The Quartette

On a steamer upon the Mediterranean we saw a quartette draw a great crowd from all over the ship to their neighborhood by their vocal and instrumental performances. In the faces lined and clustered out in the shadow of the night we beheld every variety of temperament, as well as character, both sexes, all ages, and a dozen different nationalities. Very manifest also were the impressions made upon the audience. Every countenance, whether coarse or refined, whether stamped with heavy browed ignorance or bright with intellectual light, yet showed the power of the melody upon them as the strains of The Last Rose of Summer, Auld Lang Syne, Ben Bolt, Sweetest Story Ever Told, Home, Sweet Home, and Sweet By and By stole out upon the night and floated clearly over the vessel, in spite of the throb of the machinery and the solemn, deep-toned wash of the waves.

We believe that it was the harmony of the singing that held the crowd spellbound. A loud mouth discord might have first drawn a congregation in curiosity, but could not have kept them. Rather would the clamor have driven most of the hearers away. The melody drew, and then bound to their places the ever-increasing group of listeners.

We learned a lesson that night that we have never forgotten viz., that it is the harmony of the Christian life and character, and the sweet melody heard and felt in Christian love that will draw the people to us and to the God who put the music in our souls.

If we lose the real Gospel strain the people will not seek to stay with us. A clamor, racket and noise may draw some in a kind of wondering spirit to see what is going on; but they will not remain to tabernacle with what is felt to be discord. Scolds are never reformers. Fussers and abusers are soon left without a following; and this holds good in every realm of life.

The world with an aching heart, burdened breast, distracted mind, and restless soul and life, will never be drawn from its misery by jangling and wrangling. It has already had its surfeit of vinegar and gall. It has had discord in itself in superabundance. If ever drawn and held a willing captive, it will be by the sweet music of a loving Christian heart and life. The melody of the Gospel is the only power we know of that can make the passengers of every age, color and social grade, leave every part of life’s ship and stand thrilled, softened, melted and unified, shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart, as the machinery of the world clanks on, and the waves of the rolling years rise and fall in a solemn, deep-toned wash all about us. The company of hearers is a great one. How we wish the band of singers could be increased. There are so many scolders, fussers, abusers, bangers and screamers. How we crave and sigh and pray for more singers. It is real Christian love, and genuine Gospel kindness and harmony that the world wants to see and hear. - B. Carradine