Dec. 1, 1885.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



57 



these exercises should be made, it would be easier and 

 pleasanter for them. Every one with any delicacy of 

 feeling likes to hear sweet sounds ; tlien explain to each 

 child how sweetlj- and still decidedly each tone should 

 be touched, and how smoothly and lovingl3' they should 

 be connected, instead of jerking the linger off each key 

 or string as if it were glad to have finished with that 

 note. 



It is necessary for every one to practise some finger 

 exercises in order to make the fingers more flexible, and 

 if they are explained in this manner the child will love 

 to try to make sweet, smooth tones, and make them 

 embrace each other as if they loved each other, for 

 certainly it is the proper way. 



But children should nut be kept too long upon finger 

 exercises, for then, of course, it would become monotonous 

 to them. I believe there is no one that would like to 

 listen even to a pretty melodj- over and over again, day 

 after day. 



There is a law of repetition in music as in drawing 

 and painting, and to a student of art there is something 

 solemn in repetition ; but we will talk of that later, for 

 the repetition of musical exercises is indeed not an 

 example of that interesting and artistic repetiti(5n. 



Very much of any one thing is not good for a child, as 

 it would btcome monotonous, no matter what it might 

 be ; so their exercises, after being explained in the proper 

 manner, should often be relieved by little melodies, and 

 these, of course, should be very minutely explained, and 

 taught, above all else, to be played with a loving touch. 

 And then, as the child progresses, the beauties of har- 

 mony, the artistic modulations, and the correct ensemhle 

 of every piece should be pointed out to it, so that after 

 awhile, when it comes to study and hear more complicated 

 compositions, it will more easily understand and appreciate 

 them. 



Children wonder why they should be troubled with 

 having to put certain fingers here and there ; then care- 

 fully explain to them why it is necessary to do so, in 

 order to give smoothness and rhythm to the tones, and trj^ 

 to have them feel how beautifiil it is to have one round, 

 full tone glide lovingly on to another of like beauty. 



Exactly the sxme rules may be applied to singing, only 

 then the stiffness and jerkiness will bo found in the 

 throat. 



And now, as we have the child started out with the 

 right foundation, we will in time see how interesting the 

 study becomes as it goes on from finger exercises and 

 simple melodies up to the wonderful fugues of Bach, 

 symphonies of Beethoven, and operas of Wagner. 



A series of articles on drawing and painting will be 

 carried on alternately with these on music, and the rela- 

 tion and similarity of these two arts will be interestingly 

 apparent. 



Miinchen, Nov. 18. 



Mr. William A. Eddy, of the Americ.in Sigzial Service Bureau, 

 calls attention to the fact that the study ot the phenomena of 

 tornadoes has advanced so far that predictions of the appearance 

 of these teirible, destructive agencies can be made with a considerable 

 degree of accuracy. Of thirty-eight predictions that tornadoes 

 would occur in April and June of last year, eighteen were verified ; 

 of nineteen predictions in June and July of this year, fifteen were 

 generally verified ; and where regular tornadoes tailed to arrive, 

 violent wind and hail storms partially fulfilled the prophecy. Mr. 

 Eddy thinks that a system of tornado signals should be established 

 at every telegraph station in the tornado States. If the 

 Government will do this much, at least some of the terrible loss of 

 life and property due to tornadoes can be averted. The facts 

 presented by Jlr. p;ddy fully warrant the small appropriation by 

 Congress which will be necessary to establish such a system of 

 signals. 



INDIAN MYTHS. 



By Stella Occihen.s. 



■■■ '^■■"-'jX Ottawa mylh gives an amusing account 



(if On-iiazii, the Sky-walker. It tells us 

 that many years ago there dwelt an old 

 Ojibwa and his wife on the shores of 

 Lake Huron. They belonged to the 

 beaver family, R.nd they had an only son 

 cilled 0-no- wut-a-qut-o, or he th.",t 

 catches the clouds. They hoped to make a great 

 man of him, and when he was old enough they gave 

 him charcoal with which to blacken his face, instead 

 of letting him eat any breakfast. This is the way he 

 should have observed the We-koon-de-win, or fast, but he 

 did not seem to like the idea. When his mother would 

 not give him anything to eat, he stole birds' eggs, and ate 

 anything he could find. One day his mother found him 

 eating the heads of some fish which had been thrown 

 away, whereat she was very angry, and took the food 

 from him. In its place she gave him coals, and he was 

 so indignant that he would not longer stay at home. 



During the night 0-no- wut-a-qut-o had a wonderful 

 dream. A beautiful woman came down to him from the 

 clouds. She told him that she had come for him, and 

 that he must folluw her. He did so, and soon he found 

 himself fio.ating in the air, higher and highei', till at last 

 he reached the cloud regions. There he found himself 

 in a beautiful garden, and near at hand a splendid 

 mansion. When he entered, he saw spears, clubs, arrows, 

 and other warlike instruments, tipped with silver, on one 

 side of the hall ; and on the other side there were things 

 belonging to his fair guide, among them a frame on which 

 she had been weaving a broad, rich belt of various colours 

 (this is, no doubt, intended to represent the rainbow). 



Presently she heard her brother coming, and she hid 

 the stranger away. The brother came in. He was richly 

 dressed, with silver all over him, which glistened brightly. 

 After he had had a quiet smoke, he rebuked his sister, 

 saying, " Nemissa, when will you quit these practices y 

 Do you forget that the greatest of Spirits has com- 

 manded that yoa should not take the child away from 

 below ? Perhaps you suppose that you have concealed 

 0-no-wut-n-qut-o, but do I not know of his coming? If 

 you would not offend me, send him back immediately." 

 His words were of no avail, so he called the lad, and said 

 to him, " Walk about and amuse youi-self. Ton will 

 grow hungry if j-ou remain there." He then gave him 

 a bow and arrows and a ]>ipe of red stone, as a token of 

 ccmsent to his marriage with his sister. 



0-no-wut-"-qut-o enjoyed his new life exceedingly, and 

 wandered all day long through the flowery plains and 

 green valleys, watching the birds with their gay plumage. 

 These were more beautiful than the birds he had seen on 

 earth. One thing he thought very strange. He noticed 

 that every morning the brother (the Sun) disappeared, 

 and did not return till the evening, and during part of 

 the night the sister (the Moon) was absent. One day 

 he went with the brother on one of his daily trips. Ho 

 had some strange experiences. About midday he became 

 very hungry, and he asked his guide if he could not have 

 something to eat. " Patience, brother," we shall soon 

 reach the spot where I eat my dinner, and you will then 

 see how I am provided." After a while they reached 

 the place, and here O-no-wut-a-qut-o seeing a hole in the 

 sky, peeped thi-ough. He saw villages, lakes, fighting, 

 feasting, and dancing, and some young men, on a green 

 plain, playing a game at ball. 



"Do you see," said the brother, " that group of children 



