The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-04-06
g|IHE EkI ','' lE1 1lI i,
N1sw5Nz0YgQD aaSga65Gg5wgWsw

| III MS Immortal Oue W lmuuOItdllIy
speaks of the celestial light by which
the young child seems to be sur
rounded, and then adds those most
pathetic words:
1.-THE youth is by the vision splendid
| Upon his way attended. At length
The man perceives it die away
And fade into the light of common day.
Why is this SO true that our hearts
ache in response to it? Even when
we occasionally meet man or woman
whose face is illumined by the "celes-
tial light" or who still believes in"the
vision splendid, I'VE look upon him or
her as an exceptional person, and
seek such companionship upon every
possible occasion. They, like Orph-
Gus of old, have produced such sweet
music within their own souls that
they are not sneering; their faith in
what is high and noble has not been
scorched and shriveled by the sirens
touch. Of all safeguards that a
mothers love can place around her
son or daughter, 1 know of rome
which is stronger than love of good
music. Music of any kind appeals to
the innate sense of harmony which
lies in each human being, The sa-
looms and dance halls have long ago
learned its power to attract, and Gen.
eral Booth tells us in his Darkest
England" that the songs and tam
bourines of the Salvation lassies"
have softened many hard face, and
have broken down walls built up by
years of sin and suffering, and have
given these same lassies free access
to the inner life of the poor stricken
souls such as no amount of pleading
or preaching could have done.
With this thought in mind, as we'll
as that of the enrolling, refining in
fluence of good music, l ask how
many of the homes of America are
making music part of their daily
life? 1t is not what man docs while
he is at work which tests his cha1ac-
ter. That is prescribed and laid out
for him. He must do it if he would
earn his bread; but it is how he
chooses to fill his leisure time that
tells the tale. The boy or the girl
who has learned to sing we'll, to en-
joy playing on some musical instru-
ment, has never ending resource of
entertainment and amusement that
does not injure the body nor corrupt
the soul.
A love of music, like a love of
everything else which we wish to
have deep rooted in the very nature
of a child, ought to begin in earliest
infancy; and in this training there is
nothing which can take the place of
the mothers sweet lullaby. Thus
love for mother and love for music
are interviewer, each making the
other stronger. / know one beautiful
mother who makes it daily habit to
sing for half an hour to her three
little ones after they are undressed
and in bed. She began this when
her oldest was only six months old,
so that with rare exceptions, their
young eyes have closed upon the
world each night with the sound of
sweet melody ringing in their ears.
One Christmas time, after the reali-
zation had come to her that Christ
mas should be to her children not
mere time of greedy getting, but a
sweet and sacred festival in which
they, children though they were,
could celebrate Gods love to man,
by each giving of her best to some
one else, she, the mother, turned to
her music to help her to awaken the
high and holy emotions which she
WlSQ0u u nave otlI WlIuiu uOl Cui1-
dren's hearts. About three weeks
before Christmas she began singing
to them "Three Kings of the Orient"
This she sang without any comment
upon it. After singing it softly and
reverently for three or four nights
she added to it "Silent Night, Holy
Night" and later on she added an
other Christmas hymn. In telling me
afterward of the experiment she said:
81 soon perceived an added gentle
ness in the conduct of my children,
and when | came TO tell them the
story of Christ's coming they ap-
peared to be already familiar with it
and to love it, and were glad to do
their part by giving of their small
treasures to others. The oldest of
these children was six and the young
est not quite two, yet the Christmas
music had aroused the true Christ
mas spirit within them.
knew another sweet-souled moth