Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-20
Musical

I suppose that everyone who has given
a concert or made a public address had to
grapple with the problem Of the babies
God bless them.
We all have an inherent love for chill
dren, or we ought TO have, for there Is
scarcely a man or woman alive today who,
at some time or other in his life, has not
been a child. CThis. Of course. does not
apply to those who were born in Boston).
Well. / write today in defense Of babies.
II It were not for babies there would be
a dismal prospect for humanity. Babies
are the hope OF the race.
But. to the. problem. What shall we do
with regard to the babies who are brought
to church, to concert room. to lecture hall,
and, who, innocently enough, start a strain
Of piteoua wailing, at the inopportune
moment, and in a key which is not ger
name TO that OF the composition being sung
or played.
It is true that babies must have mothers,
and mothers must not be deprived Of the
pleasure to be obtained from hearing a
good lecture or a good musical service in
church, or a good concert. But what of
the grown up babies, who have come 20
hear the same feast Of reason or flow OF
soul? And what Of the persons who are
minlstering to the general enjoyment, who
are, necessarily, trained up to a high
tension, and who have their hands full. IL
they do themselves justice, even with a
quiet, attentive and undisturbed audience?
The dear babies-I sometimes wonder II
King Herod was a musician or a lecturer
and IL a platform experience urged him to
issue his famous decree about killing the
dear children. II so he should not have
l--- A-.Nl A-.- 49,
ents to be deported. Then there would
have been no one to take the children to
the concert or the lecture and the, little
ones would have been able to go to their
cradles and get to the land of dreams, Nod
island, Shadowtown, Sandmanville, or
some Of those famous resorts to which chill
dren are so partial, and which they doubt
less enjoy more than any concert.
But there comes the old WORKOUT argu-
ment, shall the poor hard working
mother be compelled to take the blessed
babe out Of the auditorium and be unable
to hear what she came to hear? Poor
thing. 1t may be her one Joy in life, etc,
etc." This is, OF course, a hard argument
to answer, because ones sympathies are
undoubtedly with the mother and the baby.
/ heard a minister once say in a sermon,
Don't disturb the child. He does not
bother me-" This was a grand stand play.
II he had had anything to say that was
worth saying, or that he had thought out,
1t would have disturbed him, and 1t is more
than likely that the same self-sacrihcing
gentleman would have roundly scolded his
own boy at homo II he had called to an
other boy across the lawn, outside the study
windows. And then-on the occasion al
Irdad to a. nartafp1y did dfGfurh tba rnp-
gregation.
While my sympathies are with the child
and mother every time, l must say most
emphatically, that the audience should not
be disturbed for the sake of the one,
neither should he who has prepared at
great trouble an offering of musical or
oratorical worth, be compelled to jeopardize
his line OF thought, his presentation of the
music, or his reputation, which would re-
ceive no gentleness at the hands OF the
audience, II he failed to do his best, neither
would the audience take into consideration
that the artist or the speaker had been
annoyed by circumstances over which he
had no control.
One forgets sometimes that the person In
the seat Immediately in front of or behind
the singing infant, is also a tired, WORKOUT
mother, seeking the inspiration of music or
eloquence, who was compelled to leave her
infant at home in charge Of a devoted bus-
band who wanted to go with his wife.
The people who go to hear concerts do
not want to be disturbed. as is easily seen
by the fact that in most well-regulated
theaters the sign which reads Children in
arms, not admitted" is very plainly visible.
When the church is gracious enough not
to put any such restrictions upon it's at
tendants, the attendants should show
enough reciprocal courtesy to take a seat
near an exit, in order that the child could
be removed. Does the child enjoy the
music? II so, why does 1t cry? II not,
why give It pain? Is II not cruel, parents,
is It not inhuman? Why make the child
suffer? Is It fair? Can It defend itself:
Why be selfish? Why make 1t stay? Why
not take 1t out?
Then, Of course, there is the fond and
idiotic parent who says: ~ have paid for
my seat"-just as though he had pur-
chased the right of annoying the audience
and inhicting the cute deeds Of his progeny
upon an audience which had assembled for
another purpose. The dear youngster does
not know that 1t is not the kindergarten; It
5Ccb lHc blldiBhb lO"S VI oCnNS ~ NV
lights, II hears the music, and It is all like
a great fairy tale to its dear little limo
cent and happy heart, but what do you
think OF the parent, who sits with a sim
pering and silly smile which says as plainly
as words could express it, I'm its papa,
I am! What do you think Of me?' THE
Bee is a highly respectable paper so 1t will
not say what It thinks). love children,
and / may modestly say that ! know a few
(under 2 years of age-after that they be-
come discriminating, who like me, but
when / go to a concert I love the children
just the same. although my mind will re-
call inevitably the old motto, Absence
makes the heart grow fonder."
At st. Philomena's cathedral this even
ing a concert will be given by the choir OF
the church. assisted by ]. H. Simms, or
ganist. The choir will sing in addition to
the other numbers on the program, pub
llshed in. yesterday evenings Bee, the
great chorus from Haydn's Creation"
The Heavens Are Telling"
The attendance at the First Methodist
Episcopal church last Sunday evening,
which filled the largest church In Omaha
to the standing room limit. was a most
gratifying acceptance Of the presentation
Of the Historical Cycle of Composers"