The Music of Brooks 



in nature's woodland worship, that which 

 gives it dignity and solemnity. 



We shall find that we get very different 

 impressions from this brook-music as we 

 listen to it attentively. It is a magnificent 

 rushing or pouring together of many sounds 

 and meanings. The song of the smaller 

 brook was a melody. This song is a 

 crowded harmony, in which the tones are 

 so many and powerful and difficult to sepa 

 rate from one another as to produce almost 

 the effect of discord. It is like the tremen 

 dous blare of a church organ when all the 

 stops are out and all the banks locked to 

 gether and every great sub-bass pipe opened 

 wide. All these tones of Nature's organ 

 are in perfect harmony, but the blending of 

 their highest volumes almost confuses and 

 bewilders the ear. 



Sit here on this bench of rock and listen 

 to the multitudinous voices of the mountain 

 brook, as it thunders from shelf to shelf. 

 At times we seem to hear the shouting of a 

 great company of men deep, strong voices, 

 like those of a crowd cheering or maddened 

 with anger. Then we hear children calling 

 to one another, and almost expect to see a 



