The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-01-15

Sew. sew, sew,
So the mothers sew
Busy. busy, all the day,
While the children are at play,
Sewing sewing fast away,
SO the children may have frocks,
Trousers, coats, and pretty socks,
So, SO, so.
Sow, sew. so.
So they SOW and sew;
S. and 0. and w,
This is what the farmers do;
Put an in place of O.
This is how the mothers sew
So they SOW and sew for you,
So without the W,
So, So so.
Rosa GRAHAM.
A Strange Music.
One evening the family gathered to
near Uncle Herbert talk about the
strange music of China. Mother
brought in her sewing, and improved
her mind and the children's stockings
at the same time. But Maud and Ar
thur sat on the lounge, one on each side
of Uncle Herbert, deyoting their entire
attention to him.
II suppose we ought to begin at the
beginning" said he, since Chinese
music is said to have been invented by
person whom you have often read
about. He was Emperor of China
about 1850 B. c., or nearly 5000 years
ago. The Chinese called him Fo Hi,
but some of our own people suppose
that he really was Noah, vino lived
about that time. The Chinese also
hold that much of their music was
brought to them from heaven by a bird
which they named the Foang Hoang.'
This was supposed to be very fortu-
nate bird, which never appeared any
where else but in China, and, when
ever it came, it brought good look with
it. It appeared whenever a good EN-
peror was born, and it's nest was
wrapped in mystery, for no one knew
where it dwelt."
"Why, that's something like the
Phoenix, that the Greeks used to believe
H." said Maud.
"Yes, there is resemblance perhaps
the Greeks borrowed their bird from
the Chinese one. This bird appeared
with it's mate when Ling Lung, by the
order of the Emperor Hoang-Ti, was
making his first inventions in music. It
sang to him in six notes, while it's mate
also used six different ones, making a
scale containing twelve notes, just like
our chromatic scale. But the Chinese
only use five of these, and call the
others female tones In China every
thing female is thought to be useless"
Haven't they got topsy-turvy ideas?"
said Maud.
"Well, in this case they are open to
that suspicion. The singing of the
Foang- Hoang' was such beautiful
music that it caused absolute goodness
in every one who heard it, and its songs
had the beautiful name of 'Tsie- ven,' =
Temperance and Mercy After Hoang-
Ii, came an Emperor named Choa- Hao,
who invented new mode of marking
time. He had large drums beat at va
rious hours of the night, to tell what
o'clock it was; he composed, also, many
songs. The earliest Emperors all
studied music, but it was with
view of teaching their subjects good
manners and morals. The songs were
sometimes only directions when to
plant seeds, how to catch fish, how to
behave in company, and so on. Some
times the words are to keep the En-
peror's own duty in mind. Thus, one
begins: The breeze of midday brings
warmth and dispels sorrow; may it be
the same with Chnn, may he be the joy
and consolation of his people,
" Another Emperor Yu, the great
used musical instruments for very
good purpose. He placed before his
palace large and small bell, drum,
a gong and tambourine, and any per-
son having business with him would be
admitted on striking one of these. BY
the various sounds, he could tell, before
seeing him, the nature of his visitors
business. The large bell meant that
the person was coming to complain of
an injustice; the small one was for pri-
vate visitors; the drum told that the
business was about the manners or GUS
toms of the empire; the gong, public
misfortune; the tambourine asked for
the Emperor's Judgment in regard to
some crime. China possessed some
very patriotic songs at this ancient
date, and when, at later period GAS
B. O., usurper was on the throne,
he was more afraid of the music
than of anything else, He thought
that, by reminding the people Of their
good Emnerors, they would be encour-
aged to rdSist him. So he had the an
cient books burned, and tried to destroy
the works of the great philosopher,
Confucius. All the instruments of
music were broken up and new ones
made, and in every way he tried to root
out all the old songs and tunes. Those
who tried to conceal anything were
punished with death. And yet, many
people risked their lives in hiding their
instruments and books in the walls of
houses and in the ground"
what monster he must have beenl"
said Maud.
Not in all respects; he built the
great wall of China, which was a good
thing for the country" replied Uncle