Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-27
THE ORGANISE.

Though Jeremy Dodd was a good man,
respected by many, I never felt it possible
10 receive him into the inner circle Of
those for whom respect is tempered with
affection. The reasons were many, but
chief Of all was this principal %offense, that
Jeremy, though by trade a smiter Of iron
and a sheer Of horses, on the Sabbath day
led the singing at Bethesda chapel upon
an aged instrument of much harshness.
This harmonium, one of the most con-
trary and difficult of an obstinate race,
was, despite its quite ordinary aocoutor-
ment of walnut and green baize, regarded
by the people with a veneration through
whose mystic haze shone Mr.. Dodd him
self-a veritable maestro.
Jeremy strongly shared the popular mu.
steal tendency to illustrate words aud
ideas by different shades of sound, but
while at the mention of death many Or
ganists cause doubts Of the blowers faith
fulness to his trust by the sudden faint
ness of their offerings, Jeremy always
greeted such references with the most
strident of tones. Our instrument was
rich in such and never failed him.
Occasionally, however, when we sang
of the valley of the shadow of death he
reverently drew his favorite stop, and the
realistic results thus produced had been
known so to affect Farmer Robinson's
wife that she gave up her morning gossip
in the porch and went quietly home.
When first / know him, Jeremy Dodd
had been for three years a widower. He
was a sad man, morose In n and
soanty of speech, and at first in sympathy
l thought him the bearer of a hidden sor-
row., but his neighbors enlightened me or
that point, giving of the late Mrs. Dodd a
brief biographical sketch remarkable for
Its lack of good deeds and denying to it's
subject even the redeeming quality Of
good intentions. Nobody could he found
to say of Sarah Dodd that she even meant
we'll. For Dodd himself, though he was
not beloved, there were many to say that
and more If need be.
His voluntaries were mostly in the mi
o key, and though he frequently gave us
simplifed arrangements from the best
known oratorios he was interchangeable in
bis search for the sadder and more wailing
airs.
But gradually into this cheerless life a
light came, and he began slowly but sure
ly to reflect its radiance and it's warmth.
The style of his playing and the setting of
his hymns were new. No longer was our
departure from the morning service hasten
ed by minor chords long drawn out and
doleful. Dodd actually learned a new
march to take the periodic place Of
"Hill's," and gave of it to us freely.
For three weeks I saw increasing signs
of.humanness in our organist, and then l
learned its cause.
sit is not unlikely but that Mr.. Dodd
will want you to play for him a bit in a
week or two," said my landlady one
night, and I selfishly and maliciously,
though in perfect ignorance, answered,
S6o I suppose, Mrs. Bell"
The poor woman's disappointment was
10 sudden that she nearly dropped the
cheese, and l, repenting, added, "What
have you heard about it?"
"Well, sir, 1t is said that Mr.. Dodd Is
walking out most regular with Mary Kit
son, the founding girl what Mr.. and
Mrs. Withers adopted, having non of
their own, more than 20 years ago."
Mls. .oIi, = e"iu, "naO ~ .ol' lux
10 sely laoolos ano qu,.o nom n.o,
oAoopV 'n"' loi sol "ooAa p MU ICY
novioeu a kieaI uaanse ~ "f Do"o'
"n,en . no~ u.uel pSn .,a 49,
~. n.o was .,;.h ha," a''5 d;.t;na+,on
news levei'0o "1'" "o"'l IL
W y no /. 30 ...4 a
"!vnlr W. ."n1s M WW;,t.
se" o ~ ~. - ~ Ivy w. ",;l'"".a @ alns
1 n W wlie' anu y 'nu sli,aso was gov.
nuS wa. non mum oios nau "as .'Ae
4uio.iy a. nolne, anu NY sefvioos WE'RE INV
Fe4uireu ior a long 'iine 70 come.
wa. III. s,eno ~ SOC 'sieiny
o".nlne W 'ne ,,'o.e cnapel WIN ms ponny
younk w,,o; .uaa u pf.ue az NJ nuspanu !
po sls.na Hu i p,o~ess, anu nao sns sa .aueso =. oovn
snU ~ ".n ~ soou "na s y a.
ane ,eauIns :op'a az. " .se "oa inSa
WIN q ialser wv, uuoa poso .Ae,l pl4l,
snowsu slsns u l "nnn, mne a,a % a. o Y9o
ner place neA' ,ne orsanis, any, ~ o'u a...
Simes snere wou'u navo uoon sVD, an ou ~
a.SoI Ma! A 80 nHss.".o. Meass.
tne village ssreee WIN llonsvn
tney were oiosesS irienus oerelny, wno
useo 70 % ac sorile "1Vn nis onoli' anu
eney IN turn WIN cne cohgreeasion nom
played ID syinpa'ny wl.n .no.n JUL wv
ne was Mucn less conspiouous vian oolole,
Tor MS wl1e's young' lresn voice rang Ou'
ABOVE tne rest aha seeineu W ieaG vs. an.
Out OF the way iolk VINO "ooulan ~
tend reglar' as tney saio' came 10 near
her sing q solo, IN event 700 inlrequeht
ior me, put savoring OF rleuallslh 70 'ne
rus1lc ,ninu. A. 1ne PRAISE Was ~" ~
ms wile' none 10 jeremy, save inoirectly,
nut ne seemed surprisingly content anu
day ~ aay nis race grew soIter, MS eyes
xeaa4so sneir soernness anu ABOVE all, MS