Chapter 25

THE CHILD AT PLAY.

"When the long day is past, the steps turn homeward."

Once a child played on the sea-shore. The waves sang and the sand shone and the pebbles glistened. There was light everywhere; light from the blue sky, and from the moving water, and from the gleaming pebbles.

The little one, in its happiness, sang with the murmuring sea and played with the stones and the shells that lay about. Joy was everywhere and the child was filled with it.

But the day passed. And the little one grieved in its heart to leave the beautiful place. Delight was there and many rare things that one could play with and enjoy.

The child could not leave them all. Its heart ached to think of them lying there alone by the sea. And it thought:

"I will take the pebbles and the shells with me and I will try to remember the sunlight and the song of the sea."

So it began to fill its little hands. But it saw that after as many as possible were gathered together there were yet myriads left. And it had to leave them.

Tired and with a sore heart it trudged homeward, its hands filled to overflowing with the pebbles that shone in the sun on the sea-shore. Now, however, they seemed dull. And because of this, the child did not seem to regret it so much if now and then one fell. "There are still some left in my hands," it thought.

At length it came near to its home; so very tired, the little limbs could scarcely move. And one who loved the child came out smiling to welcome it. The little one went up close and rested its tired head; and opening its little hand, soiled with the sea and the sand, said:

"Look, mother, I still have one. May I go for the others some day?"

And the mother said:

"Yes, thou shalt go again."

And the child fell asleep to dream of the singing sea and of the sunlight, for these were in its heart.

APPENDIX

The following works are referred to in these Talks:

Addison, Joseph, "Spectator."

Alexander, Francesca, "Christfolk in the Apennine."

Antoninus, M. Aurelius, "Meditations."

Aristotle, "Ethics."

Bach, J.S., "The Well-tempered Clavicord."

Bach, J.S., "Kleine Präludien."

Baldwin, James, "Old Greek Stories."

Bacon, Francis, "Essays."

Bridge, J.F., "Simple Counterpoint."

Carlyle, Thomas, "Heroes and Hero-worship."

Cellini, Benvenuto, "Autobiography."

Epictetus, "Memoirs."

Grove, Sir George, "Dictionary of Music and Musicians."

Halleck, R.P., "Psychology and Psychic Culture."

Handel, G.F., "The Messiah."

Haupt, August, "Choralbuch."

Liszt, Franz, "Life of Chopin."

Lubbock, Sir John, "Pleasures of Life."

Luther, Martin, "Table Talk."

Mendelssohn, Felix, "Letters from Italy and Switzerland."

Parker, J.H., "ABC of Gothic Architecture."

Ruskin, John, "Queen of the Air."

Ruskin, John, "Sesame and Lilies."

Ruskin, John, "Val d'Arno."

Saintine, X.B., "Picciola."

Schubert, Franz, "Songs."

Schumann, Robert, "Album for the Voung."

Schumann, Robert, "Letters."

Schumann, Robert, "Rules for Young Musicians."

Tapper, Thomas, "Chats with Music Students."

Tyndall, John, "Glaciers of the Alps."

Tyndall, John, "On Sound."

Various Authors, "Les Maitres du Clavicin."

Xenophon, "Memorabilia."

* * * * *

Chats with Music Students

OR

TALKS ABOUT MUSIC AND MUSIC LIFE.

BY

THOMAS TAPPER.

Price, Bound in Cloth, $1.50.

This volume appeals to every student of music, however elementary or advanced. It is designed to bring to the attention of those who make music a life-work, the very many contingent topics that should be considered in connection with music. To this end the subjects selected for the chats have a practical value, cover considerable ground, and are treated from the point of view that best aids the student. The reader is taken into confidence, and finds in the chapters of this work many hints and benefits that pertain to his own daily life as a musician.

* * * * *

21 SELECTED

CRAMER STUDIES.

From the Von Bülow Edition.

PRICE $1.50, FIRMLY BOUND.

The present complete edition sells for $2.50 and $3.00, retail. Much of the material in the complete edition can be eliminated without injury to its technical value. We have, therefore, made a selection of the choicest of Von Bülow's edition, which we have bound, in one volume, in very neat style. Only the most difficult and unimportant ones have been eliminated.

* * * * *

The Normal Course of Piano Technic.

DESIGNED FOR

SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS.

By WM. B. WAIT.

Price $1.50, Bound.

The NORMAL COURSE is based upon the fundamental idea that, for the purpose of the development, discipline, and formation of the mind, and for teaching the learner how to think and to do, Technical Studies in Music are as useful as any other branch.

FEATURES OF THE BOOK:

Clear, concise statements of facts and principles.

It deals only with essentials.

It arranges the materials in grades, by Divisions, Courses, and Steps.

It exhibits a distinct mode and order of development.

The course is as clearly laid out as in any other branch of study.

Practice based upon understanding of means as applied to ends.

It permits the attention to be given to the hands in practice, and not to the pages.

In schools it will secure uniformity in the instruction given.

It furnishes the bases for oral recitations and examinations as in other subjects.

It is logical, systematic, thorough.

It is a book for use by schools, teachers, and students.

NOTES:

1: From the "Table Talk."

2: Play to the children Schubert's song entitled "The Organ-man."

3: Phillips Brooks says in one of his sermons ("Identity and Variety"): "Every act has its perfect and entire way of being done."

4: Bohn edition, p. 35.

5: Read to the children such parts of Francesca Alexander's "Christ's folk in the Apennine" as seem to you pertinent.

6: John Ruskin, from the ninth lecture of "Val d'Arno."

7: John Ruskin. Third lecture of "Val d'Arno."

8: Franz Liszt's "Life of Chopin," Chapter V.

9: _Ibid_, Chapter VI.

10: "On Sound."

11: "On Sound" is referred to. The last paragraph of Section 10,