Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1898-10-02
A Preacher Among the PeopIe.-
Music and Musicians,

and distracted my attention from the
work in hand. | listened for a NOM
ent only and then with feeling of re-
gret that duty prevented my attend
ing the concert, turned again to my
pressing task. But again those soft,
sweet persuasive strains were waited
in upon me. Yielding to this influence
/ closed my book, leaned back in my
chair and gave myself up to medita-
ton. Music and musicians as factors
in the life of man constituted the
theme upon which l dwelt. 1t is
written in Grecian mythology that
when Orpheus, son of Apollo, and the
Muse of Calliope, played his fathers
Tyre, rivers stopped in their course,
ferocious beasts became harmless and
the tall trees bent to listen to his mus
C. And when his beloved Eurydice
died, Orpheus resolved to win her
back or sacrifice his own life in the
gloomy abode. And even then, "at
sound of his divine Tyre, the wheel of
IXion stopped, the stone of Sispyhue
stood STILL Tantalus forgot his thirst"
the grim furies relented for moment
and gave their tortured victims a
brief respite. Under the spell of that
magic Tyre the stern god of the intern
al regions became tender and condi
tionally granted the sorrowing Or
pheus his request A second interest
ing legend is that of the Muses. who
sang their chorus around the altar
Of Zeus and whose mourning song
at the death of Achilles is said to
have brought tears to the eyes of both
gods and men. Strange and unreal as
it is, this bit of mythology indicates
in no uncertain way that ever since
man began the tedious, difficult ascent
of the mountain of life it has been
recognized that music possesses in
spring, Transforming power. Yield
ing to ,ts influence men have been
lifted to higher levels of moral and
religious excellence, and places dark
and forbidding have become divine.
Some months ago merry party
spent an afternoon visiting the Her.
mits Cave, on the north coast of Eng
land cave which for many years
was a favorite resort of the robbers
and smugglers that infested that
coast. In the party there was an Am
erican songstress, and while in the
cave friend asked her to sing. She
hesitated a moment and then began
singing "Suwanee River" softly at
first but with increasing interest and
power AS her voice went floating
through the cave it attracted
the attention of number of
colliery men hard by, who were re-
calling themselves with drink. They
left their cups and tip-toeing nearer
to the singer, gave themselves up to
the Transforming power of her song.
Much to her surprise and delight they
all joined in the last chorus, quietly,
anu uo dS
could be- Subjected to the power of
music, the Hermit's Cave, dark and
forbidding, and once the chosen re-
treat of pirate chieftians and their
buccaneers, was transformed into a
grand cathedral and the rough COL
liery men, called from their carnival
feasting, touched and uplifted by the
song of the muse, seemed to become
saints, worshipping at the shrine of
their god. This incident, interesting
in all its details, reveals as no written
or spoken word can, what power
music is, and indicates the possibili-
ties for good possessed by those
blessed with the gift Of song.
From the very beginning of human
history up to the present time, ,Orpheus
and the muses. have been intimately
associated with nearly every forward
step that has been taken. Wherever
homes were to be protected, human
suffering alleviated, tyranny over
thrown and liberty extended, they
have been there with Tyre and song
to inspire, to comfort, to oppose in
justice and plead the cause of the op-
pressed. Oftentimes unappreciated it
is true, but faithful to their cause nev-
theless. When the French people
were staggering under burdens un-
justly laid upon them, Rouget de Lisle,
inaamed by the sight Of so much in
justice, bade defiance to "despot and
death" in his immortal song, The
Marseillaise. The new song was soon
caught up by the thousands who |
thronged the streets of storm tossed |
Paris and also by the half starved !
populace throughout the country. |
The Mersellaise soon became their |
national song and perhaps more than
any other single agency hastened the |
day when equal rights before the law
were decreed to all the citizens of |
France. And yet when old and in |
need, Rouget de Lisle, forgotten by |