Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-11-14

Ihey thrill notes beautifully. Every piece of
music is necessarily arranged for ,hem-
Their instructor plays i. for them, on the pi-
ano, bar at a time, as if he were teaching
musical spelling. Being unable to read mu-
SIC, they learn il altogether by the ear But
nature aud art have matte them so perfect i'm
this matter, that one Of them cannot ring
false note, without its being Instantly detected
by all the others. So correct are their tones,
that piano can be accurately at,uned bv
them. Their memory, too, is wonderful ANY
one OF them can tell instan,aneously all the
notes tina, are to be played for ten bars ahead
Their bells have to be changed frequently, Of
ten with as much rapidi.y as printers take up
their types. Sometimes bell, that is ut one
end of the long table, is needed al the other
extremity bu, tney never forgot TO pass il
along in season.
Their skill and exac,ness seem almost equal
to the chimers Of Cambridge, i'll England, who
rang peal OF $500 changes, with such rcgu-
arity and harmony, that in each thousand
changes the time did not vary one sixteenth
OF minute, and the compass Of the last thou
sand was exactly equal TO the first
But this ringing of hand bells is light labor
compared with the Ginning of church bells,
which sometimes requires almost Herculean
strength. Two men have been killed in Phil
adelphia, while ringing the famous chime in
the tower of Christ Church. The rope was
drawn up swiftly by the power of the revolv-
ing bell, and the men were crushed against
the sides Of the tower The ringers now ias-
ten their feet down securely, lest they should,
by any mschance, lose control of the rope
On Friday, the great market day ir Phladel-
Phia, 1t is customary To welcome the farmers
into the city, by ringing cheerful peal
Coming in with their loads of fruit and poul-
try, they very naturally understand the bells
TO say,
can ye married men,
Get your money ready
This chime even bewitched one of the So
cietv of Friends, though they rgidily allure
music. When the Quakers first rose up, a
form of real spiritual life in the midst of sem
suality and sham, music was most shamefully
desecrated to low and proHlgate purposes. Bot
SO was language, and so was religion. Iftone
were accommodated for being made medi
ums OF sin, words should nave been banished
too. How the kingdom of heaven can come
on earth without music in it, is more than /
can imagine. 1t would make the company of
the saints like spring time without birds or
year without blossoms.
So it seems, thought Caleb Offley, member
OF the aforesaid religious society He was
half an idiot, and creation spoke to him in
stammering and imperfect language but mu-
sic glided into his soul, like the tones of a
mothers voice. He was forever lingering
around Christ Church, listening to The be-
loved chimes. At last, he came TO ring The
bells better than any other person could
The Quakers reproved him for such light and
frivolous employmen of his time. The poor
simple soul tried to stay away but the sonor-
Gus chimes beckoned aud called 10 him ever
and the passion became too strong Tor him.
Those who liked to make use of his skill, in
judiciously tempted him with wine and
strong drinks. His religious friends again in
terfered, and the culprit promised to take their
advice. But after while, he appeared be-
fore the elders, and said, 81 have done very
wrong, and will try to do better. ! will
give up drink, will give up anything you
tell me; but, friends CAN'T give up the beis.''
He was henceforth one of the bell-rineers on
all public occasions, till the day of his death
L. M. C.