The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-25
HELD UP THE CHOIR.
a BLBULoUS sTRANGER'S FUN WITH A
CHURCH QUARTET.

He Stumbled Into . Church in the Annexed
District ON n Practice Night and Ran the
Music on y Plane to Suit Himself-A Re-
VOlver to Bring the Choir TO Terms.
Al W. in the annexed district. the unrNl
Of one OF the leading churches practices every
Saturday night. This is generally q very or
DERBY proceeding. After It Is over. the tenor
escorts the soprano to her home and the bass
performs the same pleasant duty for the alto.
The organist. who IL q married man. walks
part OF the way with whichever couple IL the
less forbidding.
One Saturday evening. however. choir prao-
tice did not pursue the even tenor. or rather.
quartet. OF It's way. The singers we're try
ing over the hymns first. in order to timber
up their voices. Between times the bass was
ho-ho-hoinG up and down the scale. the So
prano was setting of occasional vocal sky
rockets. the tenor was giving vent to impas-
stoned abs Of high pitch. and the alto was
keeping still, after the choir practice habit OF
altos. The orRanist had Just given out the
numberA of,the evening hymns and the leaves
Huttered noisily In the echoinR church as the
singers found the place. The organ doomed.
Suddenly. however. the boom died into an
sthmatio wheeze. for the side door opened
and an indlstinct figure appeared among the
shadows. Tho choir members always en-
tered by the eide door. which they left un-
locked until they went home. The figure
remained at the door. vague. but masculine.
In outline. The choir members strained their
eyes In that direction. t.
Must BIO Mr.. Toogood." said the. orGaniSA
referring to the minister.
THAT you. Mr.. TooGood7' called the bass.
Hospitality.
There was no reply. but the figure advanced,
toward the middle aisle. advanced with evi+
dent difficulty. placing alternate reliance on,
the pew backs and the wall.
ITS q drunken man." gasped the soprano.
under her breath.
Nobody else said q word. and in silenoe the
intruder steered:a zigEag course hallway down
the middle aisle. where he made harbor and
sank into the corner of the seat.
Just 20 right on" remarked the bass to the
~organist. He'll get tired and 60 home after
o while"
So the organ doomed again. and the uuartetL
struck into the fret verse Of Lead. Kindly
Light" At about the fourth line. however.
the stranger struggled to his feet. and. picking
w a hymn book. banged loudly on the back
Of the seat in front Of him.
Stop thatl StolHthatl" h e'roared.
The organ crashed. and there was a.ming>
ling Of dying. wailinR notes as the orRanist
spun around on his seat.
'ThatZh worssever heard" announced the
visitor. shaking his head. Won't shtand
thing like that. Give you one more shtart.
Now-one. two. lettergo."
There was CONSERVATION in the choir. Tho
soprano was trembling and the alto was trying
to look as IL she wasn't filed with thankful
ness, because the bass was there.
20 home" called that brave parsonage. the,
bass; You'll feel better in the open air. just
The eyes ofthe intruder cleaned and he stiff
.
sin fGT sh hs s sGir sio%iy and Th earei KSIHI,re MT
tel you when to open i. Open it when I saX
there, an don't you forget it. Now %then-one.
The choir started. but uttered not a sound.
and he steered a straight course half a dozen
time a revolver. which caused a sudden duck.
ing Of heads in the organ loft.
Get up thereF' roared the stranger as the
organist was trying to get under the keyboard,
All Of you get up there an sing pretty an
I TT %on'f to But : 5h Il yo to d ESqi Give T E2s my was mN ~
ominous click,
The quartet Strengthened up slowly.
the bass and the organist. -"We'il Jolly. him
certainly. TO bs sure. for the organist kent his
Once more the choir attacked the first verse
Unnecessary ,tremuio in thessoprano's tones.
The fourth line came again and again the
time with his revolver. and called upon the
'n !Ne V riMYpd do. Nevern do" he called out.
Have to try something else"
Take the SECOND 6ynn,n whispered the
BAH Tbe oT W a n4s Sa RemSr hi the number and III.
leaves nut{ered noisiiy. Then the choir pc
gan Safely Through Another Week" The
duet betweenSthe soprano and the alto and
called for more. When all Of the stanzas had
were no more. the stranger pleasantly said to
begin at the beginning again. which was done;
satisfied with that hymn and asked for an-
Try him with Onward. Christian soldiersp"
suggested the bass with a brilliant inspiration.
Maybe he's lust out Of amp"
auth The St sttr an @r% was am nightly est pleased wi tlotlIS
with his revolver on the back OF the seat.
satI t sFsstisu a gE !SSw oH Fr !Mo S1n0pnS TSro NTH
Make a stand there" whispered the bass,
Then out loud: The organist says he cant
Can't play it, echoed the stranger, "HA
needs light in his head SO he can find that tune,
that's all; Stand aside. the rest Of you. till I
make q window i'll his head
of Fd the stool Saf and IRAN isnd ed one ON t Ree pedais snH RsS
bass hauled him up with the injunction to play q
wh hlT ( ma he T TSs asssd loT' said tbs has. .r,
he makes us too obstreperous Romebody'u
come In and create q diversion
SO the choir sang Marching Through Geor-.
'Bully!' declared the stranger. Now give
the other fellow Il show and play Dixie"
The organist thought he would never accom-,
plish Dixie on the pipe organ. and the so.
prano and alto were de sidedly shy on the words.
But the stranger Joined In to such an extent (,
that all such deficiencies were lost ON him.
Now Yankee Doodle " shouted the atran-
ger. and the orGanist breathed hard, but made
a valiant effort.
Now" said the stranger. painting from his
exertions. let's see what we'll have next.
The Wabash l guess" So they had The
F"Hoopla!, shouted the unsteady inclined
stranger. II never had SO much fun In my