And lay her warm young cheek to mine,
And
gaze upon that face where sweet,

In every soft and gentle line,

Her mother's grace and beauty meet.'

IIJ.

With fearful tread, by taper light,
Amazed at all that met her sight,
Her throbbing heart too full to weep,
They led her to the dungeon deep:
But when she saw, in that dark place,
Her loved and long-sought father's face,
With one wild bound and wilder shriek,
Her pale lips fell upon his cheek.
'Father! dear father! why stay here?
This place is dark, and damp, and drear;
Oh! how unlike our pleasant home,

Its sunshine sweet, and scented bowers,
Oh come with me, my father, come!
And I will pluck the sweetest flowers
That in our garden grow, for you,
And we shall be so happy, too!
Mother has wept and wept, until

Her very heart is pained and sore;
We told her you would come, but still
She kissed us all, and wept the more:
What have we done, my father dear,

That you should stay so long? Oh yet
Come home!-- you are not happy here;
Your cheek is cold, your brow is wet:
Ch come, and we will ne'er again
Do any thing to give you pain.'

MUSIC.

THE benefits which flow from the cultivation of music, have long been acknowledged to be great. The principles of patriotism, morality, and religion, are each infixed most deeply, when whispered to the soul in the moving melody of song. How is the love of country enkindled by a national ode! Moral truth sinks deep into the heart, and is never forgotten, when conveyed there in the accents of music. The plaintive strain can melt the heart to tenderness and compassion, and the breathings of soft melody calm and cheer the troubled and sorrowing bosom. And who that has heard the chanting of solemn praise, in the worship of God, but has been carried upward in thought, and filled with reverence and holy emotion?

It is the office of music to heighten enjoyment; and such is the organization of man, that he feels impelled by the necessity of his nature, even in his rudest state, to seek for it in some form or other. Civilized and refined, if deprived of all music, he would feel life to be little less than miserable. It is because music is thus valuable to man, that science has lent her aid, and art her skill, to render it as perfect in theory and practice as is possible. On a few simple elements is based an extensive and profound theory, demonstrated by mathematical calculation and nice philosophical experiment; and to such perfection has the practice of each department of the art at length been brought, that an industrious application, for years, is required, before any one can claim the distinction of a master. Happily, however, the gratifications which flow from music are not necessarily dependent upon such high scientific attainments; and the song of the untutored peasant often carries to the refined and cultivated mind a thrill of delight. And thus does nature sometimes mock at human effort in other arts - and the poet, the painter, the orator, and the sculptor of the schools, turns back to study and admire the productions of some disciple of nature. How beautiful and yet how simple! Take the first compositions of the child Mozart, untaught in every rule, yet violating none. Handel and Haydn, too, though less precocious, passing, even in childhood, at one bound all common attainments, and standing in their maturity on an eminence beyond the reach of their contemporaries and successors. The efforts of the great masters in all the arts, destined to survive the longest, are those which present to the mind the most beautiful pictures, in a certain near conformity with the truth of nature. These remain as models for future generations, and all others are comparatively ephemeral.

Music is natural to man. The mother has scarcely presented the breast to her infant, before she warbles music in its ear, and it listens with pleasure, and is quiet. Thus pillowed, it drinks in melody, as the food of the mind; and when it hungers for that nutriment, it often attempts to gratify the desire, even in its tenderest age: its little song brings to itself the desired pleasure, and to the ears of its fond parent untold delight. Surely, it is no marvel that we love music, and well might the great master poet denounce him who hath none in his soul.

A proper cultivation of the art should undoubtedly be regarded

as a national benefit, inasmuch as it is calculated to promote individual and social happiness, and with very few if any exceptions, may, like common education, be placed within the reach of all. In some parts of Europe, this has nearly been accomplished within the last few years, and with very gratifying results. Our own country is profiting greatly by the experiments and success of German ingenuity; and the day we think is not very distant, when a general knowledge of the art will be taught, and considered as a necessary part of a common education. No fears, we apprehend, need be entertained that we shall deteriorate in physical or moral power, by a dissemination of such knowledge: on the contrary, we should be invigorated in both. Much time that is now thrown away, and often worse than wasted, would be devoted to social, virtuous, intellectual improvement; and that insidious destroyer, Phthisis, would be cheated of many a victim. This is not a chimera: eminent names might be cited, and many instances adduced, to corroborate the position, but what is better, we can point to a whole nation, in demonstration of the truth. We speak, of course, of the effects of vocal music. And is not this philosophical? Does not the exercise of singing strengthen and expand the chest, and give increased activity and power to the vital organs? We ask the credulous, (healthy or unhealthy,) to try the experiment for a single month, by devoting a few minutes each day to the exercise of speaking, reading, or singing, in a full tone of voice, with a gradually increasing effort, and we presume their doubts will be removed. That inferences may be drawn from facts, we have selected a few cases, and the following are the several ages of twelve celebrated musicians of the last century, taken, without particular selection, from a biographical work now before us: 83, 78, 51, 81, 57, 60, 72, 75, 75, 35, 73, 53. For such a result, we were by no means prepared, when we commenced the examination of the record. How unfortunate, then, is the very common objection, that singing is injurious to health?

If any deference is due to the opinions of eminent medical gentlemen, singing is certainly to be regarded as a means of preserving health. 'Vocal music,' says Dr. Rush, should never be neglected in the education of a young lady; and he adds, that beside its salutary operation in soothing the cares of domestic life, it has a still more direct and important effect. I here introduce a fact,' says the Doctor, that has been suggested to me by my profession, which is, that the exercise of the organs by singing, contributes very much to defend them from those diseases to which climate and other causes expose them. The Germans,' he continues, are seldom afflicted with consumption; nor have I known more than one or two instances of the spitting of blood among them. This I believe is in part occasioned by the strength which their lungs acquire by exercising them frequently in vocal music, which constitutes an essential branch of their education.' Other favorable testimony might be adduced, if it were deemed necessary. Without resorting to fable or conjecture, many well-authenticated facts might be cited, to prove the efficacy of music in restoring health; and its influence upon the social feelings and relations of life is well known to all, and argument is not required to substantiate it.

Considering the importance which is attached to vocal music, as forming a part of the religious services of all denominations in the United States, it is surprising that such apathy should prevail on the subject of its cultivation, among Christians generally, and among the clergy especially, many of whom enter upon the duties of their high calling, ignorant even of the first principles of the art, and therefore totally disqualified to exert any salutary influence in making it subservient to the purposes of devotion. And this will continue to be the case, until professorships shall be established in our colleges, and filled with able masters, capable of teaching the practice, as well as the theory, of the art. Thanks, however, to the philanthropists of the age, and the zeal of the votaries of music, the public are beginning to feel its moral power, and a deeper interest and a better taste are becoming manifest almost daily. In proof of this, it is among the extraordinary occurrences of the last few months, in this city, that a public singer has been listened to with delight, and encored with enthusiasm, although his performances were characterized by the greatest simplicity, and lacked even the deformity of an Italian trill.

We hope that Mr. Russell's style of singing will be adopted by some of those who perform music in our churches, and that pure tone, a perfect intonation, distinct articulation, and correct enunciation, accompanied by a full knowledge of the subject, and an impassioned manner of delivery, will succeed that dissonant mouthing which murders language and sentiment with cruel music.

In listening to a singer, the first thing which attracts the notice of the ear, is the quality of the voice. If that is good, a favorable impression is already made, and farther attention secured. The production of pure tone, therefore, should be one of the first objects of the vocalist. This constitutes what is generally understood by a good voice.

Pure tone is characterized, as we conceive, without being skilled in the language of the art, by an entire freedom from any peculiarity arising from a wrong position, or a bad conformation of the vocal organs. Impurity, in most cases, is occasioned more by the former than the latter influence.

The possession of a fine tone, however, does not afford security against that unendurable fault, horrible to a musical ear, false intonation. Deliver us, ye powers! from its maddening effects! There are two forms of this fault, which are not uncommon: one is, when the intervals of the scale, or some of them, are incorrectly tuned : this alone is bad enough; the other is still worse, and both are sometimes heard in connexion, when the voice, as the phrase is, ' flats, or falls from the pitch.' Singers that are most gifted in this way, never practice what instructors call 'sol-fa-ing;' and as to the scale, they know nothing of that. The only remedy is, to study and practice both. The scale, in itself, is extremely simple, consisting of a few fixed sounds, having a certain relative connection, and dependent upon each other. This scale is founded upon the laws which nature has established. To disregard its construction, therefore, is to disregard the principles of nature. The progressions of the scale are from one to eight, each point of division being distinguished by a name.

The musician gives names to these sounds, for the same reason that names are given to other things: namely, that he may the better know them, and understand their relative connection, place, and properties. He considers the scale, as in fact it is, the alphabet of music, and he calls each sound by a separate name, as we do the letters of another alphabet. By practice, the sound becomes identified with its name, and the singer learns to produce that sound with certainty whenever he sees the note which bears the name, upon the principle that we pronounce a word correctly, being previously acquainted with the true sound of the letters of which it is composed. It is quite preposterous, therefore, to attempt to sing by musical rotation, without a knowledge of the principles which govern it.

The great error of teachers and pupils, in this as in other departments of learning, is, a neglect of rudimental instruction. But the modern system of teaching is doing wonders, wherever it is introduced; and the black-board and a piece of chalk are found to be far more useful, than the birchen rod and a labored treatise. It is with this simple apparatus, that a whole community may be taught to read music with facility in a few short lessons. The experiment has been tried, and some thousands have been found able to perform together, after a very little practice.

In this way, music may be introduced into all our schools, without any loss of time to other studies, since it can easily be made to supply the place and office of a recreation. Children learn with surprising rapidity, when thus instructed, and the good effects upon the schools where it has been attempted, are fully attested by the teachers.

As yet, we have no musical character, as a nation; and the question which was once tauntingly asked, may, with a slight variation, be repeated: Who sings an American tune?' And who does not now read American books? So it may soon be said of music. Have we grown effeminate, by paying some attention to literary pursuits? Are we less industrious? less virtuous?. less happy, and prosperous, on that account? Why then should we neglect to furnish for ourselves another source of intellectual gratification? another proof that we are equal to any attainments, within the scope of human effort?

It is the department of music which is denominated sacred, however, which is most deserving of public approbation. Music, when associated with religious or moral sentiment, can have no injurious tendency. On the contrary, it cannot but render those sentiments more attractive, when clothed in so lovely a dress.

The formation of musical associations, when properly and ably conducted, has a direct tendency to promote this good cause. That which we most need, to render these benefits permanent, is the establishment of an institution for musical instruction, under the direction of an energetic and well-appointed government, in which competent and devoted teachers shall be employed, and regular instructions given, as in other institutions of learning.

The only successful attempt, we believe, to establish such a school, has been made at Boston, and that has been nobly sustained, is flourishing, and doing great good.