The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-06-08
TG7HE ORGANS T.
NV RENE BAZIN.


| lightness; he tried to hear neither the
crickets, with their Neapolitan songs,
nor the tamarisk shrubs, those un-
wearying murmurers Of lullabies; but
when he came upon pine tree, he
seated himself at its foot and took
lesson. Master of masters" he said,
"singer of the north and of the south,
self-suficlng, and evolving the same
meditative theme, alike beneath the
sun and the fog"
But, far more often, M. Bretwiller
did not go out. In the streets his tall,
bent figure was seldom seen, unless 1t
were on saints days, half an hour be-
fore service and half an hour after
ward. He walked along, already i'm
provising. possessed by the idea which
developed itself exuberantly in these
moments of exaltation. He saw no
one, bowed to no one, and did not
know that he had reached his destina-
tion until suddenly the shadow close
to the Roman walls of the cathedral
made him raise his head. Then, go
ing in by door of which he alone
possessed the key, he mounted the
organ gallery, seated himself, threw
a terrible glance at the blower, and
played few chords, with his hand
and his foot, to test himself. Then,
the time having come, he abandoned
himself to the charm of his compost
Al which n1ac
fined to himself He was no longer
bowed down, but erect, solemn,
happy.
The only person who disturbed him
in these joyful hours was Catbise, the
chapel-master, who responded to him
with the little choir-organ; Catbise,
who played the chants, pure south
srner, and of the blond kind which
never knows self-distrust. This Cat
bise, who had not composed even a
waltz, delighted his audience with
| preludes, sorrowful airs with flowery
| variations, fearful strains mingled
with Tyrolean warblings, the art, in
fact, of the little Italians who smil-
ingly play the violin in the streets.
Bretwiller execrated him, all the more
so because once or twice year a
certain worthy canon, who had no
thought of ill-will would come to
him and say: "How you master your
organ, M. Bretwiller! What a pity
that you are not always clear! See
NJ. Catbse, young man with great
| future. There is a man whom one
can easily understand, and whom one
can follow without fatigue"
Catherine consoled her father for
the injustice of men. She was the
true cause of this sacrificed life. If
you could have penetrated the secret
of that old artists soul, you would
! have seen what no one knew, not even
Catherine herself, that II he remained
in that southern land, so rebellious to
his art, it was not in order to secure
the triumph of his favorite composers
or of his own works, but to save
Catherine, who had been sickly from
her childhood. A physician in whom
M. Bretwiller had confidence had
said: "If she leaves the south before
she is twenty-five years old she will
not live." He waited, watching with
a growing hope the restoration of
this child who had neither strength
nor beauty. From year to year he
observed new favorable symptoms.
She had a faint color in her cheeks.
She walked moro firmly. Her voice
assumed without effort the grave full
ness which indicates a robust life.
Would she live? And could they boti,
leave the valley of the Rhone, and
make their way to the north, she,
after having passed her early youth,
he, before his final old age? When
she sang he said aloud: what JOY
to be so understood! What queen
of high art you are!" At the same
time he thought: I'VE will leave
them all. these lovers OF farondoles
I will take YOU far away. You were
almost sentenced to death, and now
life smiles upon you"