Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-08-22

that Charleston will fall INTO our hands and
that we will then attack Savannah.
MIR. Beccher in Switzerland,
HIS OPINION OF THE FAMOUS ORGAN At FREE
BURG.
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher writes from
Freiburg to the Independent
81 have just returned from the church of
st. Nicholas. The fame Of its organ led me
to make this point of rest for the night A
little before o'clock we entered the church
Gothic, large and full of twilight. Several
score came in and silently waited us we did.
One more and anotherstill entered and seemed
like shadows fitting past the huge columns.
a Oevy of girls came lightly forward, clinging
together, and like flock Of doves that swing
round and round before alghting, they moved
to the right only TO swing back to the left,
where soon, gently and prettily, they all set
tied upon the luxurious Oaken board called a
seat. The great front doors were closed
The inner iron open-worked gate shut with
clink. Then signal bell for the organ rang,
and was echoed by another from below, plcn-
titully rung. All were silent-waiting for the
opening note | hoped to hear some Mise
rere breathcd out, or some soft suppicatinn
that would carry me up above life and day.
Instead, a roll and crash came from the full
Vi san lIFCi iuSltN iOEJil Will SCIStlll-
ing eXultaton. Ifthere flew into the roar IA
little snatch of melody, all the parts, like so
many hawks, swooped down upon it, snatch
ing it from each other, and mounting with it,
or darling downward, so that the poor, sweet
little melody wished it had never spread its
wing 1t was too late for regrets. they tore
1t to pieces, and nothing was heard of it more.
Everything had gone wrong with me to-day.
l was in a reaction. Yesterday l had gone
over the Wengern Alps, and stood face
to face with Jungtrau, Munch and Eli
ger; seen the glaciers, and heard the ava
lanches; and come home to see the sun 90
down upon that cioudess Jungfrau in ex-
qulSite glory, to see the moon arise and
change its gold to silver and fill the air with
an ineffdblc beauty. 1t was day full Of God
and glory. | slept uneasily. This morning
rose exhausted, and nothing all day long
pleased me. And now the organ must turn
against me too, and shrek and roar and storm
against me. Yet after awhile it seemed to
have found master that restrained it;
sweeter stops seem to predominant; the har-
mony was rounded and full aud at length
plalntlve air was given and repeated-again,
given and echoed by this and that stop, until
could think of nothing else but singing
school IN heaven, where an angel was praCtis
ing the little angels. and each of them was
initiating, as well as he could, the sunorUus
sweetness Of his masters theme. Then the
angels, young and old, all sang together My
heart sang too, and was purely happy. so,
then, | had musical repetition OF some of
my Alpine experiences. 1t was Just 50 that |
had climbed those rugged passes, and been
savagely treated by storm that roared about
US, and that followed us down the other side,
until at length, the descent accomplished an
tt,1I ,,F al
reJoiced my eyes, thousand times more love
y from its contrast with the first tempest
among the mountain tops.
Then came a sort of exhibition piece, in
which the organ was made to show what it
could do. never like such things. An or
gan Is the graveSt and grandeSt instrument in
the world. 1t is Il musical cathedral. Its
service is religious. To set it to perform
wallzeS is lis absurd as it would be to clear a
o"'tro'iisil f'r the dunniA- vi w..l..see.
1t is putting an organ to mockery to lead
it up and down in frivolous rope dancing and
musical legerdemain. What is more absurd
than a herd Of elephants dancing mnuet?
What would be thought of senate OF vener-
able men who should down on their knees at
play at chiIdren's games, leap-frog, humble
the peg and such like sports?
The best thing to be said of the ponderouS
levity included in to-night's exhibition is, that
1t was less bad than usual on such occasions.
''The famous VOC Humann stop disap-
pointed me. Although very skilfully man,
aged, as it needs to be, and in some few notes
closely resembling the human voice, on the
whole it was not close enough to satisfy,
scarcely to please. 1t was ALWAYS used after
dark ami tempestuous passage. 1t sounded
as If one were riding past ii church in a storm,
and heard rather nasal voices chanting there
in. Once or twice it was brought out with an
llusory sweetness.
''Handers Hallelujah Chorus satisfied me.
1t was magnihcently rendered. The whole
power of tine instrument was developed. As
the sublime conception was evolved, L lost all
thought OF time and place. The solid roof
passed away; the organ itself was tor mo-
ment forgotten; the whole air was filled
with glorltying angels they cried to each 9TH
er with ecstatc JOY, and answered back as
jOytuly. New bands broke in Sweeping
upward as into thicker hosts, and carving the
fiery contagion Of rapture the whole universe
seemed in motion of boundless Joy. Then
thou, too, o my soul did join the celestial
host! Not with sound or articulation, but
with worshipful thoughts and sacred JOY, I'M
speakable and full of glory! Then there was
lifted mp before my inward sight majesty of
love, as far surprising men and angels, as
yesterday the snow mountains, IN radiant sun
light, had seemed more grand and glorious
than the daisies and harebclls that grew at
their feet! | am sure that mucic is the key
that opens heaven. Not Peter, but Handel,
to night, The surging sounds died away, and
silence itself seemed melodious for little
while"
Mrs. KEMBLE's ''SoUTmERN DGARY."-It is
full ol stern facts, related with dramatic pow
er aud dlsunctness; sometimes more harrow