The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-26

this summer, Birrninghams artistic life
will grow and grow.
There is pathos in the way all classes
respond to the appeal of music, showing
how closely human hearts are allied, re-
CARELESS of outward form and conoitlon'
and the concert of the free open air
brings out this relationship and gives an
occasional glimpse into the soul OF those
with whom we come In contact
Tragedy locks arm with comedy; pow
erty rubs elbow with riches old age
smiles joyously beside youth, while fel-
lowship and brotherly love create under
standing. And this is the atmosphere
that one finds in the park. When the
band begins to play and the crowds
gather from no one can say where.
tired woman in calico, her sleeping
babe on her arm sat on the grass beside
a millionaire bank president, each forget
full of the days cares; the brawny Ger
man workman forgot the blast of the 1ur-
mace and remembered the little, bent
mother back in the Fatherland, to whom
he wrote next day; the man who mad
wandered far and gone down hill, thought
again of better things, and resolved upon
an upward course; the girl from behind
the counter. who had lost heart and cour-
age saw the pathway of right, clear ana
straight before her and turned away from
the broad downward course: the gay
society woman left her motor car and
stood under the maple tree beside the
pale-faced maid from a nearby boarding
house, and resolved to put better, more
lasting things into her life; the boy from
college paused and forgot to light hir
cigarette until the fame from his match
burned his fingers. Then he threw poth
the match and the cigarette into the
grass and thought of things with mean
Ing. The old man of gray, bent head Tor
got the weight of years ana ived again
the romances of youth; and the little
motherless invalid, lying on the grass,
her head resting on her fathers knee,
failed to feel the spinal pains and clapped
her hands as joyously as the care-1ree
bow who wandered across from the Atm
letic club. For all the world loves music
and has felt its wonderful charm and
power which can wipe away memories OF
hitter struggle and loneliness and heart
sickness and bring again the strength OF
hope, the Joy of striving and can sweeten
hardship. which makes life seem worth
while.
surely those who doubted the need OF
such in Birmingham have already
changed their view, for the need is IN
deed great. Especially is this true OF the
Sunday afternoon concert. Ours is a
Commercial center and hundreds are the
stranzers who spend their week-ends
within our bounds. The travelling man
away from home needs some place besides
a hotel lobby or street corner to speno
his Sunday afternoon; the hordes who
make up the boarding house life need
something to draw them away from
crowded verandas or stuffy, III ventilated
rooms. the automobilist needs some place
besides dusty roads to run his machine
something to do Sunday afternoon besides
Just speed and speed; the mere idier
needs some place to idle. while the tired
working masses of all classes need rest
and recreation. and open ar and diver
sion. sonething to change the weary cur
rent of their thoughts away from them
selves and their cares.