The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24

n
days contest on the bells of $. Rom
ooIdS tower, after which the King
prize had been awarded to the most M,
Curate ana most finished competitor
That outdoor scene Of which he told n.
the Grand Place filled with thousand
of eager listeners. somehow sIgpa.t.
splendid hnale Of an opera. 1t wa,
with unusual interest. then, thai We s.,
t"rth Tor Mechlin To hear the master
carllonneur give one of his famou.
Monday evening concerts.
Mechlln lies midway between Ant.
werp and Brussels and is reached "a,
train from either city in half an hour
II was once the centre Of great politl-
cal and ecclesiastic activity, and is sill,
the seat of the primate of Belgium
Much of its charm remains and Their,
is delightful repose in the old stree.
where many picturesque gables of In,
sixteenth and seventeenth century
houses. SO characteristic of the Flemish
Netherlands, look down upon the tray
eller. In the street of the Twelve
Apostles there is small Beguinagr
and near it "A lace making school w.hrr,
the sisters teach children 20 max, ih,
famous Mechlin lace.
In these northern countries the dav
is long even in late August. and il was
sun twilight Against the southern
sky framed in by two dark trees in
the foreground, rose the broad rugged
tower OF ;. Rumbold's. High up. near
the top Of IN" tower. from narrow
opening, shone out faint dun light
After the bell ceased striking and
lno vibration Of its deep and solemn
tone mad died away there was silence
80 long a silence it seemed. so absolute
mat we wondered il it ever was To D.,
broken. Then pianissimo. from IN,
highest, lghteSt bells, as if not q.
Siarlle us. and from far. far above the
tower II secmed-indeed as if very gently
shaken from the sky itself-came trlUs
ana runs that w,re angelic! RAPIDLY
they grew in volume and majesty As
they descended the scale until the en-
tire heaven seemed full of music. Seated
IN the garden We watched the It'll.
lsht in the tower, where we knew
the unseen Carillonneur sat at his ella
Nltr ana drew the music from his KEYS
ana yet as We watched and listened ~.
somehow felt that the music came from
somewhere far beyond the tower. far
higher than that dim light, and WAS
produced by superhuman hands. some
times m winter after icices have
formed, there comes a thaw. and one hy
one they tlnkle down gently and timldly
't hrst' then holder in a mass they
come till like an avalanche. they crash
uoWn with mighty roar. All of this
the music suggested. 1t was low. 10
was loud it was from one bell it wa,
from chords of many bells: ii was ma
JoSllc' II was simple. And every note
seemed To iall from above. from such
h''Ehts mat the whole land heard it,
beauty 1t was as IL a great master
"'u saIu' l am no longer content To-
SIT at my cathedral organ and give
pleasure To a few hundreds only:
must give joy To thousands" So h,
mounts the cathedral tower, and play~
mis- sonata or his prelude or his songs
upon the great clavier, so that all the
world may hear. With this feeling we
listened that evening to Van den
Ghryn's prelude" and to the Andlni,
and Allegro from Rossinrs Barber lc
Seville and to old Belgian and French
folk songs. Here was no petty clever
ness, hut IA splendid master hand bring.
ing out from his mighty instrument NOT
alone grand. sublime effects, but also
the tenderst shades of feeling that
awaken both memory and aspiration
Indeed, the tower seemed a living
being, opening its lips i'm the mysterious
night To pour out "A great and noble
message OF song to all mankind.
AS the hour passed daylight died, In,
the tower grew more distinct in the
light of rhe fun moon rising over the
trees. We had programmes which w.
passed in silence to one another, ami
II there was occasion to speak We spoke
IN whispers. 1t seemed that if W.
moved or spoke aloud the tower. IN,
TAR away light, ana the music might
all vanish. Nothing We had ever eN-
perlenced had been like this. some.
times the sounds were so low that ~
found ourselves bending forward 10
hear them. They seemed to come from
an infinite distance. so faint and doll
cate were they Then at other times
great chords in the volume of many
organs burst forth rIpturously!
The concert ended promptly at . with
the national air of Belgium. Directly
after this the great bell slowly, sol
EMMY struck the hour. Leaving IN"
quiet garden We walked back To the