Sorrowing yet more than before the little child said: 

“Master, I do not understand what thou hast said, yet I believe thee; but the wish is yet within me to see the light of my face, if only for once.  Thou who art wise, tell me why it is denied me.”

And the master made answer: 

“It is denied to us all.  No one may see the light of his own face.  Therefore thou shalt labor daily with diligence that thy light shall shine before others.  And if thou wouldst see the light thou shalt cause it to shine in another.  That is the greatest of all—­to bring forth the light.  And to do this, thou shalt of thyself be faithful in all things.  By what thou art thou must show diligence, the love for learning, and the desire to do good unto others, even as these things have been taught thee.”

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, and because I ask labor of you for this, you sit here with your hot tears in your eyes and not a bit of me present in your heart.  Listen!  Am I not there?  Yes, just a bit.  Now more and more, and now will you give me up because I make you work a little?”

Well, we all have just this experience and we always feel ashamed of our discouragements; but even this does not tell us why we should study music.  Some people study it because they have to do so; others because they love it.  Surely it must be best with those who out of their hearts choose to learn about tones and the messages they tell.