Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-11-22
STABAT MATER.


ganist in Muhlhausen. Every man, wom
an and child in the parish knew him.
Mon Dieu! for over 80 years the old
women had dozed and nodded to his
music and the young girls had sat
dreaming about weddings and christen-
ings while Old Hunchback up in the
organ loft sat and improvised soul sway
ing melodies on his instrument. But
outside of the parish not cat knew
Father Michael.
What happened to him has happened
to many others; after his death his |
name was known over land and king
dom. Then fame took it Oh its wings, |
and now, wherever dwells an Alsatian
is known the legend of Father Michael's |
Stabat Mater.
In his youth he had dreamed of great
achievements and honor as an artist, |
but never had he believed that his name
would be celebrated in legend and in
song-he who in his old age had become
accustomed to being laughed at by ev-
erybody.
And pitifully ridiculous looking he
was with his hunched back and his
monkey face, SO ugly that the dogs
barked when they saw it. And for this
reason he had gone through life with
love for naught but his music.
Up in the organ loft of the church,
lifted above his fellow men, he was
transformed into another being And he
played with such wonderful skill and
touch that the maidens heard sweet
whisperings of love in the flow of mel
ody, while the doing mothers were
swayed into dreams of happy girlhood
under the influence of his strains. But
this was of no consequence to Father
Michael; he played mostly for himself
-expressions of his hearts silent
dreams.
X
They jeered and ridiculed him in
the village. Every time he went into
Moser's, the tobacconist, he was greeted
by sarcastic:
"Why don't you marry, Father Mi
chael? Are you going to live without
leaving SO much as your name after
you? What you improvise on the organ
amounts to nothing; it dies away at
once. No, it is great deal better to
give the schoolmaster little trouble
and present some fine boys to the ar
N.Y.
Everybody in the store laughed this
sally. Michael was just the right one
to give his country brave soldiers But
he let the people laugh and sought con-
ISOLATION in his beloved organ.
n
The war was ended.
But after that time it was that Fa-
Their Michael felt his loneliness heavier
and more dreary than ever. The wounds
of jeering words sunk deeper, and he
felt their cut with bleeding heart. There
were moments when even the music
failed to bring him peace. It seemed to
him as if the words Of his neighbors |
were becoming more cruel and that |
there lay more seriousness in their rail
lery Perhaps he was right. Misfortune
dwelt with them; there was bitterness
in many hearts. Perhaps now they |
fond a certain satisfaction in giving
relief te their bitterness by tormenting
Old Hunchbaek-hi m who did not weep
with them, but only played on his Or
gan--the old good for nothing.
Yes, poor old Michael thought that
he himself was the most Wretchedly
useless creature in existence.
Moser and the others were decidedly
right. During the anxious days Of the
war the others had done everything they
could. Fathers and SONS had seized their
arms and gone forth to battle; the wom-
ga had cared tenderly for the sick and
the woundsdz-he, he alone had only
been able to mourn and dream. Day
after day he had sat for hours before his
organ iwmoyable, with his face hidden
in his Misunderstanding after something
be had never been able to ind-a mex
ody which breatbed and lived in his
soul; miserere full Of tears and of
sorrow, but through the signs there
should sound the cry of wrath the cry
pf reFengs! Oh, if he, with thunderous,
Faging and rushing pillows of sound
could have checked the advancing enc
mys
But days, weeks, months passed. The
loathsome annexation was bitter fact.
The time passed aud no deliyerer cams.
Gradually the necks were bent. Slow
~, almsst imperceptibly, they grew
accustomed to the burden of the yoke.
NoW and then was heard az exalted
yoice hat Ring an insanely impotent pre-.
test against the eepaqaeror and seeking
to incite the people, but tbs people lis-
tened, terrified, to the bold words. Ones
An 10 reln11 int ,oofod
scandal in the barracks by shouting,
fsViye la 1srapee!'' when the oath Of al
}egiapas was to be administered. It al
30 happened that daring patriot had
nailed the trieolor to the be1fry Of the
church tower on the morning OF the
18th of July. And great eonsternatio4
{yas caused by a young blond girl who
at a fets esossed the market square,
where al the military authorities were
assembled, dressed in a neckerchief Of
Sed, white and blue.
Further tbaa that the rebellions spir-
it did not eyince itself. But with every
such eathqrst the grief and pain Of Fa-
ther Michael peeame intensified. The
anemoly's fever, which was whipped
put Of the others as soon as ii showed
itself. Was locked up and hidden in the
soul Of the old mas. BIT there it lay
and grew to sickly hate, TO & hsip}esf
envy against al! these others. He enyied
che unknown youth who had nailed the /
flag of France to the odd tower; he en-
Wed the recruit who had shouted, ssVive
Ia France!" in the barrack yard, and
he eHyied the girl who had had courage
to bear tbs eolors of France right through
the lines of the epsisy,
Everywhere about him they tfonnd
every day some new way Of showing
their strong memory and 2 faithfulness
that knew 30 death. He alone eehld do
nothing, could find nothing. He was
useless always useless. Yes, yes-his
soul could weep, but his organ-it sang
beneath his fingers
4 4
But one day Old Hunchlaack stepped
into the tobacco stsfe, and they scarce
~ knew him. His face beamsd. Moser
filled bis snuffbox, and as usual began
his sarcastic remarks.
al II