Music is the wine of the soul. It is the exhileration of the palace;
it is the joy of the humblest home; it sparkles and glows in the
banquet hall; it is the inspiration of the church. Music inspires every
gradation of humanity, from the orangoutang and the cane-sucking dude
with the single eye glass, _up to man_.
There was "a sound of revelry by night," where youth and beauty were
gathered in the excitement of the raging ball. The ravishing music of
the orchestra charmed from the street a red nosed old knight of the
demijohn, and uninvited he staggered into the brilliant assemblage and
made an effort to get a partner for the next set. Failing in this, he
concluded to exhibit his powers as a dancer; and galloped around the
hall till he galloped into the arms of a strong man who quickly ushered
him to the head of the stairs, and gave him a kick and a push; he went
revolving down to the street below and fell flat on his back in the mud;
but "truth crushed to earth will rise again!" He rose, and standing
with his back against a lamp post, he looked up into the faces that were
gazing down, and said in an injured tone: "Gentlemen, (hic) you may be
able to fool some people, but, (hic) you can't fool me, (hic) I know
what made you kick me down them stairs, (hic, hic). You don't want me
up there--that's the reason!" So, life hath its discords as well as its
harmonies.
There was music in the magnificent parlor of a modern Chesterfield.
It was thronged with elegant ladies and gentlemen. The daughter of the
happy household was playing and singing Verdi's "Ah! I have sighed to
rest me;" the fond mother was turning the pages; the fond father was
sighing and resting up stairs, in a state of innocuous desuetude,
produced by the "music" of old Kentucky Bourbon; but he could not
withstand the power of the melody below. Quickly he donned his clothing;
he put his vest on over his coat; put his collar on hind side foremost;
buttoned the lower buttonhole of his coat on the top button, stood
before the mirror and arranged his hair, and started down to see the
ladies and listen to the music. But he stumped his toe at the top of the
stairs, and slid down head-foremost, and turned a somersault into the
midst of the astonished ladies. The ladies screamed and helped him to
his feet, all crying at once: "Are you hurt Mr. 'Rickety'--are you
hurt?" Standing with his back against the piano he exclaimed in an
assuring tone: "Why, (hic) of course not ladies, go on with your music,
(hic) that's the way I always come down----!"
[Illustration: MR. "RICKETY."]
Two old banqueters banqueted at a banquet. They banqueted all night
long, and kept the banquet up together all the next day after the
banquet had ended. They kept up their banqueting a week after the
banquet was over. But they got separated one morning and met again
in the afternoon. One of them said: "Good mornin':" The other said:
"Good evenin'!" "Why;" said one, "It's mornin' an' that's the sun;
I've investigated the queshtun." "No-sir-ee," said the other, "You're
mistaken, it's late in the evenin' an' that's the full moon." They
concluded they would have no difficulty about the matter, and agreed to
leave it to the first gentleman they came to to settle the question.
They locked arms and started down the street together; they staggered
on till they came upon another gentleman in the same condition, hanging
on a lamp post. One of them approached him and said: "Friend (hic) we
don't desire to interfere with your meditation, (hic) but this gen'lman
says it's mornin' an' that's the sun; I say it's evenin' an' that's the
full moon, (hic) we respectfully ask you (hic) to settle the question."
The fellow stood and looked at it for a full minute, and in his despair
replied:
"Gen'lmen, (hic) you'll have to excuse me, (hic) I'm a stranger in this
town!"
[Illustration: AFTER THE BANQUET.]