Love, the Keynote of Harmony

BY SOPHIA CAROLYN DUNNE.

One of the clearest recollections of my childhood is of sitting at the piano and arguing with my mother as to whether I could not strike the keys at random and produce music. I do not remember what she said, but I know she told me I could not; that in order to produce music, I must strike certain keys, and that I should know what keys to strike and how to strike them. But I persisted in wanting to know whether I could not happen to strike the right keys. She replied that things did not "happen;" that if I wanted to bring out music, I must take the necessary steps, practise the exercises, and learn the laws of music.

As I grew older, I found the same problem confronting me in life. I wished to express music (harmony) in my life, but did not know what to do except to strike the keys at random, with the inevitable result,—discord; nor did I know any one who could teach me any better method. I struck the keys of material ambition, intellect, human love; but they were all "like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh."

But, as Browning says, "Why rushed the discords in, but that harmony should be prized?" When the conditions seemed most unbearable: when health and happiness seemed fading away, and the future so dark I could not bear to look forward, I found the keynote of harmony. I was told that there was a Science of life which, understood and practised, would enable me to attune my life to harmony with the great Principle of all harmony,—a Principle as effective now as when "the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy;" that it was fully set forth in a book called "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," a copy of which was sent me by the dear friend who told me of it.

To my great joy, I found that this good news was indeed true. By a faithful study of this blessed book, to the author of which I grow more grateful every day, and by a constant effort to put its rules into practice, I have been enabled to express a greater degree of harmony in my life than I had ever hoped for, although I have not attained to very much understanding. Through its teachings I learned what was the trouble. I found that the keynote of harmony is Love. In my ignorance, however, while I struck the different keys with one hand, with the other I always struck the chord of self. But,—

Love took up the harp of Life, and smote on all the chords with might; Smote the chord of Self, that, trembling, passed in music out of sight.

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