Weekly Trinity journal., 1862-10-18
The Mysterious Orgnnist.
A legend OF TIE RHINE.
"Kind hearts are more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood"

could be found to fill his place. when one bright
Sabbath morn as the sexton entered the church,
be saw stranger sitting at the crape-shrouded
organ He was a tall graceful man, with a pale
but strikinely handsome face, great, black. mel
ancholv eyes and hair like the ravens wing for
/ gloss and color, sweeping in dark waves over MS
shoulders He did not seem to notice the sexton,
but went on playing ard such music as he drew
/ from the instrument, no words OF mine can de-
scribe The astonished listener declared that
the organ seemed to have grown human that il
walled and sighed and clamOred, as if tortured
human heart were throbbing through its pipes
! When the music again ceased, the sexton hasten
ed to the stranger and said
Pray who are you. sir? =
"Do not ask my name," he replied " / have
/ heard that you were in want OF an organlst, ana
| have come here on trial"
"Youl be sure to get the place" exclaimed
! the sexton. "Why, you surpass him that's dead
and gone, sir !"
! " No, no; you overrate me-" resumed the
stranger, with sad smile and then, as if disin-
] clined TO conversation, he turned from old Hans
and began to play again. And now the music
changed from a sorrow strain to q grand old
/ pecan, and the mysterious organst-
Looking. upward fun Of grace,
Played till from happy place
Gods glory smote him on the face,
and his countenance seemed not unlike that of
st. Michael as portrayed by Guido.
Lost n the harmonies which sweled around
lin, he sat with his L" far-seeing" gaze fixed on
the distant sky, glimpse of which be caught
through an open window, when there was stir
about the church door, and royal party came
sweeping in. Among them might be seen a
young girl, with IA wealth of golden hair, eyes
like the violet hue and lips like wild cherries
This was the Princess Elizabeth aud all eyes
turned to her, as she seated herself in the velvet
cushioned pew appropriated to the court The
mysterious organist fixed his gaze upon her and
went on playing. No sooner had the music
reached her ears than she started, as if ghost
had crossed her path. The bloom faded from her
cheek, her lips quvered, and her whole frame
tremulous. AT last her eyes met those OF the
organist, in long yearning look, and then the
melody lost its joyous notes and once more vail
ed, and sighed, and clamOred.
BY my faith" whispered the king to his
daughter L" this organist has master hand
Hark ye he shall play at your wedding"
The pale lips of the princess parted, but she
could not speak--she was dumb with grief. Like
one in painful dream, she saw the pale man at
the organ, and heard the melody which filled the
vast ediice.
When the royal service was over and the roy
al party had left the cathedral, he stole away as
mysteriously as he had come He was not seen
again by the sexton till the vesper hour and
then he appeared in the organ loft, and commen-
ced his task. While he played IA veiled figure
glided in, aud knelt near side shrine. There
she renamed unll le WOIsnlppela HlsPcI9C";
when the sexton touched her on the shoulder and
said
Madam, every body has gone, but You aud me,
and wish to close the doors"
lam not ready to go yet" was the reply;
" leave me-leaye me !"
The sexton drew back into q shady niche, and
watched and listened. The mysterious organist
still kept his post, but his head was bowed on
the instrument, and he could not see the lone de
voice At length she rose from the aisle, and
moving to the organ loft, paused beside the mu-
sican.
Berram," she murmurcd.
Ouieh as thought the organist raised his head.
There with the light of lamp suspended to the
arch above falling full upon her, stood the prin-
cess who had graced the royal pew that day
The court dress of velvet, with its soft ermine
trimmings the tiara, the necklace, the bracelets,
had been exchanged for gray surge robe and
long thick veil. which was now pushed back from
the fair girish face.
"Oh Elizabeth, Elizabeth !" exclaimed the
organist, and he sunk at her feet, and gazed
wistfully into her troubled eyes
Why are you here, Berram?" asked the
princess.
:" / came to bid you farewell and as dared
not venture into the palace, ] gained access to
the cathedral by brbng the bell lringer, and
having taken the vacant seat OF the dead organ
ist, let my music breath out the adeu could not
trust my lips to utter"
A low moan was the only answer and he con-
tnued
You are to be married on the morrow ~
ayes" sobbed the girl. ''Oh, Bertram, what
a trial it will be to stand at yonder altar, and
take upon me the VOWS which doom me to living
death"
"Thnk of me-" rcjoned the organist. " Your
royal father has requested me to play at the we'd
ding, and have promised to be here. If were
your equal could be- the bridegroom instead of
tho organist but poor musician must give you
up.
"It is like rending soul and body asunder, to
part with you," said the girl. "TO-Dight may
tell you ths--tell you how fondly loved you,
but in few hours it will be a sin Co. co. aud
God bless you ~
She waved him from her, as If she would ban.
ish him while she had the power to do SO, and he
how was it with him? lie rose 10 leave her,
then came back held her to his heart in long
embrace, and with q half smothered farewell left
her.
The next morning dawned in cloudess spen
dor, and at an carly hour the cathedral was
thrown open, and the sexton hogan to prepare for
the brilliant wedding. Flame colored flowers nod
ded by the wayside- fame colored leaves came
rushing from the trees and lay in light heaps up
on the ground and the ripe wheat waved like a
golden sea- aud berries dropped in red and pur-
Pile clusters over the rocks along the Rhine.
At length the palace gates were opened, and
the royal party appeared, escorting the Princess
Eizabeth to the cathedral, whera her marriage
vas to be solemnized. 1t was a brave pageant
far brighter than the untwined foliage aud bios
SONS the tufts OF plumes which hoated
from stately heads and the fcstal robes that
streamed down over the housings Of the superb
steeds But the Princess, mounted on a snow
white palirey, and clad in snow white velvet,
looked pale and sad and when, on nearing the
church, she heard gu'h of organ-music, which,
though jubiant in sound, struck on her ear like
a funeral knell, she trembcd, and would have
fallen to the earth had not page supported her.
A few moments later she entered the cathedral.
There, with his routine, stood the royal bride
groom, whom she had never before seen. But
her glance roved from him to the organ-loft
where she had expected to see the mysterious
ganst. He was gone, and she was obliged to
return the graceful bow Of the king, to whom she
had been betrothed from motives of policy. Me-
chanicaly she knelt by his side on the altar
lfak tl,.e 1