is caused by an emanation from the brain through the fingers. Doubtless
this is so; and I also choose to believe that only a powerful spirit of
love in the heart can rightly direct this subtle energy, that where such
a spirit is absent the desired effect cannot be produced."

"I do not know," I replied. "Great as my love and devotion is, I cannot
suppose it to equal, much less to surpass, that of others who yet failed
on this occasion to give relief."

"Yes, yes; only that is looking merely at the surface of the matter, and
leaving out of sight the unfathomable mysteries of a being compounded of
flesh and spirit. There are among our best instruments peculiar to this
house, especially those used chiefly in our harvest music, some of such
finely-tempered materials, and of so delicate a construction, that the
person wishing to perform on them must not only be inspired with the
melodious passion, but the entire system--body and soul--must be in the
proper mood, the flesh itself elevated into harmony with the exalted
spirit, else he will fail to elicit the tones or to give the expression
desired. This is a rough and a poor simile, when we consider how
wonderful an instrument a human being is, with the body that burns with
thought, and the spirit that quivers and cries with pain, and when we
think how its innumerable, complex chords may be injured and untuned by
suffering. The will may be ours, but something, we know not what,
interposes to defeat our best efforts. That you have succeeded in
producing so blessed a result, after we had failed, has served to deepen
and widen in our hearts the love we already felt for you; for how much
more precious is this melody of repose, this sweet interval of relief
from cruel pain the mother now experiences, than many melodies from
clear voices and trained hands."