The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-08-31
THE POWER OF MUSIC.


breast" We have heard this quotation Ut
tered BY love.sick couples as they listened
to the sweet harmony Of song full Of ten.
der pathos. We have felt its truth when,
having listened to the we'll trained voices Of
chorus singing '.Auld Lang Sync." our
thoughts and memories were carried back
to the years of childhood, and We lived again
the happy scenes Of early life. We have
verified the saying again, when, far from
home, among strangers, we have heard the
notes Of some familiar tune often sung BY
the loved ones at home. Again, we have
seen the power of its charms in elec,rifyin
an audience; We have seen thousands OF
persons assembled in single building, and
have seen them sit almost unmoved during
the lapse OF hours, but when the full brass
band struck up ''The Star Spangled Ban
ner" We have seen that au Hence rise to
their feet, men shouting themselves hoarse
and clapping their hands vehemently,
children emulating their elders, and even
the fair sex uniting 10 the applause BY VA
wing their handkerchiefs and clapping their
hands. What produced this wondrou>
change? Simply the charm Of music. The
harmonies Of that grand old tune woke cor
responding harmonies in every 6bre Of their
frames, and aroused the sleeping feelings Of
patriotism and the natural impulses Of their
patriotic hearts. caused them for moment
to forget taeir dignity in their love of coun-
try.
lie who lacks the power Of approaching
good music is wanting in one OF the most
important elements Of human nature. Some
one has said that he who cannot be moved
by the power Of music, cannot be Influenced
BY the power OF religion. The remark has
q great deal Of truth in it. for religion con.
sists in great part Of praise to God ,and how
can We rightly estimate the beauty OF that
praise IL We are unable to appreciate the
beauty of song, and il the sweet notes OF
the organ fall upon listless ears. Again,
it has been said that he who does not love
music is villain at heart. Surely this
must be true, for he who cannot be i'm
pelled BY martial strnip, by the sweet ca
dences Of love song, by the harmonies Of
a patriotic air, or by the richness OF power
in a well-sung hymn, surely that person can.
not be human, or, il human, be must GER
tainly be wanting in the finer elements Of
character, and this, il We are not mistaken,
is the definition of villain. But We may
very safely doubt the existence OF such q
person, for, as there are persons who we're
never known to smile until peculiar com.
biuation Of circumstances forced the smile
to their faces, so there are those who are
uninhuenced by music in general, but who
may be subdued to tears by the cadence OF
q well-sung song, or excited to deeds OF
daring by the measures Of = patriotic
strain.
There is music everywhere. The leaves
nj ho hov iot hvf a M
ing winds, send forth sweet sounds that
gladden. our hearts. Have you ever passed
day in the woods and listened to the song
Of the trees7 We heard that song In all its
parts, when q child, and never sh all the
memory Of it be eGaced. 1t was in the Au-
tumn season Of the year; We had etrayed
from home to wander in tho silent woods,
and had reached the margin Of the running
mountain stream. As We reclined on the
banks, listening to the mnrmuring Of the
stream uniting with the gentle rustling Of
the leaves, it seemed to be the sweetest song
our ears had ever heard; but when, later
in the day, the wind arose and the sky dark
ened with clouds, the murmurlngs Of the
stream increased to roar, and the rustling
of the leaves changed to violent agitation,
but still the harmony was undestroyed |;
aod when the rain began to patter on the
leaves, . new Instrument Of sound was ad-
ded, but the harmony vas still complete.
That was grand song Of nature; but when
the rain ceasedt to patter and began to pour,
when the winds ceased to move gently and
commenced to blow violently, when not only
the leaves, but the great trees In that forest
began to rock in the storm, then the music
Of nature rose to the sublime. Unmindful
of the rain, We listened with awe to the
sounds Of nature, our hearts. full OF =
strange feeling. when We felt that nature 10
all her changes was still harmonious. A
few moments only had passed when another
series OF sounds was added. The peals Of
thunder at FIRST were low and distant, bot
they soon became loud and near; and ~ at
intervals through the heavy storm We heard
the deafening peals, uniting with the sound
Of the rain, the noise Of the trees and the
roar Of the storm, ws bowed ourselves to
the earth, apd murmured prayer to the
Creator for permitting us to bear Him cali
upon nature TO celebrate His praise, and 70
hsar the majestic song Of the sIements.
R%tn conversation with = military,
friend DR.. Tying lately repested the ssate-
ment made 10 bis sermon that the bsttls