The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-05
The Voice That Is Still

The average human being asks mere
~ TO oc let alone" In his pursuit OF
Sccn results as he or she imagincs
vii! be productive of happiness. yc, has
no real conception OF what "happiness"
must be. mlstaking many conditions
which exist with others as being In
fall!bly that for which he seeks. when
IN reality they are the active factors in
those conditions which are catcgoricd
under such terms as "unhappiness,"
misery" suffering" and the like
Probably no better example OF the
happy man was ever known in the
southland than that sclf-reliant. cour-
ageous cavalier whose "If YOU want TO
have good time join tho cavalry" is
as popular to-day as when il rang, not
merely from his lips. but his heart.
with all that resonance OF tone vet
sweetness OF sound which can alone be
given 10 music" by the possession OF
those characteristics never attained
either by that culture which gives ab-
soluto precision to the formation of
the musical note perfect rhythm and
Instinct enunciatlon, or by the slmula-
ton of expression by an attempt 10
give 1t indication by the form OF vo-
caliZation--for our joyful cavalrymen
sang with his soul-which held within
that source of happiness which endures
Whatever bctides the man, smilinely
II may be. but II need be uncompro-
misingly. through suffering or through
anguish.
AS the writer muses. over those DAYS
which were anterior 10 the war" on.
OF the memories most persistent Is that
or song. for from the sweet Missile.
Alice or her more staid sister, Miss
Mary, up to the silver haired and state
~ 9randmothcrs, to whom no one
thought OF applying any less respect
1ui term than madam. song was the
breath OF life: and such gift Of singing
as melted the heart Every gentle
man sang: every boy warbled as sweet
~ as redbird. mocking bird or thrush
and the poor wh!te--if he could do. or
would do. nothing else. could sing The
Floating Scow of Old Firginny," "Shen-
andoah," Down the Ohio" or The
White Canoe" while the nigger sang
everything everyone else sang, and
chortled from waking TO sleeping. Is
1t so to-day?
OF so-called singers" they whose
mechanically correct rendition Is sub
tended by an equally mechanically cor
rect formation of tone and finished off
with the brasure as tho viaticurn by
which expression is modified, there may
be many, but only amongst the passing
generation are TO be found the singing
hearts!
And the cause Is undcniably that of
departure from the cause of right: for
If there be right and wrong no man
can successfully deny that adherence
10 right. no matter what that adhcr-
cnce costs, cannot but purify the voice
as 1t purities the heart and the hand.
To many the constant repetition of
an unwelcome truth Is not merely dis
quoting, but positively Irritating
but the measure of the necessity for
the repetition Of that truth as to any
individual is In the exact ratio as is
its provokingly unwelcomencss
So. tho Old Gray Doctor repeats his
warming: with the defeat of the
Southern Confedcracy, right died on
the cross; and since that day this ma
ton has passed deeper and deeper in
To that infamous fallacy OF the North,
the substitution of the crime of ma
1ority fiat for the constitutional right
OF the individual and every Southern
hand which performs the duties Of life
In accordance with this primeval de
icasance of right every Southern heart
which mistakenly. subtcnd forgiveness
Tor the past crimes OF the North by one
,ota accepting that substitution of evil
TOT good or by amliatng with the
Northerner who yet adhcres to that
doctrine of majority fiat which not
only crucifcd tho Southern Confeder-
hcy, but even crucifles right and which
was The cause of the cruciiXion of the
Bon or God-casts happiness and song
from his heart ana his life.
Unwelcome? My Dear Sir-AIore
than forty years OF practice" tells
The Old Gray Doctor that you WINGED