The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-01-18
THE CATHEDRAL CHIMES.
A Legend by the Author OF the scllcn
Eerg-CoJta Family.

THE CATHEDRAL CHIMES.
4 Legenss by the Author OF the schcn-
berS-Cotta Family.
In a city whose history dates from
the ages of silvery bells and stately
buildings, there stood, and stands now
for aught | know, q cathedral, rich IN
all the endless fancies of Gothic art.
Inside it was solemn with shade. and
gorgeous with light which came In
through the elaborate traCery of the
stained windows, many colored, and
broken as the sunbeams through a
tropical forest. Outside, fretted pima.
cles and carved bell towers sprang up
ward, grand, yet fairy like, as if stone
towers rose as easily ana naturally to-
wand heaven as oaks and pines. But
the chief glory OF this cathedral was It's
bells. They were the pride Of the CT y,
and the great attraction to 9trangers.
Their history formed an important part
of the civlc chronicles.
A lady OF a royal house had given
them as thank-offering for her Loves
safe return from the Crusades. All her
silver-plate and ornaments with spoils
of Saracens from the recovered Holy
Land, had been poured into the mold
when they were made, SO that from
their birth all tender and sacred memo
ries had been fused into their very
essence, and their first tones echoed
| far-off times and lands. A bishop who
afterward suffered martyrdom in the
hands of African Moslems had blessed
them Their first peal had sounded in
honor of a great victory They had
summoned the people through ages of
conflict to defend their liberties. They
| had blended their life with the life Of
every home,-in family joys and family
SORROWS; at wedding, christening and
| funeral They had made Sundays and
holidays glad with their joyous voices.
And last, but not least, by aid of an
elaborate mechanism of hammers. rope
and pulleys, they had for centuries
celebrated the departure Of every hour
with a Chorale, and every half-hour
with u strain like the versicle of a
chant, and every quarter of an hour
with a sprinkle of sweet sound.
Imagine, then, the dismay of the citi-
zens when, one Monday morning, eight
o'clock, and no sound issued from the
cathedral half past eight, silence ;
nine, not note of warming! Their
wonder was increased when the usual
peal rung out, clear and full as ever,
for the morning service, ard by mid
day the whole city was IN commotion
1t was plain something must be wrong
with the machinery OF the chimes.
Immediately the most skillful me-
chanics of the town, clock makers and
bell founders, with men OF science and
the whole corporation, in state pro
cessiou mounted the clock tower.
We will soon set it right" they said
to the agitated crowd as they entered
the belfry door. The ropes of the ma
chInery were tested-all were sound :;
not Il flaw in the hammers; not clog
IN the wheels; not crack in the silver
metel. Microscopes were employed.
cOnjectures were hazarded, experiments
Of all kinds We're tried, but not ray
Of light was thrown on the perplexitv.
The eleven hands and the wise heads.
and the viii OF the authorities were all
batf!ed; and the process re-appeared
to the assembled multitudes with very
crest-fallen looks.
That afternoon little work was done
III the workshops, few lessons were
of household habits were INTERRUPTED ::
and when 1T grew dark the great square
was filed with people who were afraid
to separate and go to bed without the
sane ion of the cathedral chimes.
Many foreboaed some terrible disaster
to the city, and some thought the end
OF the world was come
But when 1T was dark a sound very
wearled and strange, yet with music
like the old familiar tones came from
the church-tower, as it rose dim and
grand against Tie starry sky. It
was voice, not human, yet with a
strange likeness to a human voice, sill
very as a stream, thrilling as battle
trumpet, familiar to each list ener as his
own, like the blended voices q a spirit
and a bell
1--WE have been born too long" said
the bell-voice. we were set here on
high for other purposes than men have
put us to. Is not this q cathedral, a
sanctuary, and shrine, sacred with
the dust Of martyrs, and dedicated to
the service of Heaven Were not we
christened like immortals2 Were not
we consented like priests The touch
OF holy hands is on us, and shall we be
debased to secular uses2 Set apart
like sacred ministers i'll a sacred dwell
ling, shall we be required to mingle in
the common circumstances of our daily
life? Raised on high to be near the
heavens we serve, shall our sanity
voices serve to tell you when you eat
and sleepa We have borne it too long.
We will still serve heaven. and sum-
mon you or Sundays and holidays.
We will call you to the solemn services
of the church We will, if necessary,
sound "a Triumphant peal on days ofha-
tlonal thanksgiving, in remembrance of
the victory which first woke us into
music. We win even condescend to
ring at your weddings-because mar
rage Is n sacrament-and at your bap-
tlsm. We will toll solemnly when your
spirits pass from earth, and when your
bodies are laid in the church yard we
have seen slowly raised with the dust