The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-03-09
EBENSBURG, PA, SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 1872.

! his name is Beze he Is = carpenter by
trade. But, bless yon, he's as mad as
! March hare. Some time ago our church
organ was struck by lightning. Beze
came forward at once, and proposed TO
mend 1t gratis, provided the parish fur
nished the materials. AS he was known
for good musician and a clever work.
maa, our cure granted his request. To
work went he night and day he labored
tor at least six weeks At last the organ
was merded, Beze struck a chord or so,
and 1t appeared better than ever. The
day arrived for the first public hearing of
the renovated instrument the mayor, the
notabiilties-all the village, in short, were
present, and Begs himself did not fail to
appear, attired as usual in blue. Blue is
his color. He made some VOW or other,
years age. to the Virgin, never to wear
any other but her colors-blue and white.
| tell you he is crazy. But to return TO
the organ. When our old organist CONS
menced to play upon it not sound would
1t produce when he pulled the
| stopout. Off went the organ. Dh0O. IUhee,
and then it set to squeaking and whistlng
ike mad. The girls began TO laugh, the
mayer to swear, and the cure grew furious
Beze is fool-Beze is an idiot H. has
ruined the organ, cried every one, and
seon, amid the derision of the conerega-
ton, your friend left the church. Strange
to say. siuce that day we have never seen
the creature but our organ is completely
spuilt, and remains dumb"
Thus spoke merchant Krebbs. I would
hear no more, but hurried out to console
my poor friend. | found him beneath an
apple tree, sitting all forlorn, and his face
turned toward the sinking sun. "Ah
my young friend" he said. ''do you see
yon little cloud which obscures the spen-
dor of the sun? So the words of fool>
ish man may tarnlsh the fame of a ge-
MUS"
''But," | replied, 'tsce, the little cloud
has varished already, ard the light of the
sur is but the brighter for the contrast"
He smiled. 1.-The cloud that hangs
over my ta:nished name will have TO pass
away sUoD, or it will be too lae. That
organ which L constructed bas a soul
within it. All my life ! have laborcd to
know how to lodge my ideal music within
: the compass OF single instrument. |
have done this. The soul is there. But
, | know not how tn play upon the organ,
| and they, in their blind rage, will not al
low me to explain to them. Oh, if
could before | die bnt find Sebastian Bach!
He would call TO life the soul of music
: that lies sleeping in my organ, and prove
l TO the world that Beze is neither mad or
l an impostor."
My kind father took no notica Of what
merchant Kreb5s had said, and when he
Joined us III The garden he entreated Beze
to play for him in the open air. The
Man in Blue played for US a nnmber of
national and simple melodies in such n
! manner that several times | saw tears in
! my fathers eyes; at last he said, as the
musician finished ''Friend, though your
organ is failure, your violin is truly
} heavenly. Stay with me we; while"
''h1y organ Is not failure it is the
? real triumph of mysIife.'
! ''But no one can play on it -
''One day some one will, and then
t ''Well, we will say no more about it
Come, the supper is ready" And he led
r the way in.
Tie next morning the Man in Blue was
: gone. We were sorry at his disappear
ance but soon forgot ali about 1t in COR
q anxiety over the festival which was near
at hand. Gluck had promised to come,
: and we were anxious to know with whom
: he would stay. Then Bach arrived, and
, soon came Graun-ilIustrious Graun-
e whose noble mind alone inspired his love-
D ly melodies and with him those insepa
( Fable geniuses, Furch and Hass. And
\ u -,
Few of you have, l dare say, even heard
the name of these great composers; and
yet, believe me, you are more familiar
: with their melodies than you imagins -
Many OF tue popular tunes you SO much
admire have heard in my youth, fresh
from the minds of their original compo-
sers, free from The twirs and shakes clum-
silly added TO them TO disguise their true
, origin.
These illus;rious persons were as simple
and transformations in their manner as il is
possible TO be. They assembled in the
Hall of ST. Cecilia, and had the privilege
; ot assisting at their rehearsals. | often
passed hours listening to their long dis
courses on harmony, on keys, scales, and
!; chords. Sometimes one Of them would
call for a drausht of beer, or offer his
companions bottle of RUNE wine. One
night GInck played, for the first time, a
, portion of his 'Iphigenia - and, on
another, Bach enchanted US by perform
; ance of his delightful preludes. Bach,
somehow or other, took fancy to me-
He had observed the marked attention
with which listened to the different cons
; posers, and TO, their music. He asked me
} my name, and who my father was and
: i, in answer, growing bold, not only re-
/, lated all that concerned myself, but also
} the story of my friend in blue.
'An organ that TO one can play upon ?''
exclaimed the great composer. HWeU