Washington, the taxicab which was conveying him and his wife having broken down during a snow flurry in December.—Harper's Weekly.
(3409)
Vocabulary and Missionaries—See Speech and Missionaries.
Vocal Practise and Health—See Singing
Conducive to Health.
VOCIFERATION
The Persians in their battles with the
Scythians brought with them from Europe
in their train a great number of asses, as
beasts of burden, to transport the tents and
the baggage of the army. These asses were
accustomed in times of excitement and danger
to set up a very terrific braying. It was,
in fact, all that they could do. And it was
effective, for the Scythian horses in their
troops of cavalry, who would have faced
spears and javelins and the loudest shouts
and vociferations of human adversaries without
fear, were appalled and put to flight at
hearing the unearthly noises which issued
from the Persian camp whenever they approached
it. The battle was won by the
braying of asses.
Any political campaign might stand
as a testimony of the power of vociferation.
But the really important issues of
the world are never decided by the
braying of asses.
(3410)
Voice—See Audience, Inspiration from.
VOICE, A SWEET
The sweet voice of Philip Phillips once
charmed the Senate chamber at Washington
and won a rare tribute from President Lincoln.
It was toward the close of the Civil
War. The United States Christian Commission
was in session. Statesmen, generals
and other leading friends of the Union were
there. On being invited to sing, Mr.
Phillips rendered Mrs. Gates' "Your Mission,"
beginning,
"If you can not on the ocean
Sail among the swiftest fleet."
As he proceeded every one sat spell-*bound. But when he reached the lines,
"If you can not in the conflict
Prove yourself a soldier true;
If where fire and smoke are thickest
There's no work for you to do;
When the battle-field is silent
You can go with careful tread;
You can bear away the wounded,
You can cover up the dead,"
the Senate chamber rang with a tempest of applause, and a note was passed to the chairman, Secretary Seward, from the pen of Mr. Lincoln for the singer: "Near the close let us have 'Your Mission' repeated."
(3411)
Voice, Knowledge of—See Testimony, a Sheep's.
VOICE OF GOD
There is an old legend of a nun. She had
gone into the thick solitudes to listen to the
forest voices. Seated in the shade of a tree
she heard a song till then new to her ears.
It was the song of the mystic bird. In that
song she heard in music all that man thinks
and feels, all that he seeks and that he fails
to find. On strong wings that song lifted
her soul to the heights where it looks upon
reality. There, with hands clasped, the nun
listened and listened, forgetting earth, sky,
time and even self-listened for long centuries,
never tiring, but ever finding in that
voice a sweetness forever new.
Just such music, only infinitely
sweeter, does the soul find that listens
amid its solitudes to the voice of God.
(Text.)
(3412)
VOICE, THE HUMAN
The author of the "Descent of Man" thinks even the human voice is prophetic of the ascent of man. Speaking of the "wonderful power, range, flexibility, and sweetness of the musical sounds producible by the human larynx," he says:
The habits of savages give no indication of
how this faculty could have been developed.
The singing of savages is a more or less
monotonous howling, and the females seldom
sing at all. It seems as if the organ
had been prepared in anticipation of the
future progress of man, since it contains
latent capacities which are useless to him in
his earlier condition.
(3413)
Voice, The Mother's—See Father's Voice.
Voting—See Ballot a Duty.
Vows—See Gratitude.
