It has been my good fortune to visit once or twice this wonderful City of Harmony, and ever after my mind has possessed a new and beautiful picture to hang upon the snowy walls of memory,—a picture of harmoniously blended tints, of flowery beds, of sunny fountains, of massive temples, crowded with faces from which all trace of passion hath forever vanished, and which bear only the impress of ineffable peace; where harmony is the life of the spirit, and melody runs like a liquid stream through all the sunny days.
A MAGNIFICENT TEMPLE.
Imagine, if you can, a magnificent temple built of a kind of white translucent stone, which, as the sunlight falls upon it, glows and sparkles with the bright, prismatic hues of the rainbow; imagine this temple to be so vast and spacious in its dimensions that its brilliant dome seems to pierce the snowy clouds, while in length it extends as far as the eye can reach; imagine delicate vines, wreaths and pictures carved exquisitely upon the outer walls of this building, while a magnificent garden, blooming in the rich luxuriance of summer, surrounds it on every side; and after you have imagined all this, you will have a faint idea of that massive temple of Harmonial City, in which artists of every grade congregate to pursue their favorite studies.
The interior of this splendid palace is hung with richest drapery, and adorned with rarest works of art, creations of those artist-spirits who delight to give outward expression to the ideals of beauty within their souls.
Mortal eyes have never witnessed such forms of skillful beauteous art, so life-like in every sense, so soul-thrilling, as are gathered here. Mortal ears fail to catch the celestial tones of harmony, the divine notes of melody, that are uttered here by spirits who appear to be all music, all harmony.
The interior of this beautiful building is divided into four spacious compartments, with one vast hall over all.
The lower halls are devoted to sculpture, painting, music, and poetry. Each one is fitted up grandly, hung with shimmering drapery, and adorned with forms of peerless beauty. Here the student lingers, his soul entranced with the glory of his work, his being illuminated with the divine inspiration he gathers.
The whole edifice, with its splendid appointments, is like a divine poem, a completed strain of harmony, a perfect picture, or a finished statue of grace and symmetry; and the forms and faces of the masters who dispense instruction to the student give glory and benignity to the whole.
The vast hall above is the most beautiful place I have ever seen—paved with white and gold, the walls hung with exquisite paintings, adorned with gleaming statuary, save here and there where openings admit the balmy, perfumed air; the ceiling of white and azure, gemmed with golden stars; the shining fountains on the floor, which send up sprays of crystal water, the baskets of richly-blooming flowers, swinging here and there; the grand stands of shining gold, where the favored children of genius gather; the silken couches and dais for the visiting company—all present a scene of richness and beauty difficult to be described.
In this place grand entertainments are given, to which the denizens of the city and elsewhere are admitted, to feast the intellect upon the wondrous creations of artist, poet, sculptor, and musician, and to listen to instructive lectures upon the arts. And it is indeed a feast to the soul to attend one of these receptions; it is an experience which draws the spirit upward, and elevates it into a purer, more refined condition; for purity and goodness are the themes of the artist’s inspiration, and love broods over all, manifested in the desire to instruct and bless every life. This is one of the largest temples I have ever seen, although many smaller ones, erected for like purposes, are scattered throughout the higher spheres of spirit life.