The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-02-10
THE PIANO-ITS PURPOSE.

1t requires time, patience and the gra,-
itating force of example to annihila'e
ancient misapprehensions. Public opir-
ion is alone the gian. powder that can
explode untenable theories. To illustrate
this idea we will draw from domestic
scenes. The old idea was that a piano
was bought and brought to the house
with much bruising of it's beautiful les
and much muffled profanity on the part
of the draymen, to be played on. What
superlative nonsense! What a stale and
preposterous suggestion. What relic of
barbarc ignorance. A piano to be played
on. Go to.
Thank the stars the days of such
stupidity are over, and the true, sole and
natural use of a piano is becoming
generally understood. A piano is put
into house for these simple purposes
and none other. Its top is designed as a
place for photograph album, brilliant
lamp mat and vase of flowers. Its
rack is intended as a rest for an open
book-an open book covered with pic
lures of farm, and fences, upon which
are perched innumerable black birds.
Its stool is placed there for the nervous
young man in company to sit on and
whirl, and writhe and wriggle. Its richly
carved legs are sprawled out for near
sighted and awkward people to run
H.,
asked by the hostess if they are hurt, t,
reply, with the hot tears of anguish
gushing into their eyes: "Not in the
least; only just grazed it,
Such are the legitimate uses of an able.
bodied and well limbed piano in it's vari-
GUS parts and proportions. As whole
the piano serves two other and nobler
purposes. The one is it imparts charac-
ter, statsliness and an air of affluence to
household establishment. The proud
spirited host points to the rosewood
instrument and seems to say to his assem-.
bled guests: You behold that majestic
instrument. 1t is grand, square and up
right. Is it not symbolic of its owner
is he not grand, square and upright?"
OF course nobody can play on it-not one
OF his quartet of daughters-but it is 10
be remembered that it was not put there
to play on, and who would ask its owner
to put it to perverse useso
But after all the real mission of piano
IN the house is this-a place for young
lady to sit and idly turn the leaves of a
blackb!rd book, and something for 4
young gentleman to hang over and nov
and then breathe softly in the Yong
lady's ear to let her know that he il
growing weaker, but still lives. 1t is an
affecting sight to observe young man
hang over piano. Few young men
know how to hang over piano in good
form. One must not bend too low. az if
he were looking for lost sleeve button
or a nickel, nor yet be too rigid and in
flexible, like a wooden soldier on a
weather vane. A compromise of these
attitudes with a little oblique leaning
towards the stool and its occupant is
about the correct thing in piano hanging.
Now and then by way of novelty an
attempt is made on grand social occa-
sion to actually play the piano. A dism Il
young man leads an exhausted young
lady to the piano. An awful silence per-
vades the drawing room. The sombre
young man slowly lifts the lid, as if he
was about to view the remains of the last
relative he had on earth. The yours
lady wildly runs her fingers over the
keys-there is a sob wall, vocifera-
ton of violent grief, cry of comfortless
despair and all is over. The young lady
sinks upon the nearest sofa. The young
man lowers the lid, turns away his head
and is seen no more.
Verify, the day of superstition and
mistaken ideas is over, and piano playing
has passed away with the many follies
and foibles of our purblind and uncul-
tured ancestry.-New London Telegram.