, 1863-08-25
EIE. BEECUEK IN SWITZER-
LAND.


Fretburg.
Rev. Henry Ward Beechcr writes from Frel-
burg to the Ladpsndtnt, as follows: =. -
I have just returned from the church of St.
Eiche lar Tbs fame Of its organ led me to
MAXI this point of rest for the night 4 lit
tie before eight o'clock We entered the church
Gothic, large and full Of twilight. Several
score came in, and silently waited as we did
OEe more and another still entered and SEEM
ed like shadows fitting past the huge col
cNngipg together, aud, like q flock Of d,ves
that SWING round and round before alighting,
they moved to the right, only to swing back
to the left, where Roon gently aud prettlly,
they all settled upon the luxurious oalzen
boald called eeat- The great front doors
gate ehut with 3 dull clInk. Then signal bell
for the organ rang, and Was echoed by anoth-
CT below, plcntifulfy ruug. All were silent
waiting for the opening note. hoped to hear
some "Mt6erere' breathed out, or some soft
supplicatlon that would carry me up 1bove
from the tall organ. Everything rushed forth
with screaming exultation- If there flew into
the roar little enatch Of melody, all the parta
Ike SO many hawks, swooped down upon 1t,
euatcbiug it from each other, and mounting
with It, Or darling downward, 30 that the
pQQf1 hHEEt Alk1G 44E1Ouy n1SuE1 IL us4U uGfET
spread Its wing. 1t was too la:e for regrets.
They tore it to pieces, ond nothiug was heard
Of II more, Everything had gone wrong with
me to-day. I WAS in reaction. Yesterday
bad gone over the We0gern Alps, stood face
to face with Jurgfrau, Monch, and Etger;
eeen the glaciers, and heard the aya1anches !;
and come home TO see the sun 70 down upon
that cloudless Jungftau in exquisite glory, to
see the moon arise and change its gold to sil-
yer, and fill the air with inetfaole beauty. It
was day fall Of God and glory. slept un-
easily. This morning rose exhausted, and
nothing all day long pleased nc. And now
the organ must turn againsr me, too, and
after while 1t seemed to have found a master
that restrained it. Less and fess harsh Wis it;
sWeettr stops began to predominate; the har-
nionJ was rounded and full; and at length q
planitive air was given aud repeated-again
given and echoed BY this and that stop. until
school In heaven, where IN angel WAS practis.
ing the little angels, AID each Of them was
initiating, us well as he could, the sonorous
sweetness Of his masters theme. Then the
angels, old aud young, all sang together. Ny
heart sang too, and was purely happy. &c.,
then, I had musical repltitIon Of some Of
my Alpine experiences. It was just SO that I
agely treated by storm that roared about US,
and that followed us down the other side, I'M.
til at length, the descent accomplished, IN ex.
quisite valley, sunlit, full Of happy people,
1tjotced my eyes-a thousand times more
lovely from its contrast with the fierce tenn
pest among the mountain-tops.
Then came 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 gtavest and grandest instrument in
the world. 1t Is musical cathedral. It's ser
vice is religious. To set it to perform waltzes
ia as absurd as 1t would be to cleara cathedral
for the dancing Of waltzes.
1t is putting an organ to mockerg to lead 1t
up and down In frivolous ropc-dancins nud
musical Il gerdemain. What Is more absurd
'han herd OF elephants dancing minuet .
What would be thought Of a scpate of vener.
able men who should down on their knees and
play at chi1dten's games, leap frog, humble.
t1e.peg and such like sportsy
The best thing to be said Of the ponderoua
2eylty Included IL t.-aight's exhibition is, that
1t was lees bad than usual on such occasions
The famous ''oz HnmaEa stop disappointed
nc Although very skilfully managed, Us it
needs to be, and In some fen notes resembl .ug
the human voice, On the whole it Mas not closv
cnorEh to sa*iely, scarcely to please. It was
alway used alter dark and ttmpestuous pas
s3ge. It sounded rs if one were riding past q
church In q storm and heard Father nasal yoi.
ces chanting therein. Ones or rwice it was
brought OUT with an il1usory sweetness.
uln0e16 unlIeiuJ4u C0QEu5 satlaQed me.
It was magni6cenuy rendered. Tie whole
power Of the instrument was developed.
A. tic sublime conception MAS evolved.
lost all thought cf time and place. The
cold roof passed away; the organ Itself
was for moment forgotten; the whole all
was filed with gloHi ing angels; they cried
to each other With ecstatic jog. and an,
swered back Us joyfully. New hands broke in.
Sweeping upward as into thicker hosts, aud
carrying the 6crY contaglon Of rAptnrc, the
whole universe seemed In motion Uf bound.
less joy. Theu thou, too, o my soul dds.
join tue celestial hosts Not with sound OF
articulation, but with worehipfu1 Thoughts
| aEdsacrcd joys, unspeakable end full Of glory
Then there was lifted up before my inward
sight majesty Of love, as far su1passing 1nen
and angels, as yesterday the snow mouuulins,
i'll r4dlant sunlight, had seemed more grand
ard glorious than the daisies aod h7rcte.lE
that grew ut their feeil lam sure that music
! is the key that opens leaven. Not Peter, bu1
| Hsudel, TO hight. The surging sounds died
| AWAY, md silence itself seemed melodious foI
| 4 l{1fIA while.