The Penn's Grove record., 1886-07-24
svTbat is the Apollo Belyidere.n

uld nOL convey 10 his mlnu any ASSOC
clation of the Vatican place, but he
knew that some beautiful mystery was
connected with it.
And now Dot gazes in amazement on
the scene before him. In the blaze of
light the great organ rises resplen.
IDENTIFY, sixty feet in height, its impos-
ing facade hiding from view its six
thousand pipes. People are hurrying
into the hall, fitting to and fro; young
ladies in black silk and velvets and
satins; old men-where we're so many
ome with white hair ever seen be-
fore2 stately men with thin faces, bald,
teachers, college professors. Tiers
of seats in the form of half a pyramid
rise at either end of the organ. These
are filling with the chorus-soprano
and altos in black dresses and white
shawls, tenors and BASES in black
coats, white necktles and kids. In
front, between the great chorus rises a
dark statue, and around this musicians
are gathering, playing on violins,
violaS, violoncellos and horns; the
pyramidal seats fill; the hall overflows;
the doors are full-the galleries. The
instruments tune. A dark-haired mar
steps upon the conductors stand; he
raises his baton; there Is q hush, then a
half a hundred instruments pour forth
the symphony.
Dot listens. He has never heard
such music before; he did not know
that anything like it was ever heard on
earth. 1t grows sweeter and sweeter.
Comfort ye."
Did an angel speak? The instru-
ments are sweeter now.
Comfort We my people"
Did that voice come from the air2
Dot listens and wonders if this is
earth.
Comfort ye, comfort We my people
saith your God, saith your God"
Dot sees a tall man standing alone
IN front of the musicians-is 1t he that
is singing? Dot gazes upon his face
with wide eyes. 1t is he-and he is
the tenor who had befrlended him the
night before.
What music followed when the cho-
rus arose and sang:
Every valley shall be exalted"
Dot hears the grand music sweep on,
and he feels, as all feel. that the glo-
rious Messiah is about to appear. He
sees a lady in white satin and flashing
jewels step forward; he hears a ripple
of applause, and a voice full of feeling
and strength sing:
go thou tellest good tidings to Zion,
o, thou tellest good tldings to Jerusa-
lem, say unto the cities Of Judah, Be-
hold your Godp'
Dot Knows that voice. Will she in.
deed lift her eyes to himp
No, she does not. She sits down,
the hall ringing with applause. She
rises, bows, but she does not look to-
wards the statue of Apollo, ear which
Dot is sitting.
Dot hears dreamy music now, more
enchanting than any before it. The
great audience do not stir, or move a
fan, or raise a glass. 1t grows more
ethereal; 1t seems now but a wavy
motion In the air. He hears a lady
near whisper:
"The Pastoral Symphony"
She also has risen again. She stands
out from the great chorus-what IA
beautiful fgurel The dark-haired man
lifts his baton, the lady turns her face
toward the upper gallery. Her eyes
wander for a moment; they rest on
Dot.
There was no applause now. Tears
stood in the altos eyes-tears stood in
the eyes Of every one. There was a
deep hush and tears, and in the silence
the alto stood looking steadily at-Dot.
There was a rustic In the hall-it
grew. The silence was followed by a
commotion that seemed to rock the
hall. The applause gathered a force
like a tempest.
Then the beautiful lady looked to-
wards Dot. and sang again the same
wonderful air, and all the hall grew
still, and peoples eyes were wet again.
The Hallelujah shorus with its grand
fugues was sung, the people rising and
standing with bowed heads during the
majestic outpouring of praise.
1t is ended now, faded and gone.
The great organ stands silent IN the
dark hall; the coaches have rolled away,
the clocks are striking midnight.
~ have CON to congratulate you
before retiring" said our tenor to the
alto, as he stepped into the parlor at
the Revere House. Tonight has
been the triumph of your life. Nothing
30 moved the audience as "He shall
feed his flock like a shepherd"
"Do you know to what L owed the
feeling that so inspired me in that alrp''
"No."
sit was poor little Dot in the gallery.
You teach music, do you not?"
"Yes.n
"You are about to open a school2n
Eyes"
"Give Dot a place as office boy
errand boy-something. 1t will lift a
weight from my heart"
81 had thought of 1t. He has a
beautiful voice"
81 might get him a place in a choir"
Fifteen years have passed. The old
Handel and Haydn Society have sung
1.-The Messiah" fifty, perhaps sixty
times. The SHOWS of December are
again on the hills. The grand oratorio
is again rehearsing for the Sabbath
evening before Christmas.
A new tenor is to sing on the occa-
sion - he was born in Boston, has
studied In Milan, and has achieved
great triumphs as an interpreter OF
sacred music In London and Berlin.
The old hall is filled again. The
symphony has begun its dulcet en-.
chantment; the tenor. with aface lumi-
nous and spiritual, arises, and with his
first notes thrills the audience and holds
it as by a spell.
"Comfort ye."
He thought of the time when he first
leard those words. He thought of the
hearts whose kindness had made HIM a
singer. Where were they? Their voices
had vanished from the choirs of earth,
but in spirit those sweet singers seemed
lowering around him.
"Comfort ye my people"
He looked, too, towards the Apollo
on the wall. He recalled the limp bel
lows boy who sat there sixteen years
z O How those words then comtorted
himl How he loved to sing them nowl
"Speak ye comfortably TO Jerusalem ,
and cry unto her that her warfare Is
accomplished, that her iniquity is par
doned."