Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/154

148 under the instruction of a master. He becomes a pupil or learner. He takes lessons of a music-teacher. He acquaints himself with the rules of the art—certain musical laws—and then reduces these rules to practice. He does not learn them all at once, but only a few, and the very simplest at first. When he has practiced these for a time, he learns other and more difficult rules; and straightway proceeds to reduce these also to practice. Thus he goes on, learning and practicing the rules of the art. But he finds little pleasure in these first lessons. He compels himself, however, to go through with them. It is all labor and drudgery at first, which he performs reluctantly and without one thrill of delight, yet in the hope of one day becoming a musician. How stiff and clumsy his fingers are at the start. How slowly and awkwardly they hobble over the keys, like a child just beginning to walk! How much more readily they go wrong than right! And he finds it far more difficult to practice the rules, than to commit them to memory. But he struggles on, sometimes hopeful, sometimes discouraged.

At last, by dint of patience and perseverance and much hard practice, the difficulties are all overcome. The musical laws are all incarnated in him. They flow out from the tips of his fingers the moment he seats himself at the instrument. He is now able to render with facility and effect