Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-04-01

the country. They run into the house
or barn and keep very quiet But II
you pay no attention TO those children
they will begin to peek out of the win
dows or behind the wood house. and
then they will gradually come out and
watch you as you disappear down the
road. Such is the way the feathered
musicians of the forest act When you
first enter the woods and call TO them
to sing they viii keep as silent as the
grave, but II you lie down at the foot
OF some giant oak and pretend you are
asleep the many voices OF the birds
will then begin their seemingly endless
chorus. First there will be a twitter.
then an answering call, then a duet.
then third voice will break I'm and
make the trio. Then of in the distance
a woodpecker will beat time, like the
drumstick tapping upon the sheepskin.
Then great wave of harmony, like
Handefs "Halleluiah Chorus" will roll
over you. Then sudden silence. Again
the music will start. and new concert
will be masterfully rendered, each
birds voice not much In itself. but
each an essential part OF the great
woods chorus.
An Inspiration.
1t Is wonderful to realize how quick
ly a musical conductor knows when
any OF his musicians are not doing as
they ought to do. l once read OF
great orchestra OF hundreds of pieces
being gathered together, When every
musician vrQ n tx
sounds rose and fell like voices OF
many waters, the piceolo player
thought he would stop and see il the
leader would miss him. No sooner did
he stop than the leader pointed his
baton toward the silent man and said,
PLAY! 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, Singi Today in
Christs name sing. as the song birds
in the springtime. Sang 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 I'm Gods great chorus. but because
each song bird inspires other song
birds to sing. A little canary In n
room alone may not care to MARBLE.
But 1t IL different when two or three
birdcages are hanging in the windows
through which the sun IA shining. Then
one birds note win inspire the other
birds. One birds song will make the
other birds sing. So men and women.
singing Christ's songs, will inspire
other men and women TO sing them.
Men and women pray better and often
er II 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 company gathered in the upper
chamber, to await the coming of the
Holy Ghost. They are more willing
to 60 out into the byways and hedges
and carry the gospel TO the blind. the
deaf, the dumb, the crippled and the
poor, IL they go forth as Christ sent his
disciples, two by two, and not alone.
Oh, my brother and sister, in Gods
great chorus OF redemption, viii you
not sing and inspire your nelghbors
and loved ones to sing also?
In Christie Name.
During the dark days OF the Amer
lean civil war, after the two opposing
armies had been watching each other
Tor months upon the opposite banks
or the Potomac river, there came a
night or strange song. which will al
ways be remembered by those who
were participants In the scene. The
moon was shining brightly. The sur
face OF the river was rejecting 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.
"All's well along the Potomac While
the stiffness OF death seemed to pre-
vail, northern soldier was writing to
his mother. AS be 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 n helpless, sick.
lonely exile. He sang the
words all Americans have sung a hun.
dred times. AS the homesick boy sang
the men in the next tent took I'M the
refrain. Then the song went from
company to company, regiment to regi-
nent, brigade to brigade. until IL leap
ed across the river. and the Confeder-
ate army sang IL as well as the Fed
eral army. Then the war hounds
which had been growing I'm rage and
showing their white teeth and Juggling
IL their chains, turned and went into
Iheir Kennels and lay down 20 listen
% the music.
As thatone homesick boys song found
Us echo IN the song OF his company,
md In the song OF his regiment. and in
ne song or his army. and In the song
'f the great host which were living
lpon the opposite side OF virginia's
oank, shall not our Chrlst's np-in-
'pire others to singf One bird can
make whole forest sound with inspir- |
hg songs. Shall not we inspire those |
n our homes and stores and churches |
o sing! Sing In Christ's name. Sing
70 thc song blras sing. Sing as the
,saiinist bids us sing. Let every |
hihg that hath breath praise the
ord" Sing! Sing! Triumphantly
mo everiastnSly sing. Sing. for the
fme or the singing OF all Christians as
veil as of birds has come.
'ur Hives are songs, God writes the ,vorss
AND We set them to mnsie at leisure
mo me song Is sad or the song IS glad
AS we choose to fashion the measure.
We must write the song. whatever the
words. 49, o
whatever its rhyme or meter.
ma u Is sac We must make II glad.
anu sweet we must make II sweeter.
ICopyright 1884 by louis ECinrseh