritual worship the only acceptable wor-
ship"
"Not tie only worship. father; did not David
worship God by singing and playing on the harp,
and other musical instruments. Ii this was not
acceptable, why does not the Bible say soi Be
sides, the New Testament commands all who are
merry to sing psalms
Ny son, David did some wicked acts which of
course we should not follow Moreover 6sdmcn
sing in meetings Of worship; it is not even requir
cd that they should be moral men
True, father, David did evil things, but the
Bible informs u when they Were so now j, does
not say lis singing aud playing was wrong, does
'it!'
"John, thou wilt yet learn better, our Saviour
did sing or command it'*
NO, father neither did he forbid it, Did lie
not forbid everything wrong"
Thy mother calls thee, John, obey her sum.
mons"
So ended their colloquy. The prejudiccs Of cd
ucatiou and habit we're too deeply rooted in the
fathers heart to yield to the wild exubtrauce ola
young and ardent temperament, as he styled his
sons love Of music
y garden plot this year was asst ined John,
with the unqualified ryht--sccured by his faith
| ct word, which was uuyarying the law of
the. Medcs and Pcrsiaus--to whatever it might
| produce by ploughius spading, narrowing hOeiug
and sundry other operations known and approx
ed by horticulturalists The right to consume
sell or otherwise dispose OF, what, by perseNcrng
( industryhc might obtain from th, piece ofground
/ icing unGcniably hI-, with none to moest or make
afraid, he commenced with all diligence his task
I "Omnia yincit labor And in a short time, he
had the pleasure Of behollins the blades of corn
/ shooting up from every quarter oflis garden.
| The summer passed and winter came his corn
,trnE Il, l,1 ! ,1s...
measure and placed in the grunery, not with
hi, fthcrs-by 40 mean5-but by i,Ielf Every
night he dreamed Of hi. corn; every day hi, eyes
were dcliytcd with sight Of the yellow ears
The many air castles he built; the many
plans adopted and then rejected, for the disposal
Of the rewards Of his summers industry, he kept
locked up in his own bosom. But while in the
midst OF his pleasant reflections and happy antici
patons Of the future, singing school was announ-
ced to commence in lis own school house; the
terms jus; the price of his corn
If-thought he, the night after the important
Information reached hm--tLe t.acEcr viii receive
my corn for my tuition | will att,nl his school
can easily steal away one night in week
It was all arraugcd--his name dsly registered
with the 'unlcrsigned"-t first evenings excr.
cises attended when new difficulty presented
itself "Iiow could the singing master get the
answered A buShcl Of corn for small boy Of
fourteen to carry upon his back, was Il task little
less than Hcrculean Besides, he dare not take it
all away nt once his father would notice it but
the prOvcrb saith "where there is will there Is
u way Two qgarts his handkerchief would ca
silly hold two quarts were every night Of the
school deposited in the teachers house
The little Quaker as he was fImliarly call.
ed, made rapid progress, 50 much so that when
the concert, on the closing evening Of the school
was announced, he was assigned very prominent
part.
All full well ao ! remember the enthusiasm
which, On that evening, lit up his usually bright
eye llewas happy then there was no look Of
conscious superiority no ovcrbcaIing haughtncss +;
and The music which flowed so swcctly from his
| lips seemed tu yibratc from every feature In
vain strovo to Withdraw my eyes from him :;
there was same thing so inritubly pleasant, so
captivating about his singing, that ! often found
myselfg gazing intcnty upon him, entirely lost to
all besides.
| The house was filled to ovcrfiowin- and, rs n
consequence, the air heated and impure. Not
withsaulng this the interest of the audience did
not flg bu, the performers were obliged to cX
crt themselves 10 their utmost On more than
one brow the Precipitation stood in drops. was
looking at John--hs fine white forehead, half sha-
dcd by his curling locks, in particular attracted
my attention; when the voice Of Moses Pluvlle
rung harshly through the room, commanding his
son to leave So deeply absorbed was l--and
having the name in mmd-that did not realize
lis meaning till John, turning pile, started TO o
hey the summons oi his father
1t was the last piece they were singing when
the interruption occnrrrd, which being soon con.
cludcd, the audience dispersed. | looked at my
watch, it was past ten and bitter cold night
How brilliantly the stars CLEANED on high
! For II long time after | arrived at home, andre.
| tired to rest, the countcnance of fJohn 50 mild be
neyocnt and beautiful, was before me That
night dreamed mysclfat the concert again and
while gazing with admiration upon the countc-
nance Of John it became mghcr and brighter,
till it dolacd my eyes aud his song growing more
and more ravishing every momcut entirely en-
rapturcdmy senses when suddenly he dsappca.
red from view his song becoming fainter and hn.
ter at length ceased To be heard; and | awoke
4 week passed away and saw and heard no
thing from John; and gradually the circumstan-
ces ofthc concert were IA ling from my mind when
on bright moonlight night, went forth, with n
party of my young companions To II small pond
! to enjoy the evening in skating
| The night was unusually fine, the mir Just cold
enough to make our exercise pleasant The ice,