Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

humanity. to which most of us belong,
grid against 1t as we may. And how We
do grid against it! With what waste OF
energy, what perversity of judgment. what
persistence in the face of failure We strain
and struggle to do something, anything
that will draw the eyes Of our particular
little world toward the feeble twinkle OF
our particular little candle, all ears to the
silly tinkle-tankle of our particular little
cymbals! And. perhaps, just as We be-
lieve we have succeeded the world grows
weary Of hiding it's laughter and ennui
under specious applause and let's us see
and feel its Indifference and derision; then,
how cruel the awakening!
Canny Robbie Burns was never cannier
than when he wrote:
80, wad some power the giftie gle US
To see oursel's as ithers see US!
1t wad frae mony folly free US,
An foolish notion!'
And so it would. Not that the world s
judgments are always Immediately cor
rect. Given a plentiful supply Of shrewd-
ness and audacity and a plentiful lack of
honesty and senstiveness, q deal of sue
cessful humbugging may be accomplished.
The world loves big, brilliant humbugs as
much as 1t despses small silly ones. But
1t requires talent to make a great rascal
or perpetrate a great deception, and 1t is
commonplace people We are considering
above all, the sort Of commonplace people
who are spelling their chances for being
estimable. useful, happy members Of So
ciety by trying to escape from the limita-
lions Of their personality and delude the
world and themselves into believing them
something COO never meant them TO De.
Mistaken Genius.
Perhaps. reader, because you enjoy listen
Ing to good music, and can hum a popular
air without getting into more than four
key noh NTH
It, you imagine that by dint Of hard work
and expensive teachers you may become q
musician or singer yourself. Pitiful folly!
Worse than foolish" notions! Dear young
woman or man, singers and musicians are
born. not made! The musical ear. the
tuneful voice, are due to congenital confor-
nations Of the inner mechanism Of the
throat and hearing apparatus, and in most
instances this innate sensitiveness to musi-
cal sounds is accompanied by the musical
impulse or instinct. which manifests itself
even in infancy. The musicians and sing
ers who have charmed the world almost
without exception sang before they could
talk, played upon instruments before
they could walk and composed sonatas be-
fore they could read!
Why. your born singer-the only singer
who really reaches the heart-sings with
out effort or Instructions, like the bird on
the spray. Art may develop, but never
yet created a fine voice or a correct ear.
THOSE charlatanS OF the profession VINO
proclaim that every one can sing are
preparing terrible day Of retribution for
themselves They deserve to sit forever
on damp Clouds listening to the awful
their deluded followers, and the groans Of
their unhappy listeners on this unlucky
planet.
The amount of needless suffering endured
by a helpless public from this cause alone
must eventually result in q sort Of pro-
tective union-a society for the prevention
of cruelty to the truly musical or some
thing Of the kind.
(onIy distinguishable from mops or feather
busters by their color or have done q cray
on portrait on q solar prinOthat every one
recognizes" you Imagine that you have the
accommodating spoiled canvas and acquiring
Bohemian habits Of thought and conduct,
and heaping up disillusions and disappoint-
ments for yourself In the future.
Perhaps, because you have stammered
and strutted through a parttn an amateur
play, and have been assured by your
friends that mo professional could have
done IL better" or have some perfunctory
applause for a parlor recitation (happily
unconscious of the rasped nerves of a large
proportion Of your helpless audience) you
dream Of a dramatic career Perhaps. be-
cause you have a natural glibness in the
use of words. and some one you know (who.
in your opinion, is no cleverer than you
areD is making a success as a writer, you
are following the Fata Morgana which
leads its victims into that slough Of de-
spond--the profession Of literature
scIf-Improvement Not Display.
And perhaps, yes. very likely, in your de-
sire to ascape from the cominonplaceness
of your lot, you are neglecting the obvious
duties Of life, and turning your back on
some useful work. some practical career,
for which you are perfectly well fitted.
Really, wheE one considers the subject,
it ceases to be amusing. Think of wasted
years the hearts consumed with unfulfll-
ed desires, with humiliation, jealousy,
envy and despair the homes where there
are plenty of girls and boys, but no real
sons and daughters-dutiful. helpful and
affecticnate-only number of morbid
young creatures throwing away their BEAU
tiful youth in vain efforts to be. or at least
to seem to be- something which they never
can be.
Not that I would depreciate or discourage
the study of the arts except by those Of
unoues tionable talent. On the contrary,
as a means Of culture and DEVELOPMENT,
or as a recreation after other work. the
study of any Of the arts Is eminently de-
lightfuI and beneficial to the individual
and the race.
BY all means, II you have tnae and
money to expend upon such indulgenccs,
and are sure that you are leaving no duty
undone, practice the piano, and the violin,
and the mandolin; try to sing, even: and
to elocute, but crush out with an iron hand
~ 6rot ln,o DIN a audience Ia dare