, 1873-12-14
LITERATURE.
NlIlxfG.

ata!e aireet' ana auorso F. loot Il souH'' No. i09
This is tho taes Of somc thirty or forty VOL
ttmos Of musical works from tho same uutl,or.
Since its publication 1t las already attained h
witlo popularity, aud 1t will doubtleus ,ncreauo
tho woll-catabllslled reputation Of A1r. Root.
| lIis music, not to Bay his books. nro
Acattarod Ill over tho Continent. Thoy
aro found in tue chotrs Of tho
f1neat md. tho largest congregations
EaHt and Wcst; nc l1aye found them among .
tho mountains Of Colorado, everywhere in CALI
fornIa AMI Oregon, aud III tho cabins Of Utnl,
and Washington Territories. Not only has luis
m,iaio blesBod and clleercd ovory nook aud cor
nrr in America. hut 1t has crossed tho ocean.
al'd wo aro crcdibly Informed tint 1t is sung In
churches nnd conference meetings III England
more than TINT Of my othor living author. And
whcroyor cur missionaries havo gone, ":rhe
Shining Shore" and other gonB Of Mr.. Roots
music aro sung by tho nativo Chris
tauH, and you may hoar 1t IN almost oil
tho written languages Of tho world.
borrowing and modifying somewhat Wobster's
I grind thought ID rcIatlon'to the martial muHio
Of England It may DO truly said that, beginning
wherever you will, on sablnth morning, solno
humble soul may bo found singing "Tle Slim
ing Shore - and another catchtng up tho re-
fral1, Elour by hour. with tho SUI in his uo,1rso
sings Of ''1he Shining Shore" till tho Whole
world ts beltcd with this BRIGHT heavenly Bong
Mr., Root Inns not confined himself to church..
music. IIis j" 11azol Dell :" and "llosalte," and
many other songs, hive wids popularity. But,
during tAo Wnr Of tho llololoa, l.is nop!o,
Ind Ind importance. SIo ceautry ''1st owos lin
esss of e 5S'::s%s rs1 Ts Tie
Vacant CHAR" q Just After tho Battio,' and
other stirring pieces. wlicl It never Gun repay.
rnoy thrilled tho souls Of our people in m..ss-
meetings and In country school-holtAos; they
mado clloerful tho lonely, tedious ln"rel, aud
tloy iirod the carts Of our soldiors to plant tho
Stars mud Stripes III triumph aboyo tue clouds on
lookout Mountain. We leave to tho hiatoriuu
OF tie futuro to solve tic question, whether any
mai really Till Iaolo to put down tho Rebellion
than George Il. Root
Aud here tho question may DO asked, whetlor
Georgo T. Root is q grent muBician. Nobody
| pretenlH to rank him among tho grand old COM
posers Of Tho past. Lie clalms no such place,
lle il too modest and too wise for that. liza am
is to toach tho pcoplo,-tao whole people. He
writes such music us will INSTRUCT aild bless
ttlea,-music tlIHt will nuke them happier unl
hottcr. It isnos always What III scientifically
alld mechanically tho lest music t]lnt can have
the widest popularity, or thnt does tho most
audience eau appreciate und understand, now
take with the people. aud nlwnyg wlll, much
battor than the highest atyle Of clnssic music.
tunes 10 Toolhoyens " "Filoiio" once. So
Will Aubors "Fra Diayoo" aud Ealfo's
!. Dohom,au Girl" aud though harder,
Gouuod's : Fullst;", wl.lo Waguer's music
Theodore 1homas to rc!,uur them to
audiences Of superior musical culture. and to
mako them at all tolorablo to tho MASSES Of tho
people. Tho u Messiah" and the "Drcaton"
vii a1ways oe sting on sreat mYsIeal oecasions;
luotA music will aIso DO sung ~ tue church al,d
| tho prnyer-mec;ing till tho ou1 Of time.
11avtng ea1d thus much about Mr. ROOTS muaic
our readers would probably like to LnoH some
lloll, Alass., Il littlo nuro taan fifty years ago.
ho hna lito1ally worked his way up to tho onYia-
blo position widch ho now enloya. IN ls45, he
old musical heads there rnthor snecrcd ut
the tenlurity Of tho ttYaukeo strplng"
coming There without their loayc or request.
For four yeats l,o toiEed or, spending his r'hure
hours i, porfocting himseK us hass Mrs.
ley, Of Orange, N. j., NJ alto; and his brother
| Townor now one of onr be6t-knuwu citizons, Us
to1,or. Dy this time they had 1uastered~
Bonle uf tho il,oat dilicult aud beautiful qunr-
totes tncu known to tho musical public; aud
the President of tho Philharmonic perhaps it
was LIE Of tho Academy-so fur doifol llis lofty
oisnity ~ to accept All iuvitatiou to private
rehearsal. 1t is lood1ess TO add TINT he waa
surprised aud doliElted.' They waro inyitod to
sing before tho Socioty, aud won tho highest
alI.iause. From that tinlo tho "Root Qua:to.te"
had aM honorod place among the leading
musicians of New Yolk. We could nasno gcntlo-
man who heard that same quartette sing some Of
thoBo very pieces fow wockB ago, and ho
assures us tlat ho was then tic nearest uoayen
he over expects to bo in this world.
Since 1850 Mr.. Root haa made his home in this
city, having atto,tlcd musical conventions at tho
West sovcl a years. previous. Eoforo tho tire l.o
| laa earned d comfortable conpotonco; hut,
aiaB TINT Grcat calamity Hwopt it all away. Lilo
most OF our people he knows not tho word
fully us oyor.. Ills fnmily--brothers and nistcrB
lis q largo one, and al arc musicinns. Around
Ills own board are eoodly humber Of Bons anu
daughters. Two Of his Sons, Fred and another,
| taininoilts. As ono, wloso labors have scat
tered FUR and wide, all over lhe lanl
blessings so varied, 30 rich nnd 30 enduring, o,r
wholo people will unite their bost wishes for his
long life. unalloyal happiness, and abundant
Wo add TINT the words Of "shi,lins Shore
wore wrilton by tho lato DR.. Nelson, Of st. Louis
tho author Of tho 'sCatlae and Cure OF 1utldel-
ity;" 50 that beautiful hymn aud the music arc
both Western productions.
| r. More Music.
| CHURCH WELCOME: A COLLECTION or NEW Mt
| ". .. pENKlSs New York !: William 4. Fond /
/ Co. Chicago: Root l. Levitt, No. 2c2 State street.
| We llaye looked over this work with interest
BESIDES tho usual pages Of instruction, We lind
first u tno collection of geos and eongs for
social gatherings, followed by largs amount Of
now church music, and also some Of the old
| standard pieces ugcd in all orr churches, The
| book laB already been circulated widely for tho
supply Of our. winter singing SCHOOLS, aud tho
Gull for 1t will incrcaao aB til merits arc better
! understood, McSars. loot & Lewis are prepared
to supply MI orders promptly.
| The atmosphere.
! THE ATMOSPHERE. Tlnnsatcl from the Teuoll
| OF CANlLLI rLAMMAA1uA. New Yurk: Harper 4;
| Brothers.
This work, already in fragnsntary passagos
and careful reviews Of its original text alltic-
pnted in notice. III Il translation aud abridgmont
Of IT. Flam1narions III Atmosphere" rubtishod
in palis III 1872. The Translation has boon matlo
by G. D. 11tman, and tho task Of editng-as tho
preface states. not Il light ono-las boon ACCOM-
al, al r1ot