CHAPTER II.

WHY WE SHOULD STUDY MUSIC.


"Music makes people more gentle and meek, more modest and
understanding."--_Martin Luther._[1]

It was this same music lover who said once, "Music is the fairest gift
of God." Just these words should be a sufficient answer to the
question which we have asked in this Talk, but a little more may make
it clearer. Here we are, gathered together to talk about music. We
know music is pleasing; to many of us it is even more than a pleasure;
of course, it is difficult to get the lessons properly and we must
struggle and strive. Often the way seems so rude and stony that we
cannot advance. We are hurt, and hot tears of discouragement come, and
we sit down dejected feeling it were best never to try again. But even
when the tears flow the fastest we feel something within us which
makes us listen. We can really hear our thoughts battling to tell us
something,--prompted by the heart, we may be sure.

And what is music making our thoughts say?

"Have I not been a pleasure and a comfort to you? Have I not set you
to singing and to dancing many and many times? Have I not let you sing
your greatest happiness? And am I not ever about you, at home, in
school, in church? even in the streets I have never deserted you.
Always, _always_ I have made you merry. But this was music you
_heard_. Now you have said you wished to know me yourself; to have me
come to dwell in your heart that you might have me understandingly,