cated, I trust American women will begin to imitate their English cousins in these respects. Are we never to begin to prepare the earth for the coming of the Lord? To think that one small sect of semi-Christians only,—the Shakers,—out of all the millions of Christendom, should cherish this beautiful hope, and put a part of their religion into every tree they plant and every field they sow! When, indeed, is the wilderness going to blossom as the rose? At least, let us set our feminine civilization in the midst of grass and flowers, of vines and trees, so that even every humble home may be adorned, and every table spread with "all the gracious words that proceed out of the mouth of God."
Music and the Drama.
Music is an angel from heaven which should dwell in every household. Then the best amateurs of the association must devise how to get and keep her there,—must observe the musical talent in the young, and have it properly trained by means of thorough teachers, choral societies, amateur concerts and operas in every community. I cannot express what exquisite musical capacity I have known remain undeveloped through the ignorance or indifference of parents,—what players, what singers, lost! And, on the other hand, I suppose no estimate can be made of the money sunk in trying to teach music to those who cannot learn it; for it is one of the most complicated and difficult of arts, and not one parent in twenty-five knows whether her children are succeeding in it or not. The true plan would be to give each child in the community a certain amount of careful elementary instruction, after which it should be examined by a competent musical committee, who could inform the parents of the probabilities of the case, and thus save them either from ignorantly flinging away a jewel, or from trying to make one out of a pebble.[1] Finally, when
- ↑ For the sake of giving honour where honour is due, I will say that, with the beautiful natural voices of our country, it will be a
