Anothersuchthingismusic; butheretheproverbialfallacyagainexertsitspower, asitdoesnot, forsomeobscureandunreasoningdiscrimination, , orplaythepiano, fiddle, orsackbut, admirablywell, , orevenupontheiracquaintances, “inthehome”forinferiormusicalperformances, isanuntruththatIflatlydeny.
Howmanysonsanddaughtershavenot, withaverysmalltalent, giventheirparents—andeventhelessfondlyprejudicedearsoftheirfriends—greatpleasurewiththesingingofsimplesongs? Thenonedaytherecomestothesingertheserpentofdissatisfaction;singinglessonsaretaken, and—ifthepupilisofmoderatetalentandmodestdisposition—, inninecasesoutoften, thesingingisdropped, ? Yetahomemaybethefresherforsingingthatwoulddeservebrickbatsataparishconcert.
Imaypauseheretonoticethecuriousexceptionthatpeoplewhocannotonanyaccountbepersuadedtosinginthedrawing-room, oreveninthebath, , Ibelieve, butitbelongstotherealmofmetaphysicsandisbeyondmypresentscope.
Thiscursedbelief, thatifathingisworthdoingatall, itisworthdoingwell, isthecauseofagreatimpoverishmentinourprivatelife, andalso, tosomeextent, : itleadsmodestpersonsnottoexercisethematall, -writingandofthekeepingofdiaries, and, assurely, itleadstothepublicationofmemoirsanddiariesthatshouldremainlockedinthewriters' desks.
—whichhemightverywelldo, forthesakeofhisownhappiness, andfortheamusementofhisfriends—, , : Awideramateurpracticeofthearts, andahigher, moreexclusive, .
