The only sound that I ever heard with my
natural ear which bore the slightest resemblance to these was the awful
piercing whistle of the monster that killed Ala's man.
Yet we derived immense pleasure from the possession of those little
boxes. With their aid, we could appreciate the exquisite melodies that
were played everywhere--in great halls where thousands were assembled, in
the temples great and small, and in the homes of the people, to which we
were often admitted. In every house there was on one of the walls a
"musical rose," whose harmonies entranced the visitor. And the variety of
musical _motifs_ seemed to be absolutely without limit. One was never
tired of the entertainment because there was so little repetition.
On one ever-memorable occasion we heard the great national, or, as Edmund
preferred to call it, "racial" hymn, played in the air from the principal
tower. When we had only beheld the play of colors characterizing this
composition we had found it altogether delightful, although, as I have
said, Edmund detected, even then, some underlying tone of sadness or
despair; but when its _sounds_ broke into the brain the effect was
overwhelming.
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