Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-08-22

MS gentle and delightful tai
emit he soon won our affection. But
every attempt to find out who he was
and whence he came proved vain; he
took no notice of our hints, and not
one of us dared ask him the questions
direct. He set himself to work to
teach me a great many things con-
corning the violin, and to this curious
man I wv many of my subsequent and
greatest triumphs. my son." he would
say, ''love music. Music is the food of
the soul, tie only possession we have
on earth which we shall retain in
Heaven"
If a stranger happened to pay us a
visit, our new friend would immediate
ly take refuge in the garden. He liked
to be alone with Karl, myself and
Fortunate" One day a merchant
named Krebbs came on some matter of
business he had to transact with my
father, and stumbled upon the Man in
Blue, who was making good his es-
cape. The poor violinist on seeing
Merchant Krebbs turned as pale as
death, and, covered with confusion,
tottered to a bench, hiding his face
in his hands.
well, 1 declare said Krebbs to my
father, you are an odd man to re-
ceive that creature into your family.
Why, L thought he was in prison or in
a lunatic asylum, or drowned or run
over"
DO you know him, them" asked
my father with iIl-disguised curiosity.
know him. Of curse l do. His
name is Beze and he is by trade a car
penter. But, bless YOU, he's as mad as
a March hare Some time ago our
church organ was struck by lightning.
BeZe am forward at once and pro-
posed to mend it, provided the parish
furnish him the materials. As he was
known for a good musician and a clev-
er workman, our pastor granted his
request. To work went he and shaved
night and day for at least six weeks
At last the organ wa mended, BeZe
struck q few chords, and it sounded
better than ever. The day arrived for
the first public hearing OF the removal
ed instrument: the mayor and all the
village was present, and Beze himself
did not fail to appear attired in his
usual blue. Blue is his color. He
made some VOW or other ear ago to
the Virgin never to wear any other
than her colors-blue and white ]
tell you he is crazy. But to return to
the organ. When the organist began
to play upon it, devil of a sound would
it produce, except when he pulled the
new stop ont. Off went the organ WHO'D!
whee, and then it set to squeaking and
whistling like mad. The girls began
to laugh. the mayor to swear, and the
pastor-well, he became frantic, poor
man. Beze is a fool, an IDIOT. He has
ruined the organ cried everyone.
And soon, amid the derision of the
church. Strange to say, since that day
we have never seen the creature, but
our organ is completely spoilt and re-
mains as silent as the tomb"
Thus spoke Merchant Krebbs. Icould
hear no more, but hurried out to con-
sole our poor friend. L found him sit
ting all forlorn under an apple tree,
his face turned toward the setting
sun. All! my good young FRIEND
he cried, "do you see yon little cloud
which obscures the splendor of the
sun? So the words of a foolish man
may tarnish the fame of a genius"
But" l replied, "see the little cloud
has already vanished and the sun is
all the brighter for the contrast"
He smiled. "The clouds that hang
over my furnished name will have to
pass away soon, or it will be too late
That organ 1 reconstructed has a SOU
within it. All my life I have worked
IL - Jol~o -,yy 3laa1 ne -ISia within
the compass of a single instrument.
nave done this. The soul is there,
but I know not how to play upon the
organ, and in their blind rage they
will not allow me to explain the
mechanism of the instrument to them
OH that I could find Sebastian Bach!
He would awaken the SOU of music
that lies asleep in my organ and prove
to the world that Beze is neither mad
nor an impostor."
NV father took no notice of what
Krebb had said, n when he Joined us
in the garden he entreated Beze to
play to hin as usual in the open air
The Man in Blue played a number OF
national and simple melodies in such
a pathetic manner that several times
1 saw my fathers eyes fill with tears
At last, he said, MY friend, though
your organi is a failure, your music is
Heavenly. Stay with me, 1 pray you
yet awhile"
MY organ is not a failure; 1T IS the
one triumph of my life"
"But no one can play upon it."
"One day someone will, and then
"Weli, we will say no more about 1t
Come, supper is ready" and ne led
the way indoors.
Next morning the Man in Blue was
missing. We were sorry for his dis
appearance, but soon forgot all about
him, the festival being at hand
Gluck had promised to come, and we
were anxious to know with whom he
would stay. Then Bach arrived, and
soon after Graun, whose genius alone
inspired his lovely melodies, and witt
him came those i~nseparable friends
Furch and Hasse. From Hamburg
came Gassmann and Telemann. Few
of you, / dare say, have ever heard Oh
these composers, and yet. believe me
YOU are more familiar with their mel
odies than you imagine. Many OF the
popular tunes you now admire L have
heard in my youth fresh from the
brain of their original composers, and