Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-13


this saying he stole into the tavern under
cover of darkness and took away the
bass viol
The affair became animated at once
The liberals went to the district court
and entered complaint against the
pastor, accusing him of appropriation of
the property of others.
"Nonseuser' answered the court. ga
whole community in arms about an old
bass violl Go settle it among your
selves" And the liberals took the bass
viol back to the tavern.
Then the clericals went to the dean
and protested against this invasion of
their territory. The dean advised them
to go to the bishop, but in the meantime
to take back the bass viol. Then the in
strument again disappeared from the
tavern.
This time the liberals went to the
county court. Don't be silly was the
answer; "break up the old thing"
"But it is not the bass viol we care
aboutr said the Abelsbergers; sit is a
question of right-of honor"
But the court would not hear them,
and so they stormed the rectory and car
ried away the bass viol.
Now the clericals were furious and
went to the bishop. "My dear friends"
said the bishop, "you must be firm. If
they have the bass viol they will take the
organ; if they get the organ they will
take the choir, and before you know it
they will take the church from over your
heads. am sorry that 1 can do nothing
for you, but you must stand manfully
for your rights"
"Stand manfully for your rights"
That meant taking the bass viol out of
the tavern and hiding it in the rectory.
When this was discovered the hber-
ais, in all the smartness of black coats
and white cravats, appealed to the su-
preme court But their story had gone
before them and they were not even ad-
mitted. So they resorted to deep STRAIT
egy, bribed the keeper of the rectory
cows, who in turn bribed the cook, and
got from her the key of the storeroom.
The next day as the pastor and chaplain,
sunk in prayerful revery, wandered past
the tavern, mingled with the sounds of
ungodly mirth within they heard the well
known voice of the bass viol.
Then they held grand party meeting
and prayed to the Holy Ghost for wis
dom, and when they had thus prayed for
wisdom they held consultation and de-
cided unanimously to send deputation
to the holy father, and the head of the
| church himself should confirm their
right to the bass vol.
The liberals held grand party meet
ing also, and strengthened themselves
with the noble juice of the barley, and
thus strengthened they held consultation
and the decision was, ''If they go to the
pope we will go to the empercr!"
So the two deputations set forth, the
one toward Rome. the other toward
Vienna. The poor old bass viol stood in a
quiet corner of the tavern, and was sad
at heart over all the silly quarrel of
which it was the innocent cause; a quar-
rel which divided the household against
itself and threatened the prosperity of
the community. 1t often. sighed for the
quiet days in the deserted garret, the
peaceful little birds who made their
home in its broken case.
y 1t was about this time that band of
| gypsies came into the village to beg and
steal and make music for those who
would be merry. Among them was one
old fellow with more wrinkles in his
face than you could count, but with coal
black hair and beard. He took the bass
viol from its lonely corner and played.
The Abelsbergers listened in astonish-
ment, for they heard for the first time of
what bass viol was capable.
The wisest nodded their heads and re-
marked sagely, "There is good ground
for the bass viol war of Abelsberg."
The wild music fired their blood, and
before they knew it men and women,
liberal and clerical, were dancing to-
gether in widest confusion. The old
gypsy's thin fingers pressed the strings,
and in his hand the bow drew forth
weird, bewitching strains that none
could resist. Great were the drinking
and dancing that night.
The gypsy band has disappeared, and
whatever may have been the decision of
pope and emperor, the bass viol has not
been seen in Ober-Abelsberg since that
memorable night. Translated from the
German of P. S. Rosegger by Grace Isa
bel Colborn for Short Stories.