The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-07-12

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A kingisher, flying over the roof OF
temple aquake with harmonies, would
not catch up one melody. From the
time that the first birds throat was
fashioned on the banks of the Gihon
and Hiddekel until to-day on the Hud-
son or Rhine, the winged creature has
learned nothing from the human race
in the way of carol or anthem. The
feathered songsters learned all their
music direct from God. He gave them
the art in a nest of straw or moss or
sticks, and taught them how to lift
that song into the higher heavens and
sprinkle the earth with its dulcet en-
chantments. God-fashioned, God
tuned, God-launched, God-lifted mu-
sic! And there is kind of
music that the Lord only can impart
TO you, my nearer. There have been de-
PRAYED, reprobate and blasphemous
souls which could sing till great audi
forums We're in raptures. There have
been soloists and bassos and baritones
and sopranos whose brilliancy in con-
cert halls has not been more famous
than their debaucheries. But there is
kind of song, which, like the song of
birds, is divinely fashioned. Songs of
pardon. Songs of divine comfort.
Songs of worship. ''Songs in the
night" like those which David and
Job mentioned. Songs full of faith
and tenderness and prayer like those
which the Christian mother sings over
the sick cradle. Songs of a broken
heart being healed. Songs of the dying
flashed upon by opening portals of
amethysts. Songs like that which
Paul commended to the Colossians,
when he said: 'Admonish one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord" Songs like Moses
sang after the tragedy of the Red sea.
Songs like Deborah and Barak sang at
the overthrow of Sisera. Songs like
Isaiah heard the redeemed sing as they
came to Zion. o, God, teach us that
kind of song which Thou only canst
teach, and help us to sing it on earth
,, and sing it in Heaven. 1t was the
highest result of sweet sound when
under the playing of Paganini, one
auditor exclaimed reverently, so
!. Godp' and another sobbed out, 80
. Christi
Further, remark in regard to the
song of the birds, that it is trustful
and without any fear of what may YET
come, viii you tell me how it is pos
sible for that wren that sparrow, that
chickadee, to sing so sweetly when they
may any time be pounced on by a hawl
t and torn wing from wing? There are
cruel beaks in thicketan in sky ready
to Stay the song birds Herods on tn,
wing. Modocs of the sky. Assassin
armed with iron claw. Murderers O
, song floating up and down the heavens
, How can the birds sing amid sucl
, perils? Beside that, how is the birt
, sure to get its food? Millions of birds
= have been starved. Yet it sings in tn,
f dawn without any certainty of break
. fast or dinner or supper. Would it no
F, be better to gather it's food for the day
I before vocalizing? Beside that the
, hunters are abroad. Bang! goes gun
I in one direction. The song will attrac
F, the shot and add to the peril Besid,
c that, yonder is a thunder cloud and Their
/, may be hurricane and hail to be lie
;. loose, and what then will become o
: you poor warbler? Beside that, winte
d, will come, and it may be smitten dow
;. before it gets to the tropics Have yor
q never seen the snow strewn with tn,
9 birds belated in their migration? TIL
a titmouse mingles its voice with tn
:, snow storms, as Emerson describes tn,
, little thing he found in tempestuou
! January;
a Here was this atom in full breath
Hurting defiance at vast DEATH
u This scrap of valor just for play
e Fronts the north wind in waistcoat gray.
: For every bird thousand perils an
disasters lowering and sweeping roun
d and round. Yet there it sings, and j
- is trustful song. The bird that ha
n it the hardest sings the sweetest TIL
), lark, from the shape of her claws, ma
:. not perch on a tree. In the grass he
l. nest is exposed to every hoof tina
S passes. One of the poorest shelters o
e all the earth is the lark's nest. If sh
n sings at ALL you will expect her to rer
s der the saddest of threnodies. No, nc
r She sings exultingly an hour withou
l. pause and mounting three thousan
If feet without losing a note. Woul
e God we all might learn the lessor
n Whatever perils, whatever bereavt
It ments, whatever trials are yet to come
e sing, sing with all your heart and sin
e with all your lungs. If you wait unit
:, all the hawks of trouble have folde
If their wings and all the hunters of hat
e have unloaded their guns and all tn
e hurricanes of disaster have spent thei
y fury, you will never sing at all. Davi
20 the pursued of Absalom, and the b,
IL trayed of Ahithopel, and the d,
d pleted of ''sores that ran in the night,
S, presents us the best songs of tn
IT Bible. John Milton, not able to sc
,e his hand before his face, sing
l. for us the most famous poem of a
Y literature, and some of the most chez,
% full people | have ever met have bee
l. Christian people under physical, or d,
D. mestic, or public torment The song
n of Charles Wesley, which we no.
H. calmly sing in church, were compose
= by him between mobs.
a Further, in the sky galleries, ther
l. are songs adopted to all moods. Tn
lie meadow lark is mournful and til
n goldfinch joyous, and the grosbea
l. prolonged of note. But the libretto ,