The mountain Democrat., 1864-04-09
a NEW AND AN OLD LEGEND.

Suppos0o 70 De the fascinating privilege o
the young. The imaginative faculties att
then stronger than those Of reason. Th,
: latter are developed only by the expert
ence that teaches an adaptation of theil
powers; the first spring from those secre
instincts Of the soul which retains in III
early dawn oil the mystical essence of Gre
alton. The youthful mind sevels in the
enchanted realms Of fancy, and, peopIinl
those happy regions with either the fairy
race OF wondrous conception, or throw
: ing across them the dark chill Of super
natural horrors, equally transports itsel
beyo the actual realities Of every day
life. Credulity is the handmade of won
der, and nursery tales become a part o
childhOod's faith. Happily its propaga
ton tends toward what is best in mora
sense, as higher creed tends toward Whal
is purest in spiritual one. The triumph
never failed to be obtained by the fairy
Goodwill over the evil sprite Immature il
the surest appeal to the hearts best feel.
ing; and the glow that fills the little in.
habItantS Of the nursery at these bright
conGuests Ct virtue over vice, truly be-
longs to that sacred fire Of human good.
ness which sparkieS only with what IL
p1rest in humanity. The sense Of the
beautiful is as it were unconsciously min
gled With this moral training, for the fair
est qualities are always represented under
the iairest forms, and what is repulSive
to morality rs rendered physically obnox-
iouS.
The instructions thus inculcated in the
young are believed to gradually emerge
into more formal lessons, when visionary
images give place to practical thought,
but, spite Of the grand superiority of age,
1.-THE child is ever the father to the man, "
and even in our own most material epoch
there is struggle to escape the proSaic
preponderance of matter Of fact exiS
tence, and, attaching once more The bright
wings Of childhood, to soar with them in
to the floating regions Of fantastic dreams,
there to live again with the bright crea,
turesJ Jpf its fairy tales and its legendary
storiex
Two exemplifcations Of this renewal Of
the minds juyeniIity have lately occurred
in France. =. The annual fetes of ST. Cecilia
and ST. Eugene, closely following each
>ingulary recalled the ancient legend be-
longin- to the nnr. and the fairy creation
characteristic Of the other. ST. Cecilia is
the celestial patron Of music, and holds
her place III the catholic calendar As one
"i Its ui"st hOnOred names. ST. Eugenie'S
l"tr'du' ton among her sAintcd br, thren
H. "i more rr"rht dat ; in fact, il iS only
the ias'IcaIly leArued who can tell
tie rXaCt huW. Whtn, aHd wherefore She
was addr'i I" the n>t lhr lair Snvrrrign
81 France ~a> >hid tu ht namei at'c, hct,
lie s0Inc th""gr she Mas heI s,f lnI rl,
Rough Ia u, AZ A.. ana guni .n.u.t,
t. hr n 81 t; at least. =" sa'e4imI e,ia
'.'.i i.l'i.hIp AZ tnI n.C t'rc,u -u.Dt.
e.. laar. ioarH at cch" III t. r.usic
to-. -.z dh alternate p,I,r ~ B ~
t.ie a. tn iaIF h.i"- ~h">, ,l ha.d
a.. t,,'i, via the lHa-1cr tact ui
Gr'Gey.
i.r., ST. EUsriL ii /. ,t.uIcn l. too
..'t, kluHr f. vutAI, h4..., .a.nS n.
''"e, u,c 'pT,., tuI e, 90. .,
ia dS ~ 40 VA "i .,.uy
| i'ep"itiea4 gIa .d,u. = ..... .. aga
nushai'', }" >I,I".. tai ... a.
hn0lagr II the owing L".r., =. .. n,~ .
x trut | ">'. I. a.
s. d,, ',,irir at ... g.. ...
," thrt IN NJ, / g..
10 Is i">rire'i r"rt- arh ,.aI t. -
k~.'h4. add Fra Domiucar" oor tr her
"a" >uh'inIr pictures. Dryden st Ce
eliza, Ode" is the most in.,n"Ital nI his
ank>, while the aid Of music is u"t want
inE to rrI' b'atc the gentle patr0n of the
art Innumcratle are the composers who
have sought to "tune their Tyre" in honor
"t their celestial prottctres<s and every
YEAR Paris Commentaries the day Of her
lete by s"Inc remarkable musical perform
ance. This Year it was deferred to the
Monday, when the w'agni6ccnt Church of
ST Eustache waS till,d to witness the
grand religious ceremony Of the occasion,
enhsfoed as it vas by the performance of
Beethoven music. the chnristcrs being
those 0f the - Society Of Musicians, and
the Soloi>tS tue first artists of the Impe.
rial Academy.
How coWles it ST. Cecilia is held as the
religious emblem Of melody? Was it that
Christianity in its carly stages insensibly
annihi!ated the cruditieS Of paganism by
blending them with the pure symbols of
its own divine creedt To the Euterpe of
a passionate mythology was opposed the
ST. Cecilia OF loftirr belief The songs
of the one appealed to the gross senses of
materialism; that Of the other camed ev-
cry animal Instinct, and e\ Okcd xentime ntS
that attained a sublimity beyond ea,thly
inspiration.
From whence Come the musical and &C.
leStial renown of 81 Cecilia? The one Is
inSeparabic from the other, and both ap.
pertain to the old traditions Of church
that used every means TO mirgle poetry
with what might otherwise be thought
the severe tenets Of its creed. The lcgen-
dary story Of S.. Cecilia is not generally
known. We will telLit IN the words of
French writer, who has thus briefly sketch
ed the traditional history:
"Cecilia's marriage day has arrived =
Will that union be happy one for the
young bride? On this point many dis.
cussions are held by the Roman people
who crowd the passage Of the splendid
cortege. Some predict brilliant future
to the noble lady; others sadly shake their
heads, and declare the bride is but vic
tim to her family, who, spite Of her tears
and prayers, merciles>ly drag her to the
temple, where she is to unite her hand to
that Of the powerful Valerian. At the
close ni thu day curteer Of young friends
with e,fumed torches come to take the
Young wife to her husbands house, while
they accompany her with hyneneal songs
of rejoicing. Cecilia attended the festival,