Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-10-26
THE BOY ORGANIST.

MOzart's first experience of a large
organ was in the monastery of little
town ON the banks of the Danube. He
was then only six years old, and in
company with his father, had left his
home in Salzburg, and started upon a
long course of travel. All day long
they had been sailing down that maies-
tic river, past crumbling ruins, frown-
ing castles, cloisters hidden away among
the crags, towering cliffs, quiet villages
nestled in sunny valleys, and here and
there a deep gorge that opened back
from the gliding river, its hollow dis
tance blue with fathomless shadow, and
its loneliness and stiffness stirring the
boys heart like some dim and vast ca
thedral.
The company of monks with whom
they had been travelling that day were
at supper in the refectory of the cloister,
when Father Mozart took Wolfgang
into the chapel to see the organ.
And now as the boy gazed with some
thing of awe upon the great instrument,
looming up in the shadows of the great
empty church, his face lit up with serene
satisfaction, and every motion and atti-
tude of the little figure expressed a
wondering reverence. What tones
must even now be slumbering in those
mighty pipes? Tones, which if once
awakened could give utterance to all
that voiceless beauty which the days
scenes had showed him-life and death;
present and past; the peaceful river
and the deserted ruin; the sunshine un-
failing and the unfailing shadow at it's
side.
Father said the boy, " explain to
me those pedals at the organs feet, and
let me play?'
Well pleased, the father complied.
The Wolfgang pushed aside the stool,
and when father Mozart had filled the
great bellows, the elfn organist stood
upon the pedals, and trod them as
though he had never needed to have
their management explained.
How the deep tones woke the sombre
stiffness of the old church! The organ
seemed some great uncouth creature,
roaring for very JOY at the caresses of
the marvellous child.
The monks, eating their supper in
the refectory, heard the tones and
dropped knife and fork in astonishment.
The organist of the brotherhood was
among them; but never had he played
with such power and freedom. They
listened; some grew pale; others crossed
themselves; till the prior rose up, sum-
moned all his courage, and fastened
into the chapel. The others followed,
but when they looked up into the organ
loft, 10! there was no form of any or
ganist to be seen through the deep
tones still massed themselves in new
harmonies, and made the stone arches
thrill with their power. 1t is the
devil himself" cried the last one of the
monks, drawing closer to one of his
companions, and giving scared look
over his shoulder to the darkness of the
aisle.
cit is a miracleY' said another.
But when the oldest of their number
mounted the stairs to the organ front,
he stoe d as if petrifel with amazement.
There stood the tiny figure, treading
from pedal to pedal, and at the same
time clutching the keys above with his
little hands, gathering handfuls of those
wonderful chords as if they were violets,
and fipging them out into, the SOLEMN
gloom behind him. He heard nothing,
saw nothing, besides; his eyes beamed
like stars, and his whole face lighted
with impassioned joy. Louder and
fuller rose the harmonies, streaming
forth in swelling pillows, till at last
they seemed to reach sunny shore, on
which they broke; and then q whisper
ing ripple of faintest melody fingered
a moment in the air. like tho last mur-
mut of wind harp, and all was still.
szc. A feature of the Oregon State
Fair was number Of billiard tables,
from the manufactory of Nelson, at
Portland, upon which many knights
of the cue tried their skill.