The Grenada sentinel., 1897-01-16

nsks4 necessary most Of tho slus-
houGss, causss the most Of the rawlings
OF the insane asylum. and puts up
most Of the iron bars Of the psnitsn.
tiariea. II has it, hand to-day ON the
throat Of the American republic. It
u the taskmastsr Of nations, and the
human race crouches under it, snath.
ema The song Of the drunkards
has tor it, accompaniment the clsnk OF
chains, the chattsring teeth Of pov.
erty, the rattle Of the sxscutiUner's
scafIold, the creaking door Of the do.
serted home. the crash Of shipwrscks,
and the grosn Of empirea The e2,0eo,. !.
000.O00 which rum costs this country
In . year, In the destruction Of grain
and sugar and the supporting Of the
paupers and invalids and the criminals
which strong drink causes. is only .
small part Of what IL paid for this sx-
pensive song Of the drunkards
Again, this song Of the drunkards 10
multitudinous song-not . solo, not
duet, not quartet, not . sextet; but
millions on millions are this hour sing
ing it. Do not think that alcoholism
has this field Ill 10 itselk. IL has pow
erful rivals in the intoxicants OF other
nations; hasheesh, and arrack, and
pulque, and opium, and quavo, and
mastic, and wedro. Every nation,
barbaric as we'll as civilized, has its
pet intoxicant. The song Of the
drunkards 10 rendered in Chinese,
Hindoo, Arabian, Assyrian, Persian
Mexican-ye, all the languages.
All zones join in it. No conti-
nent would be large enough for
the choir gallery If all those who
have this libretto in their hands
should stand side by side to chant the
international chorus. Other throngs
are just learning the eight notes Of
this deathful music, which is already
mastered by the orchestras in full
voice under the batons in full swing.
All the musicians assembled at Dussel-
dorf, or Berlin, or Boston Peace jubi-
lee, rendering symphonies, reauiems
or grand marches Of Mendelssohn, or
Wagner, or Chopin, or Handel, were
insignificant in numbers as compared
with the innumerable throngs, host
beside host, gallery above gallery, who
are now pouring forth the song of the
Again, the song Of the drunkards is
q suggestive song. You hear nursery
refrain, and right away you think Of
your childhood home. and brothers
and sisters with whom you played, and
long since gone to rest. You
hear q national air, and you think of
the encampment of 1863, and the still
night on the river bank, and the camp
fires that shook their reflections up and
down the faces of the regiment. You
hear and old church tune, and you are
reminded of the revival scenes amid
which you were brought to God.
SO brings up associations as
A song sung or played upon instru.
nent, and the drunkard's song is full
If suggestion. As you hear it on the
street quite late some night, you begin
10 say to yourself, II wonder If he has
, mother? Is his wife waiting for him?
Will his children be frightened when
le enters the front door and staggers.
vhooping up the stairs? What chance
S there for young man started so
,arly on the down grade? In what
business will he succeed? How long
before that man will run through his
wonder how he got so far
Istray? Can any influence be welded
20 fetch him back? He must have got
nto bad company who led him off. "
10 You soliloq uize and guess about
his man whose voice you hear on the
street under the starlight.
Again, the song of the drunkards is
'asily learned. Through what long
md difficult drill one must 60 to sue
,eed aA an elevated and inspiring
ingcr. Emma Abbott, among the
most eminent cantatrices that ever en-.
hanted academies of music, told me
m an ocean ships deck, in answer to
ny question: "Whither are you
Il am going to Berlin and
Paris to study music" "What!" Isaid,
after all your world-renowned sue.
esses in music, going to study?"
Then she told me through what hard
hips, through what self.denials.
Trough whut almost killing fatigues
he had gone in order to be o
niger, and that when, in her earlier
lays, great teacher of music had told |
Ter there were certain notes she could |
lever reach, she said: II will reach |
hem," and through doing nothing
lse but practice for ave years she did |
each them. Oh, how many heroes
nd heroiues of musical achievement! |
there are songs which are easy to
lear, but most difficult to render.
When Handel, with new oratorio,
ntered q room where q group of
musicians had mbled and said:
you all read music?"
rhey said: Eyes, we play in church.
Very well," said the great COM
'oser, "play this" But the perform
nee was SO poorly done Handel
topped his ears and said: "You play
n church! Very will; for we read
he Lord is long suffering, Of great
indness, and forgiving of iniquity.
ransgression and sin. But you shall
rot play for me-" Pure music, wheth.