The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-19
ABOUT BELLOWS BOTS.


An organist, writing to the London Musical
World thus treats OF characteristic class OF
youths, known in almost every church in the
country:
have had considerable 10 do with bellows boys
In my time, and know pretty well their idosyncra-
cleS-the chief II which Is an Income iyable lnge-
nuity # invention and execution OF mlSch:evous
pranKs anil capcrs, that in due time Hover into
positive diabolsm. or course they are always
smart: 1.-THE as eels, venlurous as monkeys, ul-
conscious OF reverence, defiant of dec0rln, Oh
liyl0us Of rules, aspiring ami ambitious after q
sort, they are Larvae Or scamps tile embryo OF
dare.devlls. Always boys, they never reach ad.
suspect, from their organ-loft chrysdlis
into frst.cass acrobats, gymnaSis, and hying-
trapeze men. There Is great prdtSeDtbtd nee in
the race; Its Instincts ingram, and usually similar
In out.crOppipg, possibly little more pronuuRc-
ell In individuals. They oil belong 10 the FllDDertl-
gibbet family, the portrait OF one OF whose mem.
berS Sir Waller Scott has 50 very well liInned.
Victor Hugo has not happened to mention 1t, but
1t is quite certain Gavroche must at some time
have done duty in the orgai-l0ft OF N0tre Dame
or the Madeleine AS class, they have strong
pictorial tendencies, and the white walls ol their
sancIum bear graphic witness to their skill in car
feature aud grOtesque-mOst often, ridiculous,
portraits Of minister, Organist, or members 0r the
choir N,r do they ds'iain exploits in sculpture
and engraving; and when SO opulent us 10 possess
jack-knife, they make their mark upon door
W
adorn the smooth surfaces Of the sub-bass pipes
with relev,s and intagiOs, worthy Cellinl or
FlaXman.
Music too, after their kind, is an intuitive lue
art with them. They know every negro melody
aud every popular Jingle that ever was written,
and add TO them rich variations OF their own.
But In higher realm, too, they are proficient.
Their Initiative powers are often simply marvel
lous but too often are they little indlscreet In
tile display OF their abilities An undergraduate
OF mine had "Vox humanao stop Of his own,
that lie pulled out at will, with telling effect; but
unfortunately we did not always agree as to the
appropriate passages for his part OF the perform
ance and as had no register to his larynX the
amateur had 1t all his own way, Till we dissolved
the connection. Another was inimitable In an
obligato trenolo that he improvlsed, quite eclps-
Ing the nurter OF the French valve. There was
TOO much organ in him and we had to part.
They have original and aDstruse IDEAS OF
mechanics They scorn the prosaic bellows lever,
moved by manual force. and often operate by
striding the fulcrum, and adroitly shifting their
polse, manage imitation in way not wholly
orthodox Or gregarious 'astes. your true bel
lows boy has ever q crop OF "attGcle5,s juvenile
asprants for his place, who are delighted to per-
form his functions In an unsElled, spaSmodic
way, while the ogarch employs his elegant
leisure in carving, peucling, or pracliclns poses
on his head.
One specimen had, the consummate nower OF
all the vagaries, all the possibilities Of his class.
Skim milk eyes, hair rudest OF the ruddy, face
moil ell and freckled like rich turtle Sour itlnbS
iduh hllU duhuldt rs " SluuCl, WIN COuIu huNC
looked for aught but tanlest prose in him Yet
he was the very Incarnation of madcap antics,
the Alexander OF unihougnt o. exploits. II the
Apostle Paul was ever an organist, such d boy
might have been hs thorn. He was u spike,
crUwbar, in my lesh. Upon one occasion he in.
stalled an acolyte at the .pump" while he sought
recreation In dizzy heights and wider prospect.
knew by the Jerky pulSatlon that u deputy
was operating, and my wrath fast g lthered
head, as gasp after gasp told me at any time my
instrumental breath mlx ht fall when happening to
glance upward, behed In close proximity to the
ceiling, TWO protuberant chalky orbs, in & halo nf
foxy locks, calmly surveying the external world
the appertaining head resting right over the
central sixteen foot c. Oh now | wished that
great pipe had been charged with some fierce eX-
plosire that, as by petard, might sent that
head living into space That wish was vain.
conld only use 1t as an sir-gun, aud, quick as
thought. struck pedal and key or the pipe be-
meath that couctant ear. 1t told. One ghastly
roll OF the milky eyes, meteoric gleam Of red
hair, and then thud, deep In the bowels Of the
organ, told me something had dropped.
For once Flibbertigfbbet st his sang Jrotd and
precarlous footing and fell three fathoms and into
disgrace, and never again appeared on that field
Of his JauJ pas
Hencelo 'sh, for motive power give me steam,
or Qalvanism. or anything not in shape OF an or
binary bellows boy. es.a,