THE MUSIC OF HEAVEN

(From the German)

N the golden age, when the angels played

with the peasant children upon the sandy shore of the sea, the doors of heaven stood wide open and the golden light streamed upon the earth as the rain falls. Men looked from earth to the open heaven; they saw the Blessed Ones above walking among the stars, and men greeted the angels and their greetings were returned.

But the loveliest thing was the wonderful music which at that time was heard from heaven. The dear God had himself written the notes and a thousand angels played upon the violins, drums, and trumpets. When they began to sound, everything was still still upon earth. The wind hushed to listen, and the water in the sea and in the rivers stood still. Men greeted each other, and clasped hands lovingly. A wonderful feeling possessed them as they

listened; a feeling that cannot be understood by the poor human heart now.

So beautiful was life then! But it did not continue long. For one day the dear God closed the doors of heaven, and said to the angels, "Cease your music, for I am sad!" Then were the angels also troubled, and, each taking a leaf of music, they sat upon a cloud and cut the music into tiny pieces with their little golden scissors; then they let them fly down upon the earth beneath. Soon the wind took them, blew them like snowflakes over mountain and valley, and scattered them over all the earth.

And the children of men snatched them, one a big piece and another a small one, and guarded them very carefully, and prized the music bits greatly, for they were pieces of the heavenly music which had sounded so harmoniously.

But as time passed they began to quarrel and dispute, because each one thought that he had caught the best piece; and at last

each declared that what he had was the genuine heavenly music, and that which the others possessed was only deceit and illusion. All who wished to be very clever

and there were many such made a

great flourish before and after their music, and built up something very different from the original.

One played a, and another sang b; one played in minor and another in major; no one could understand the other. In short, there was a tumult as in a village school. So it is to-day.

But when the judgment-day shall come,

when the stars fall into the sea, and men press toward the door of heaven as children about the christmas-tree when the door is opened, then will the dear God, by means of his angels, put together all the paper bits from the heavenly music-books, the large together with the small, even the smallest, upon which stands only a single note.