The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-03

his musicians are not doing as they ought to do. l once read of great orchestra of hundreds of pieces being gathered togeth- CT. When every musician was doing his part, and the sounds rose and fell like voices of many waters, the piccolo player thought he would stop and see if the lead CT would miss him. No sooner did he stop than the leader pointed his baton toward the silent man and said, 'Playi Play. You are an essential part of the piece. Do you hear me? Play" So, in the great musical chorus for the salvation of the world, God bids us each to sing and take our part, as each bird of the woods has his singing part Sing! Slngl Today In Christs name sing. as the song birds In the springtime. Sing your part in the Song of Moses and the Lamb.'
 Like the singing birds we should not only sing because we have an essential part In Gods great chorus, but because each song bird inspires other song birds to sing. A little canary in room alone may not care to warble But 1t is differ ent when two or three bird cages arc hanging in the windows through which the sun is shining. Then one birds note will inspire the other birds. One birds song will make the other birds sing. So men and women, singing Christs songs, will inspire other men and women to sing them Men and women pray better and oftener If they pray together. They love God more and are more willing to make sacrifices for the Master. if they love and serve Him in groups, as the little com pany gathered in the upper chamber, to await the coming of the Holy Ghost. They are more willing to go out into the byways and hedges and carry the gospel to the blind the deaf the dumb, the crip- pied and the poor, if they go forth as Christ sent His disciples. two by two, and not alone. Oh. my brother and sister. fin Gods great chorus of redemption. will you not sing and inspire your neighbors and loved ones to sing also?
 In christ's Name.
 During the dark days of the American civil war. after the two opposing armies had been watching each other for months upon the opposite banks of the Potomac river. there came night of strange song. which will always be remembered by those who were participants in the scene. The moon was shining brightly The sur face of the river was renecting the lights not only of the campfires of the two armies but also the starry lights from above. The only sounds to be heard were the going forth of the relief guards and the call of the sentries 'Alrs well along the Potomac.p While the stiffness of
 
 der was writing to his mother As he wrote he became very homesick for the sight of the old farm. He softly began to sing the words which John Howard Payne wrote when he was a helpless. sick friendless, lonely exile. He sang the words all Americans have sung a hundred times. As the homesick boy sang the men In the next tent took up the refrain. Then the song went from company to company, regiment to regiment. brigade 10 brigade. until 1t leaped across the river. and the Confederate army sang it as well as the Federal army. Then the war hounds, which had been growing in rage and showing their white teeth and tugging at their chains, turned and went into their kennels and lay down to listen 10 the music.
 As that one homesick boys song found It's echo in the song of his company, and In the song of his regiment, and in the song of his army. and in the song of the great host which were lying upon the opposite side of Virglnias bank, shall not our Christs song inspire others to sing? One bird can make whole forest sound with inspiring songs. Shall not we inspire thosein our homes and stores and churches to sing? Sing in Chrlsts name. Sing as the song birds sing. Sing the psalmist bids us sirg. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord Sing. Sing. Triumphantly and everlastingly sing Sing. for the time of the singing of all Christians as well as of birds has come.
 Our lives are songs. God writes the words
 And we set them to music at leisure. And the song is sad or the song is glad
 As we choose to fashion the measure. We must write the song. whatever the
 Words.
 Whatever it's rhyme or meter.
 And if 1t Is sad we must make It glad.
 And if sweet we must make 1t sweeter.