The Washington times., 1901-09-08
THE MAN IN BLUE

! l am the youngest son of the thirteen
children OF Burgermeister Kraus of Bin
gen and his wife Frau Maria. My father
adored music, and we were all taught to
play on some instrument or other, or else
to sing, and. by my faith, l hold we did
considerable credit to our musical educa-
tion. When l was sixteen my father pre-
sented me with a fine old "Cremona,
which / christened Fortunate" and
which eventually became my lifelong
friend and companion.
Nothing gave me greater pleasure than
to take my dear violin into the woods and
there, by the murmuring brook, beneath
the rusting trees. dreamily improvise new
melodies and vary old ones. So greatly
did my father delight in our accomplish
ments that he organized an amateur con-
cert every Thursday afternoon, at which
at least a quarterof the town assisted to
admire or criticise about as much music
as could be crowded into a three hours
performance. divided into two equal parts
by a tray of light refreshments handed
round by Karl and myself.
One fine autumn afternoon. just as our
first sonata was concluded, a very singu-
! lar-looking individual entered the concert
room. He was as thin and pale as an ap-
]
garments of light blue corduroy. His we'll
worn knee breeches were blue, his jacket
was blue, his vest was blue, and the huge
I cravat that fastened his great tapping
shirt collar was also of varied and faded
I shades of blue. He had a big hooked
/ nose, thin. hungry looking jaws, and the
| only redeeming features that he possess
ed were his dark and intelligent eyes, and
| these were hidden by a pair of blue spec
! taces. His long untrimmed hair was a
ginger red, and his beard, l verify be-
| lieve, had never been cut since it first
began to grow.
He did not attempt to apologize for his
! intrusion, but without looking to the right
| or to the left made straight for a vacant
seat, and began to pay marked attention
to the music. 1t was my turn to play, but
1 was so confused, so utterly dumfounded
| by the appearance of this strange crea-
| ture that when 1 struck my violin with
the bow my hand trembled so that / could
not produce a single note. Again and
| again / tried, and at last was about to
! give it up in despair when the Man in
| Blue rose from his seat and came straight
| to me. Young man." said he, you have
/ a more difficult instrument there than you
| think. Hand II to me and l will play in
your stead" l mechanically gave him
Fortunate" and he at once commenced
his performance. Never had heard such
| playing beforei The instrument seemed
| to receive from his bow soul capable of
! expressing every emotion. We were all
/ amazed and delighted, and at the termi-
nation of his concerto such a storm of
applause rewarded the singular perform
er that. quite overcome, he Acknowledged
ha in, or
! that we youngsters Uttered.
1 should here mention that we were on
the eve of our grand annual musical fes-
tival at which some of the greatest mu-
sicians of Germany had announced their
intention of attending My father. natu-
rally concluding that our guest was some
celebrated maestro who had arrived in
cognito, hastened to thank him for the
favor he had conferred upon US and also
to offer him his hospitality during his stay
in the town. Tho Man IN Blue at first
refused, then hesitatea. and finally ac-
| cepted our pressing Invitation.
We paid him every attention. and by
! his gentle manners and delightful tai
ent 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 great
many things concerning the violin and
IT'S use of which | WAS previously ignor-
ant, and to this curious man 1 owe many
OF my subsequent and greatest triumphs.
My SON. he would say love music.
Music is the food of the soul. the only
possession we have on earth which we
shall retain in heaven.
If stranger happened to pay a visit,
our new friend would Immediately take
"A q he alone
with Karl, myself. arI Fortunate" One
day merchant named Krebbs came on
some matter Of business he had to trans
act with my father. and stumbled upon
the Man in Blue. who was making good
his escape. The poor vioiinist on seeing
Merchant Krebbs turned as pale as death,
and, covered with confusion. tottered to a
bench, hiding his face in his hands.
We'll, l declare, said Krebbs to my
father, you are an odd man to receive
that creature into your family. Why. 1
thought he was in prison or in lunatc
asylum, drowned or run over"
DO you know him. then?' asked my
father with ill-disgused curiosity.
Know himi OF course / do. His name
is Beze and he is by trade a carpenter
But nless you. he's as mad as a March
hare. Some time ago our church organ
was struck by lightning. Beze came for
ward at once and proposed to mend it,
provided the parish furnished him the
terials. AS he was known for a good
musician and a clever workman, our pas
he and slaved night and day for at least
six weeks AT last the organ was mend
ed, Beze struck a few chords. and it
sounded better than ever. The day ar
rived for the first public hearing of the
renovated instrument; the mayor and all
the village We're present, and Beze himself
did not fail to appear attired in his usual
blue. Blue is his color. He made some
VOW or other years ago to the Virgin new
er to wear any other than her colors-
blue and white. | tell you he is crazy.
But to return to the organ. When the
ganist began to play upon II. devil a
sound would II produce except when he
pulled the new stop out. on went the or
squeaking and whistling like mad. The
girls began to laugh. the mayor to swear.
and the pastor-well heAbecame frantic.
poor man. Beze Is a fool an idiot. He
has ruined the organ, cried everyone. And
soon, amid the derision Of the congrega-
ton, your friend left the church. Strange
to say, since that day we have never
seen the creature, but our organ Is com
pletely spoilt and remains as silent as the
tomb"
Thus spoke Merchant Krebbs I could
hear no more, but hurried out to console
our poor friend. i found him sitting all
forlorn under an apple tree. his face turn
ed toward the setting sun. "Ah! my
young friend he cried, do you yon
little cloud which lobscures 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 tarnished name Will have to pass
away soon. or 1t Will be too late. That
organ which / recYnstructed has a soul
wo1Red wishia hard All to- my lodge ere my ideai hasf
of music within the compass of single
instrument l have dope this. The soul