The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-23
THE SEPTEMBER MAGAZINES
WrHE ATLANTIC.,,

September number of the AtLdRtic, which
has the following list of articles
'The English Notebooks of Nathaniel
Hawthorne" G. s. Hill ard; 'Tn the Old
Churchyard at Fredericksburg, F. w. Loring;
'Joseph and his Friend, TX, Bayard Taylor;
Charles Albert Fechter," Kate Field;
"Threnody;" 'Little Ben, Harriet Prescott
Spofford; "Music a Means of Culture, John
8. Dwight; "Mountain Sonnets, Lucy Lar
com; ga Virginian in New England Thirty
five Years Ago." II; "a Days Pleasure, III,
w. D. Howells; Halfway" II, George
Barrow; "a Handful of TRANSACTIONS" II.
w. Longfellow; "a Renaissance of Ben
tom" ga Day with the Shovel Makers"
"Reviews and Literary Notices"
Mr.. John S. Dwight, editor of DWights
Journal Of Music, in his paper entitled
''Music as a Means of Culture, makes an
eloquent plea for a more extended knowledge
and appreciation of the best music in this
country. We quote the concluding portion
of his article:-
Music must become great part of our
common, we may say our atmospheric, educa-
tion. 1t has already gone too far for us to
doubt it. Let its importance but begin to
be appreciated, and the next Peabody will feel
his way to general gratitude by liberal endow-
ment of an art of vital interest to millions,
where only tens or hundreds can know how to
care for some of the learned branches for
which professorships are founded. Money will
yet be poured out freely for true colleges of
music, as it has been for those of literature
and science. 1t is not worth as much foster
ing as boat race, international or other?
Consider, first, the simplest, Orin,G tdcje
claim of music; consider its civilizing agency
so far as it may become part of the popular,
the public education.
We, as democratic people, great mixed
people of all races overrunning vast CONT
nent, need music even more than others. We
need some ever-present over-welcome influ-
ence that shall insensibly tone down our self
asserting and aggressive manners, round of
the sharp, offensive angularity of character,
subdue and harmonic the free and ceaseless
conflict OF opinions, warm out the genial in
dividual humanity of each and every unit of
society, lest he become q mere member of a
party, or slave of business or fashion, This
rampant liberty will rush to its own
ruin, unless there shall be found some
gentler, harmonizing, humanizing culture
such as may pervade whole masses with fine
enthusiasm, sweet sense of reverence for
something far above us, beautiful and pure
awakening some ideality in every soul, and
often lifting us out of the hard, hopeless
probo VI ne. we u66u tnlS beautiful
corrective of our crudities. Our radiealism
will pull itself up by the roots if it do not
cultivate the instinct of reverence. The first
impulse of freedom is centrifugal, to fly off
thel handle, unless it be restrained by no less
free, impassioned love of order. We need
to be SO enamored of the divine idea of unity
that that alone-the enriching of that-shall
be the real motive for assertion of our ind-
viduality. What shall SO temper and tone
nur =
something better, lovelier, more congenial
to human nature than mere stern prohibition,
cold Puritanic, "Thou shalt not !" What
can so quickly magnetic a people into this
harmonic mood as music? Have we not seen
1T, felt it?
The Woodworking, jaded millions need ex-
pansion, need the rejuvenating, the ennobling
experience of JOY. Their toll, their church
and creed, perhaps, their party livery, and
very vote are narrowing; they need to taste,
to breathe a larger, freer life. Has it not
come to thousands while they have listened to
or joined their voices in some thrilling chorus
that made the heavens seem to open aud come
down? The governments of the Old World
do much to make the people cheerful and
contented; here it is all Ldissez fare each
for himself, in an ever-keener strife of COM
petition. We must look very much to music
to do this good work for us; we are open to
that appeal; we can forget ourselves in that:
we blend in joyous fellowship when we can
sing together; perhaps quite as much so
when we can listen together to a noble or
chestra of instruments interpreting the high
est inspirations of a master. The higher and
purer the character and kind of music, the
more of real genius there is in it, the deeper
will this influence be.
Judge of what can be done by what already
within our own experience has been done
and daily is done. Think what the children
in our schools are getting through the little
that they learn of vocal music-elasticity
of spirit, Joy in harmonious cooperation,
in the blending of each happy life in
other; a rhythmical instinct of order
and Of measure in all movement; and
quickening of the ear and sense whereby
they will grow up susceptible to music
as well as with some use of their own voices,
80 that they may take part in it; for, from
these spacious nurseries Qoveliest flower
gardens, apple-orchards in full bloom, say,
on their annual fete days shall our future
cnolrs ana oratorio choruses be replenished
with good, sound material.
Think what unconscious culture. what re-
6ning influence, the people of a city might
breathe in with the common braatb of lifa
from concerts in the open air from
military bands, and, better still from
civic bands, if only onr kino
and lord, the people aforesaid in its
corporate capacity, would make an anIiobt.
ened provision for these things, and Institute