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Show Our . Literary Table. SACRED HEART ACADEMY. MUSIC'S MAGIC POWER. "Music, O! how faint, how weak. Language fades before thy spell! Why should feeling ever speak When thou can'st breathe her soul so well i" Yes, truly potent is the spell that Music exercises exer-cises over the human heart a spell too, that is felt not only by its devotees, but even by those indifferent indiffer-ent to ordinary language, whoso hearts it can raise to ihe loftiest heights of enthusiasm. The sociability engendered by the cultivation of music binds together the varied elements of society soci-ety with far stronger bonds of imitual sympathy than do any of the other tine arts. Xor is music in any way partial iu the distribution ot itsddessings. Its magic force sways alike the monarch, bowed down with the cares of state, and the lowliest subject sub-ject in whose heart it re-kindles loyalty and patriotism. patriot-ism. As the light and power of the glorious sun enters en-ters into the tiny dew drop, as well its into the mighty stream, so music's power enters into the soul even of the lowliest, enriching poverty and inspiring in-spiring latent force. Evoji the guileless babe, un-conscioius un-conscioius of aught save a mother's gentle care, tenderly drifts away to dreamland on music's outspread out-spread wings, and when in after years, mayhap, unbelief un-belief and love of gain have darkened the enthusi-a.stic enthusi-a.stic aims of youth, how often is the soul, hardened to all pure motives, overcome by the rush of memories memo-ries springing from the re-awakening echoes of- a j mother's lullaby? What is all nature in its every guise but -the harmonious outpourings of divine love '. What is the rythmic order of the universe but the echo of the word which broke the primal stillness. "God spake and though the soundless realms of space The keynote of created music rolled And time felt harmony within its hold.' What is all music, but the attempt of genius to reproduce the many-voiced harmonies of nature; or the effort to give rythmic expression to the in- ner emotions of the soul. Xow the masters' melo- j dies sing- out clear and rippling like a spring in a forest, laughing among the flowers; again they sound serious and solemn like "soft and mysterious myster-ious whispers in a grave at night." But all true music from the simplest melody to the grandest oratorio, must be dominated by some definite idea, and it is in giving expression to this that the personality of the artist is revealed. His inspiration may spring from -hope, joy, sorrow or love, ihe "keynotes of song," that can impart that depth and intensity which distinguishes all true art. Do not the tender pathos and dreamy simplicity simplic-ity of a Chopin breathe through his beautiful "Cradle Song f and do we not hear the ring o the fire and passion of a Beethoven tempered, it is true, by a minor strain of melancholy, sounding sound-ing from all the sonatas of this great tone-master I Xor is this true of the individual only, but even of-nations; indeed the surest index of a nation's spirit is its music. Emanating from the people and growing out of their very life, it mirrors their daly cares, their generous self-sacrifice and their spiritual development. What sweet sadness and mystic grace underlies the sprit ely strains of the music of Ireland What sparkling naivete and vivacious brilliancy pervades that of France l What sauvity and gracefulness the Italian music, what bracing energy en-ergy and convincing strength the German '. While our own American, though pleasing and impressive has yet to receive the impress of its people. ' Music, the finest of the fine arts, is probably as old as man, and 'at all times has it been the medium through which man has given expression to his better nature. Xor is there any nation, however how-ever crude, but lays claim to some form of this 'universal language" of the soul. Its influence is felt alike in the melancholy chant of the savage, and the sublime creations of a Liszt and Beethoven. But though all nations pay homage to music, in no country is its culture so widespread as in our own America. Few are debarred from music's in-' in-' fluencc in a country, where the very prairies resound re-sound with the sweet, strains borne from the rancher's modest cabin. Perhaps none of the other fine arts is so effective ef-fective as music in refining, ennobling and enriching en-riching character. But why does music constantly constant-ly appeal to our higher nature? Simply because it comes from God. and when rightly directed, it must needs lead back to its Divine source. All, never is this heaven-born gift so royal as when it wreathes its charms around religion; and when song the "daughter of prayer" unites with her sister, music in outpouring praises to God, then do listening souls, touched with a music-won grace, echo responsive to these twin revelations of the good, the true, and the beautiful. CLARA 0 'CON Is ELL, Academic '0.5 and graduate in Conservatory of Music '('. Sacred Heart Academy, Ogden, Utah. DAWX OX THE PRAIIUf:. Cold and gray, Over the dim horizon breaks the day; Silent, remote, immeasurably far, Glimmers and fades the morning star. ! Still and calm. Over the slumb'ring prairie broods the dawn, Only the night wind's low murmurous sound, Breathes o'er the desert's peace profund. Hark! Yet hark! Lo! from yon misty hollow wakes the lark, This is tlie mystery of life reborn, From dving darkness springs the morn. DAISY MAGIXXIS, '0.5. Saercd Heart Academy, Ogden, L'tah. MARY IN POETRY. ''For wlio so dumb that cannot write to the, When thou thyself dost give inspiration, light f" Cold indeed must !e the heart and dumb the lips that cannot; utter some tribute to her, thetrue inspiration in-spiration of all that is best in Christian poetry and art. The charge of coldness cannot bejaid to master poets for few there are who have not twined some flowers around the name of Mary while many have woven entire gralands of rare poetic blossoms to crown her queenly brow-Almost brow-Almost at the dawn of the human race the tradition tra-dition of the coming of a virgin mother whose child should redeem fallen mankind tilled yearning yearn-ing hearts with hope and inspiration. But if the glow that should radiate from this chosen maiden was felt before her advent, what shall we say of the inspiration her coming called forth? Since then poetry has blossomed with, a spiritual beauty hitherto unknown. Joy unutterable reigned among the angels when they beheld her, the chosen "Mother of the Prince of Peace," and can we ' rcaluc with what thrills of eestacy -the Archangel addressed her with his 'Heaven inspired "Avei" In language sublimely prophetic yet profoundly humble did the Blessed Virgin voice her own glory in the "Magnificat" and truly has time verified veri-fied her utterance: "From henceforth all nations shall call me blessed," for each succeeding ago swells her fame in story, in legend and in song until in this our own age it has burst forth in a general chorus of praise. What wonder if that Mother who is the model of all motherhood, that maiden who is the exemplar ex-emplar of maidenliness, that woman who is the marvel of all ages and nations, the highest t;ye of perfect ioij, should be the universal inspiration of priest and poet. Perhaps the highest tribute in English poetry is that paid her by the philosophical Woodsworth: "Voman above all women glorified Our tainted nature's solitary boast." Again hopcaks of all that is mixed and reconciled recon-ciled iu her: "Of Mother's love with maiden purity Of high with low, celestial with lerreuc." Perhaps the genial Scott has written nothing more .appealing thnn the "Ave Maria" which he places on the lips of his favorite heroine, Ellen Douglas: "We bow us to our lot of care. Beneath thy guidance reconciled Hear for a mai a maiden's prayer And for a father hear a' child Ave Maria." Coleridge in his "Virgin's Cradle Hymn" lovingly addresses her: "Thou Molher of the Prince of Peace." Byron, too, totichingly gives vent to the feelings feel-ings awakened by the Angelus: "Ave Marie o'er earth and sea That heaveiiliest hour of earth is worthiest thee." while even the-Arian tainted Milton could not escape the beauty of "the Virgin Blest." In what sadly-sweet strains does Elizabeth Barrett Browning Brown-ing speak of the Blessed Virgin and how truly does she style the love of the Mother divine for the Christ child: "The love than love more deep." These are but a few tributes to Mary's "Heroic Womanhood," selected from the treasury of non-Catholic non-Catholic writers. Within the bosom of the grand old church her children "Pondering sweetly one by one Jesus' wounds and Mary's woes," in hymns and canticles divine have woven a wreath of glory to crown her blessed brow-. All these outpourings from Chaucer's "Hymns to our Lady" to Father, O'XeiFs jubilee greetings breathe a tender devotion that could spring only from those who claim Mary for their Mother. What tender pathos breaths from the "Stabat Mater" that beautiful monument of medieval piety, and what sweet simplicity pervades the praiseful offerings of the quaint Christmas carols of old Father Ryan in poems that spring- from the heart, vows his soul's allegiance to that "Mother Fair" and Father Faber in his well known and cherished hymns has voiced her praise for all times. How sweetly he alludes to the inseparable-ness inseparable-ness of the love of our Blessed Lord and His Mother: "Jesus whenllis three hours were run Bequeathed thee from the cross to me." And, Oh! how can I love thy Son Sweet Mother if I love not thee?" With skilful touch Huntington in his beautiful poem emphasises the humility of the "Lowly maid of Galilee:" ; "Lost now in his effulgent ray Bathed in brightness of his day O. Morning Star! still sweetly shine Through that dim night which yet is mine." John Boyle Q'Rielly calls Mary the "Virgin link that binds the Lord to earth." Xor must we overlook the beautiful tribute of. Cardinal Xew-man Xew-man : . ' . "O Mary all months and all days are thine own In thee lasts their joyousncss when they are gone." Xowhere do we see more purely reflected the heaven-awakened inspiration of this Queen of Sacred song than in the harmonious verses of the "Ave Maria.", Weekly these heart-strains render her name more wide-spread and find a responsive echo in thousands of hearts the world over. Some of these writers seek not the transient applause of earth but find, their joy and reward in placing their heart blossoms at the feet of-Mary of-Mary Immaculate. CLARA O'COXXELL, Class '5. Sacred Heart Academy, Ogden, Utah. |