Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-06-26

Hch sing among
IMPORTANT and improving
which most people have
no thought, and concerning
Rch this is the first pulpit discussion,
namely, the Song OF Birds. II all that
has been written concerning music by
human voice or about music sounded
yn instrument by finger or breath were
put together, volume by the side OF
volume, il would I'll hundred alcOves
OF the national libraries. But about
the song OF birds there is as much ST
lence as though, a thousand years ago,
the laStAark had, with his wing, swept
the door latch of heaven, and as though
never a whlppOUrwill had sung It's
lullaby to a siumbering forest at night
fan We give a passing smile 70 the
call of a bObolink or the chirp or
canary, but about the origin, about the
fibre, about the meaning, about tbs
mirth, about the pathOs, about the In
spiration, about the religion In the
song OF birds, the most OF US are either
ignorant or Indifferent. A caveat this
morning file in the High Court OF
Heaven against that almost universal
irreligion.
FIRST, I REMARK.
that which will surprise many, that the
song OF birds is regulated and sySte-
matte song, capable OF being written
out in uote aud SAT- and bar and clef as
much as anything that Wagner or
Schumann or Handel ever put on paper.
As we pass the grove where the Hooks
are holding mating or veSper service,
we are apt 10 think that the sounds are
extemporized, the rising or falling tone
Is mere accident, il is flung up and
down by haphazard, the bird did not
know what it was doing, IL did not care
whether IL was q long metere psalm or
a madrigal What a mistake! The mu-
siean never put on the music rack be-
ford him MendelsSOhn's "Elijah" or
Beethoyen's Concerto" in G.. or SpOhr's
b fat symphony with more definite
idea as to what he was doing than
! every bird that can sing at all confines
4 himself TO accurate and predetermined
Il rendering.
u notice In the song Of birds that II Is
y divlnely-taught song. The rareSt
prima donna Of all the earth could not
teach the room one musical note.
kingfisher, flying over the roof Of tenn
pie aQuake with harmOnies, would not
catch uD one melody. From the time
that the first birds throat was fashion
ed on the banks Of the Gihon and Hid
dekel until to-day on the Hudson or
Rhine. the winged creature has learn
ed nothing from the human race In the
way Of carol or anthem. The feathered
sOngSters learned all their music direct
from God. de gave them the art in a
nest OF straw or moss or sticks, and
tsAaZht them EOw to lift that song into
the higher heavens and sprinkle the
earth with its dulcet entertainments,
God-fashiOned, God-tuned, God-launch-
ed, GOd-iifted music! And there is
kind OF music that the Lord only can
impart tu you, my hearer. There have
been depraved, reprObate and blasDbe-
nous souls which could sing till great
auditOriums were ia raptures.
Further, / remark In regard to the
song OF birds, that IL is trustiul, and
without any fear Of what may yet
keOme. Will you tell me how it is pos
BILE for that wren, that sparrow, that
hickadee, 10 sing so Sweetly when they
Ny any time be bounced upou by q
k and torn wing from wing?
THERE ARE CRUEL BEARS
Dthicket and in sky ready to slay the
/sOng birds. HerOds on the wing, Mo-
does Of the sky. AsSassinS armed with
iron claw; Murderers of song floating
up and down the heavens. How can
the birds sing amid such peril2 Be-
sides that, how is the bird sure to get
its food? Millions OF birds have been
starved Yet il sings In the dawn
without any certainty OF breakfast, or
dinner. or supper. Would IL not be
better 70 gather It's food for the day be-
fore vOcaliZing? Besides that, the
hunters are abroad. Bang. goes gun
in one direction. Bang! goes gun in
another direction. The song will at
tract the shot and add to the peril. Be-
sides that, yonder is . thunder cloud
and there may be hurricane and hail
70 be let loose. and what th9n will be-
come of you, the poor warbler? Be-
sides that, winter will come, and it
may be Smitten down before 1t gets to
the tropics Have you never seen the
snow strewn with the birds belated in
their migratiOn2 The titmouse min
giles it's voice with the snow storms as
Emerson describes the little thing he
found In tempeStOus January.
Here was this atom in full breth
Hurting defiance at vat death;
This scrap OF valor just Tor play
Fronts the north wind in waistcoSt gray.
For every bird, thousand perils and
disasters lowering and sweeping round
and round. Yet, there it sings, and il
is a trustful song. The bird that has il
the hardest, sings the sweetest. The
lark from the shape Of her claws may
not perch on tree. 10 the grass her
nest is exposed to every hoOf that
passes. Que OF the poorest shelters Of
all the earth is the lark's nest. II she
sing at all, you will expect her to rend-
or the saddest Of threnOdieS. No, no.
She sings exulting an hour without
pause and mounting three thousand
feet without losing note.
IN THE SKY GALLERIES,
there are songs adopted to all moods.
The meadow lark is mOurnful and the