really _what_ to play. A composition which has been born of a true man
is in thought already consecrated. He has heard it and felt it within
himself. Daily you must get closer and closer to these messages and
meanings. And are they not already more _luminous_ to you? And do you
remember what we said luminous means?




CHAPTER X.

THE LESSON.


"All people value most what has cost them much labor."
--Aristotle.[38]

It is true that music is beautiful and that it gives us happiness and
comfort. But, nevertheless, music is hard to learn _for every one_;
harder for some than for others, but hard for all. It is well and best
that it should be so. We appreciate most highly that which we labor
for earnestly. Just imagine if every one could sing or play merely by
wishing it! Then music would be so common and so much the talent of
all that it would cease to give us joy. Why? Because one gained it by
a wish. That is not enough. From this can we learn to understand the
great secret of it all? I think we can. Let us see! The secret is
this: Music is a joy because it takes us out of ourselves and we work
hard to get it. Music teaches us what a wonderful power there is
within us, if we will only strive to bring it out. Education is good
for us for this same reason. As you learn more and more about words,