Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-12
LIES Music and Undertone.
The Observations of a Philosophical
Friend OF Ours.)

| tlho ODserNdtlOHs OF Pnll0S0phica
Friend of Ours.)
Make music, though unheard their peal
| ing
| By mortal ears"
Sometimes a thousand twanglng in.
struments" Tempest.
| The bee is very busy little creature
| There's hardly anything pleasanter &c
think about than hedge or a blossomine
| tree full of the little harvesters of honey
filling their bottles with pure nectar from
the bosoms of the flowers, and loading
| their limbs with material for the walls
| Of their vaults, richer and more beautiful
| than alabaster; all the time humming
| delightfully."- over their work, They set
| the world to talking OF the hum Of busy
| industry and teach us a thousand things
| of business. Shakespeara more than once
makes them eloquent; notably in the first
acts of ''Troilus and Cressida" and Henry
v" Music lightens, stimulates, and cheers
labors wonderfully. From one extreme
of our experiences to the other. it inspires
us in one way or another. The mother
sings her baby to sleep, and so beguiles her
cares. And. by martial music. soldiers
charge in the face OF death. The merry
sound Of the violin sets in motion the
feet Of the dancers and the solemn dirge
leads the mourning procession to the
grave. Hymns of praise raise the soul OF
the saint heayenward: and the lascvious
pleasing of the Lutte subdues the soul
he ant lima toll let L.
love.
1t is interesting TO notice how in some
form mems lives seem TO have a key-not,
which they follow, and TO be set to
a music, with which they conform or har-
monte. There is music of every charac-
ter. quality, dignity, and degree, suiting
every phase Of life, from the idest and
lowest TO the most serious and loftiest
from the Chinese tom-tom. the Indian
war-dance. the lewd catch OF the brothel
chants Of the holy vestals and the sympho-
ny Of cathedrals. They must move US to
vice or virtue. And just so there are
lives, from that of the court fool and
merry Andrew. with tinkling bells and
baubles, to that of the holy apostle and
martyr and elder, forever worshippIng be-
fore the Throne of Heaven.
Great buildings and auditoriums have
their key-notes. When they are strucb
the windows rattle and responsive vlbra-
tions show themselves. And audiences
are like the halls that contain them. and
have their keynote, which the skilled
orator learns and acts on. They are
thrilled through their key-notes. And
individuals all make music according to
the keynote of their characters. and are
played upon. Dscord comes when men
OF divers keys try 10 act in harmony ana
force agreement.
Lives OF men and women are most in
teresting and best appreciated when we
read the music TO which they are set, or
can make our own hearts TO be in uni
son or sympathy with them. II we az
altogether out OF tune with them we Ia,
best kindly ignore them.
The music and poetry of babyhood anc
childhood and budding manhood and NO
manhood Is for largely the most par
soothing exhilarating, cheering, inspir
ing, animating. But. alas. how soon do
the minor tones take their place. How
soon do bereavemenss. disappointments
humilations. sorrows. and pains deepen
and sadden all the tones OF LIES music
take all its joyousness out OF IL, and
leave IL dirge almost, and that onlyl