The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-05-14
a LAYMAN's sERMonErrE.

The uncultured ear finds more
pleasure in a piece OF ragtime than il
does in Beethoven's Moonlight sonata
A painting by Rubens or Raphael
means no more TO the uneducated eye
than a comic picture in Sunday
newspaper.
or certain person a poet said, "A
primrose by the river brink, a prim-
rose was to him, and nothing more"
To another, the meanest flower
that grows can give thoughts that lie
TOO deep for tears
There is harmony melody and
beauty in one Of the compositions OF
Beethoven. Why does the ear that is
entranced by ragtime not hear it? 1t
Is purely question Of having the
knowledge Of higher principles of mu-
sic which is necessary to appreciate
and enjoy H.. The person ignorant Of
those principles cannot enjoy such
music To the highly cultured ear,
that which appeals to the ignorant as
music seems more noise. The savage
beats his tomtom and calls ii music;
Paderewski with his plano couldn't en-
tertain a Hotentot for two minutes.
The reason why we don't appreciate
a painting by a master any more than
we do a fwo-bit chrome is because we
are lacking in our knowledge OF art.
The reason why "a primrose by the
river brink, primrose was to him
and nothing more.' was because he
lacked the knowledge which would
enable him to relate the little flower
with the rest Of creation and see In it
the play of forces which runs through
all nature and back TO natures God.
knowledge makes the highest forms
of musical composition and the high
est art irresistibly attractive and it
makes the lower forms grotesque and
repulsive.
AS in music and art, so it IS in NOR
ais There is an irresistible beauty
and attractiVeness in virtue which
makes the one who knows a devotee
OF goodness. To merely know in a
superficial way or from authority that
honesty is right doesn't make one hon
est, any more than ii makes one .ap-
preciate one Of Beethoven's compost
tions TO be told by authority that it Is
beautiful even If we believe that the
authority is right But If our knowl-
edge of honesty is deep enough to
enable us to see all the principles of
morals underlying IT, TO know the
philosophy Of it and to relate it to all
phases OF life and conduct: If our
knowledge of honesty goes beyond the
matter of mere policy and we can ap.
preciate the inherent beauty and good
ness in II, we can no more be dishon-
est than the cultivated ear can appre.
ciate as music the noise OF the saw
ages tomtom.
What is true Of honesty Is true as to
any other virtue The reason why
some men find their highest pleasure
in the Indulgence Of physical appe-
tites is because they haven't a knowl.
edge Of the finer things of soul which
makes the higher things irresistibiy
and the lower repulsiye
And so we are led to the conclusion
that what the world needs 10 lift it
above the low. the mean. the ugly
ana selfish is deeper and wider
knowledge Of truth which Is the lib
erator-knowledge which compre-
hends all truth, physical Intellectual.
moral and spiritual
Long ago the prophet declared. "AIy
people have gone into captivity be- \
cause they have no knowledge.
And greater prophet said, "Ye
shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free"
me eftorts OF our religious teach K
srs and rcformers Of all kinds must
be to get down TO the basic facts
Thich point the way 10 the larger
ruths which regenerate individuals
md society The world no longer pays
much attention to the mere assertions
u any man, but it will heed the voice
# truth and reason and we have an
dea when truth in its entirety is com.
'rehended, assimilated and utilized.
he prayed-for millennium will have
oroe