The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-03-17
WESTCHESTER TOWER ,

Some years ago / had occasion TO make
a short trip from London to visit my Old
college friend, Maitland, who had settled
down IA a clergyman i'll connection with
the Cathedral of Westchester It was a
pleasant excursion, chiefly by railway,
aud | was Hospitality entertained. After
dinner my friend and ! walked out in
the dusk of the evening, to look at the
antiquities of the place Il the course
OF our ramble the moon rose and threw
charm over the scene. With the
moonlight streaming through the colored
windows we sauntered through the an
cient cathedral, enjoying the solemn;ty
Of the edifice.
A we approached the gates of the
choir, Maitland, though accustomed to
the place, became singularly silent. All
al once he called on me to notice that we
were standing under the main central
tower, and that III the vaulted dome
overhead was round black spot You
see that dark spot, said he " it is a
covered hole opening up into the tower.
It "a sometimes used for the hauling up
of lead and timber for repairs on the
roof. / call your attention to it now,
Because | am going TO tell you something
about 1t by aud by"
Seated once more at the i1eside Of my
hpchclor friend | listened TO what he
hal to say about the hole in the tower.
/ Will try to repeat his storyas be told it
so me-
- suppose it must be about FIVE
yours ago, soon after / came to the cath
edrai, that was engaged IL this room
writing, when i had occasion to refer to
a book not in my possession, but which
/ knew to be accessible 10 me il the
cathedral library. 70 procure the work
| sailed out with a lantern and had
not gone very far when | was assailed by
q CHEEKY shout from Symes-Geohrey
Symcs-an Oxford man, who had been
WY Junior at 0riel. oymes was little
eccentric. He had taken fair degree,
anL might have done well but, being
pu%sionately fond of mu-ic, he took to
studying the organ, and thus had brought
lhln to Westminster, - a protessed pupil
of the organist. AS sucl he was allowed
10 have constant access tO the instrument
one of wonderful compass-ln the
cathedral.
"Symes would not, perhaps, have
,been called scientific MUSICIAN ; but he
mad a wonderful gilt OF expressing
Thought and feeling On the organ, which
IA. almost made to speak. so extraOydi-
nary was his power III bringing out
effects. When engaged IN this way he
seemed to he lost in Al enthusiastic
arlor. He wildly reye.ted IN musical
sounds. On this OCCASION he seemed to
resolve on display o; his powers. Rush
ing away for few minutea, he brought
little jim Oxley, son 81 the varger, TO
,h,ow the bellows, and with this nece5-
s,rv aid he set TO work and produced a
voluntary that was altogether marvel
liza and the effect Of which was eubanc-
81 nv the darkness. Weil-known pas a
yes from great masters Were shilIu4Iy
yalded with harmonious links into one
another. One, however, tavorlte OF
his az knew, was complete and alone
tie 'Ouando Corpus, from hossini5
IStahat Mater ] could compare 1t TO
nothing but the strenuous forging
together of solid bars OF melody, so
s.,9sre 40 nervous, 50 weighty was the
working out OF the theme. And LAST OF
oil ,vitR most ravishing sweetness, came
tbs exquisite duet and chorus from Men
deIssohn's 'Dobgesang, waited Tor
tho Lord ; and as those delicate sl;very
stains of patience and thank;u!uess
qf.sa',,ed into one another and melted at
last with the ckprus INFO the gteaf tue
OF praise. / wal lncouscious OF anything