Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1873-02-15
MISCELLANY.
ynAT THE NEw onGANIsr DID
CHARLES HARVARD.

| protested, 1arSOn MlluInay poured what
little oil he had on the troubled waters,
and the choir resigned. The old meet.
ing house was rocked 20 its foundations.
And all this turmoil because the music
committee had, at the suggestion of the
organist, put cornet player beside the
organ to lead the congregational sing
ing.
Dreadful proposal, was it notp The
idea OF having horn in church A
French hornl You know what wicked
people the French are. Think of having
the same instrument they use in the Jar
well, you know as well as | do that
some folks are no better than they ought
to be. A French horn, indeed! Think
of il No wonder Deacon Pipples said
that the rising generation was way
ward generation, seeking after ungodly
inventions.
Now, you know my views. / don't
care what instrument we use in church,
provided we praise God muscally and
soberly, as we ought. If a horn or vio-
lin will help us any, l go for it. Deacon
Squaggles said ought to be ashamed.
laughed, aid told him that if read
the scriptures right, David danced before
the Lord, and advised the temple choir
to use cymbals-even the loud-sounding
cymbals.
lie shook his head, and said there were
grave doubts about that passage. Per
haps the word dance translated meant
something else.
"Hop," | suggested.
The deacon went away sorrowful, and
said | was backslider.
It's not long story. Let Inc tell it to
you. .,..,
We had sat under lady organist for
years--sat under, in fgura:i,c sense.
We had groaned weekly under her weak
ly infictions for long time. She was
low between joints---how can I tell p
her feet did not touch the pedals!
The effect was peculiar. The organ
seemed ready to topple over every Sun
day. Some said the organ had NJ bass
notes. Bless you What did they know
about it? They could not tell one tune
| from another. a..-...., ..,. .... ...-g
She, the organist, had weakness for
the reeds The reed stops, as you know,
have their little weakness, like the rest
of us. This particular weakness is to
get out of tune. "Neyer mind" said
she. i"They are sweetly pretty after the
long prayer Make you think of angels
in long clothes singing through a
cloud l..tt
| Her voluntaries were remarkable. She
harrassed the Parson, and kept everybody
on the alert, for who could tell when she
was going to stop. Every other min
ute we said '1'Iis is the end-the clos
ing chord has come" But no; it had
not. More closing chords followed, till
we were near distracted with hopes de-
ferred. u 81 U9 ma VA a ~
7' Al last some benevolent young man
had the goodness to marry her and take
her away. Bless him How we CON
gratulate him--and ourselves.
We could not blame heaven for giving
her short le--limbs but then, she might
at Least, have played something besides
her own compositions, and could have
safely neglected her beloved trumpets
and oboes. ,it ~
e: The'neXt Sunday the man came. He
was a stout fellow, and his coat had very
long sleeves, and his trowsersl were cx-
ira large. They were none too long TO
linjthe shape of keys, stops or pedal, man
age the swell, draw the top right hand
stop, and play on the lower bank at the
same instant. Clever man, he said.
Clever in both the English and Ameri'
can senses. ftg,fl r.}r.f
The first Sunday he presided the folks
said that the committee had repaired the
organ. 1t had not sounded so well fol
long time. Its deep and majestic tones
shook the air, pcrvaded the church witt
solemn harmony, and made Deacon
Sguaggles' youngest cry. He is NO: 6
precocious child, and did not ask TO sec
1 the monkey. .t-,-.., .s-...,.
The music that day was a revelation tc
most of the people, and there was sat
isfed buzz among the folks on the steps
when the church was out. Things i'm
proved from week TO week. One or tive
Z who had backslid of late, returned anC
really came to church half day-cam'
: to hear the music. Deacon Squaggle
reproved their motives, and accepted
their renewed pew-rent complacently.
Q About the fifth Sunday after the new
administration, Parson Mildmay announ
ced that the last hymn would be sung b.
the congregation. With fear and trem
: bling they listened to hear what tun
' would be given out. After the first ba
n their fears were allayed. There was NJ
o mistaking the melody of "Duke Street,
n played distinctly and accurately on
"a "a single loud stop. AT the end the peopl
struggled TO their feet, and the singing
began. The result was peculiar and no
, lovely. Did not feel sure that yo
:. knew all about it, would give you
n detailed description of it. Congregs
: tional noisel You have heard it. Doe!
,y Mt Congregational singing always n
MUD you of those famous lines concern
in ing the little girl, who,
" "When she was good, she was very, very goo
IS And when she was bad she was horrid."
Z, The sermon was lost that day. Th
people went home to their dinner .dissa
!, isfied, and hoped it would not be trie
. again.
/ The next Sunday evening brought I'll
- explosion. 10 Ut was announced in III
/, morning that there would be an exit
service of song AZ halfpast seven th;
e-At seven che church was fdll !; at hal
past, crowded. Word had got abol