The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-18
IN TIE AFTERNOON.
W lillian Conneli. the Pres idcns. and A.
ColbOrn IT,, Conductor

| ColbOrr. Jr.. Conductor.
Shortly after 80 o'clock the estedd-
| fod again convened on the platform
| Were a number of prominent Welsh
| men. Attorney A. j. Colborn in intro
| ducing the president of the session.
| William Connell. said in the course of
a beautiful address:
The wonderful influence of music has
| been the theme of many tale in prose
and verse. How often has the traveller ON
the Rhine seen, in his imagination the
| fabulous horelei. the lovely maiden, sit
| ting on cliff on the bank of the river,
| combing her shining hair. with "a comb
| of gold and singing song of such
/ strange, sweet sadness. that the sailor
| floating by, entranced by its melody, al
though II makes him shuddrr forgets Cv-
| is drawn slowly under the dark waters to
"a cruel death. Collins, in his Ode to
| the Passions. and Dryden, i'll Alexander's
| Feasts, both testify to the power of music
| fluence during the dark days OF our sad
| and cruel civil war Two regimental
| bands. one Union, the other Confederate
| were encamped on the opposite sides OF a
| river, and at twilight, when the days
! carnage had ceased, they began to amuse
| themselves in showing their sentiments
OH for long time-"iIail Columbia" be-
| ing followed by Away Down in Dixie"
the star Spansled Banner" by. The
Bonnie Blue Flag" and as each air died
| away in the rocks and crags that over
looked the river. the hills would re-echO
| the cheers given by the different crowds CT
| admirers
MUSIC SOFTENED THEM.
! All the hatred the opposing sides bore
each other was portrayed in the fierce and
angry looks of the men until from the
Boys in Blue" was heard the first
| strains of Home. Sweet Home" almost
| instantly the band on the other side
| caught up the dear old air which will
| naN lie a hpr n a
love and homes to cherish, and as the
| last strains were gliding away, some
thing clear as crystal was vas seen to star. ,nt I
| powder-stained veterans ploughing Il
| white furrow~on their blackened cheeks,
and when the last note had passed away
| into silence, one grand, united good
| night was sent echOing and re-echoing
among the jutting crags.
Thus through the feeling that makes the
whole world kin, a truce was proclaimed
| felt long after the music had died away.
! How often have the hymns of u mother
soothed her child, weary with life's con-
fiicts long after the lips that uttered them
| with such undying affection have been
slenced in death. The Hush my child,
| lie still and slumber,' sung to us In our
over us during all our after life. The
| dear old church tunes familiar to us from
| childhood and linked with our earliest
| faith have often more power to stir the
heart than the grandest mserere heard
through the vast cathedral aisles, where
| the dim religious light steals through
the illumined windows, and falls in mel.
| lowed rays on the choicest productions or
| many 4 world-famed artist.
THE POWER OF MUSIC.
Some one has said ''let me make the
songs of u nation and i care not who
| makes the laws" and this may be said,
| too of a nations hymns Can any amount
| of corruption have the power to drag
| q infiuplttS
so long as such hymns as odd Hundred,
| and the dear old Coronation" have such
power to stir the hearts or the people.
When the heart Is weary, and the soul Is
| tired of daily strife and dark thoughts
| come crOwding up, and even death seems
! pleasing-how strangely the remembrance
of long neglected strains affect us. AS they
sweep over the broken chords OF child
hood and reverberate in the inmSst cham
| bers of the. soul-they "lift us unawares
out of all meaner cares Since music has
+ so great an influence over the feelings,
| can 1t not be made a powerful aid In the
| cultivation of the aesthetic nature? and
through the love or the oeauiifui td s are no, not
| all thet refines the feelings and moves
| the affections. elevate the tone of the
mind. broadenit sympathies. and restrain
| Hear how bright and joyous Is the brook
| let's melody, how careless and happy the
song it ever sings as its silvery waters
dance along over its pebbly bed.
But now the stream widens, its song
| becomes deeper and grander, now it in
| creases in brilliancy and strength, until
old ocean becomes its dwelling place: ana
| mark the change-the light and tripping
| song becomes deep. sad moan. Listen
| to the music of the cataract as 1t bols
| in angry surges. plunging its raging bill
! lows over the towering precipice and rest
| ing its troubled waters In the channels
| of the noisy deep. 1t says. in language
none can misunderstand The hand that
| made us is divine" Notes and chords
| sweet as the tones of an Aeoian harp
| strike our ears and finds ready response
| in each heart. and at last the billows burst
in stirring strains, of deep bass, AMI
| overwhelm the soul of man with music
| 100 powerful for mortals to appreciate.
| The world is full of music: There Is rot
| one discordant sound in all the works CT
| golden key unlocks the icy fetters of
| winter. The tongue of the ripping rilf
is loosed and the gentle songs of the
birds fall sweetly on our ears as they trill
| forth their tunefuI notes. The winds Of
| summer as they softly stir the leaves.
| carry music to our ears sweet as the
| songs of angels
MUSIC IN THE FALLING LEAF.
| In autumn there is music in every fall
| ing leaf and dying flower Ills sad and
| mournful music, such as causes the heart
| to fhrob and the tears to start; but it Is
| music we love to hear. But soon the cold
| blasts blow upon the trees whose bare
| arms are Outstretched to heaven. and wln-
=
| is ever being sung, in air, on earth, in
| sea: and its harmonies find an echo in
| every heart and lift our thoughts from
| nature up to natures God. The soul OF
| man instinctively responds to the music
| in nature, and daily the grand anthem of
| tens of thousands of human voices rolls
up TO the ear of the Eternal. The melody
of heart filed with love for the great
| fountain of love ascends highest into the
! heavens and the very angels themselves
hush their golden harps and wonderinsly
| listen.
The influence of music upon MS canIot
be over-estimated. Music makes us hap
| pier. wiser, and better: ii enlarses our
| souls and gives uS higher and holier
| thoughts. Ii has Il charm that oratOry
| eloQuence. painting or sculpture can never
| possess. 1t awakens in the soul of man
| the tenderest sensihltes, the purest ana
| most spiritual emotions. Before ii cares
| and sorrows flee away as dew dsaD-
| pears in the presence of sunshine. Who
| has not been carried away. conveyed. as
| 1t were to the very gates of Paradise by
some sweet song? Music thou vast
| born in heaven ere the soul of man was
| given" When this little world We live in
was chaos, angels strung their golden harps
| in daily prisons, and the blue vault above
| echoed their sweet harmony. when the
| mild stars of morning sang together, AM
| then thou hadst a name. O Music! thou
| who bringest the receding waves of eter-
| nifty nearsr to the weary heart of man as
| he stands on the shore and longs to cross
over. tell me, pray thee, art thou the ev-
| ening breeze of this life, or the morning
| star of the future one?
! Let us. then. listen to the persuasive
| voice of this ministering spirit and make
| our lives beautiful song. and when we
| come to cross over the dark river that
| leads to the Celestial CITY. may we hear
| the words: "Welcome. Thrice Welc 1me
| Home" and our hearts will be filed with
| the strains that echo from the foot of the
| throne, and our voices thrilling with rap
| turous emotion, will join with those of
| the innumerabe throng whose songs are
| ever ascending in alteration to Him, who