he
almost incurable perversion of their musical tastes. They are also so
full of refinement, and of that humor without which children cannot
long be held, that they are of complete interest also to "grown-ups,"
to whom alone the real artistic value of these songs can entirely
transpire. Worthy of especial mention are the delicious "Stars and
Angels;" the delightful "A Carriage to Ride In;" "Good King Arthur," a
captivating melody, well built on an accompaniment of "God Save the
King;" "Birdie's Burial," an elegy of the most sincere pathos, quite
worthy of a larger cause,--if, indeed, any grief is greater than the
first sorrows of childhood; the surprisingly droll "Barley Romance;"
"The Broom and the Rod," with its programmatic _glissandos_ to give
things a clean sweep; and other delights like the "Rain Song," "The
Tomtit Gray," "Mamma's Birthday," and "Christmas at the Door." To have
given these works their present value and perfection, is to have
accomplished a far greater thing than the writing of a dozen tawdry
symphonies.

One of the most outrageously popular piano pieces ever published in
America was Homer N. Bartlett's "Grande Polka de Concert." It was his
opus 1, written years ago, and he tells me that he recently refused a
lucrative commission to write fantasies on "Nearer My God to Thee" and
"The Old Oaken Bucket"! So now that he has reformed, grown wise and
signed the musical pledge, one must forgive him those wild oats from
which he reaped royalties, and look to the genuine and sincere work he
has latterly done. Let us begin, say, with opus 38, a "Polonaise" that
out-Herods Chopin in bravura, but is full of vigor and well held
together. A "Dance of the Gnomes," for piano, is also arranged for a
sextet, the arrangement being a development, not a bare transcription.
There are two mazurkas (op. 71), the first very original and happy.
"AEolian Murmurings" is a superb study in high color. A "Caprice
Espanol" is a bravura realization of Spanish frenzy. It has also been
brilliantly orchestrated. Two songs without words make up opus 96:
while "Meditation" shows too evident meditation on Wagner, "A Love
Song" gets quite away from musical bourgeoisery. It is free, spirited,
even daring. It is patently less devoted to theme-development than to
the expression of an emotion. This "Love Song" is one of the very best
of American morceaux, and is altogether commendable.

Opus 107 includes three "characteristic pieces." "Th