Year: 1869




Years ago at the grand cathedral overlooking
the Rhine there appeared very distinguished
organist. The great composer who had played
the organ so long had suddenly died, and every
body, from the king to the peasant wonder
ing who could be found to fill his place, when
one bright Sabbath morning as the sexton
entered the church, he n Stranger sitting at
the crape-shrouded organ. H was a tall, grace
full man, with pale, but strkingly handsome
face, great black, melancholy eyes, and hair like
the ravens wing for gloss and color, sweeping
In dark waves over his shoulders. He did not
seem to notice the sexton, but went on playing
and such music as be drew from the instrument
no words of mine can describe. The astonished
listener declared that the organ seemed to have
grown human-that it walled and sighed and
clamored as if tortured human heart were
throbbng through its pipes.


When the music at length ceased the sexton
FASTENED to the strangers side and asked:


Fray, who are you, sir p


I" Do not ask my name" he replied g. have
heard that you were in want of an organist, and
j have come here trial"


" You'll be sure to get the place" exclaimed
the sexton. Why, you surpass him that's dead
and gone"


"No, no, you overrate me, - said the stranger,
with smile; then, if disinclned to conver-
sation, he turned from old Hans, and began to
II
sorrowful strain to grand old p@an, and the
mysterious old organist-


Looking upward full Of grace


Plays still from happy place


Gods glory smote him in the face,
and his countenance seemed not unlike that of
st. Michael, as portrayed by Guido.


Lost in the melodies which swelled around
him, he sat with his ' far-seeing eyes fixed on
the distant sky, glimpse of which he caught
through the open window, when there was a
stir about the church door, and royal party
came sweeping in. Among them might be seen
bright young girl, with n wealth of golden
hair, eyes like the violet's hue, and lips like
wild cherries. This the Princess Elizabeth, !
and all eyes were turned toward her she
seated herself in the vclvet-cnshiored pew ap-
propriated to the court The mysterious organ |
ist fixed his eyes upon her and went on playing. |
No sooner had the music reached her than
she started ms if ghost had crossed her path. |
The blood faded from her crimson cheek, her
lips quivered, and her whole frame grew tremu-
lous. AT last her eyes met those of the organist
in n long yearning look, and the melody lost its
Joyous notes and once more walled and sighed
and clamored.
"By faith" whispered the king to his
daughter, this organist has master hand.
Hark ye, he shall play at your wedding"
The pure lips of the Princess parted, but she
could not speak-she was dumb with grief
Like in painful dream she the pale
man at the organ and heard the melody which
filled the vast edfce. Ay, full well she knew
who it was and why the instrument seemed
breathing out the agony of a tortured heart.


When the services over and the royal
party had left the cathedral, he stole away as
mysterously as he had come. lie was not seen
again by the sexton till the vesper hour, and
then he appeared in the organ loft and
menced his task. While ne played vailed figure
glided in, and knelt near shrine. There she
remained until the worshippers disappeared,
when the sexton touched her on the shoulder
and said:


Madame, everybody has gone but you and
me, and wish to close the door"


'' am not ready to go yet" was the reply /;
"leave me-leave me r.


The sexton drew back into shady niche and
watched and listened. The mysterious organst
still kept his post, but his head was bowed upon
the Instrument, and he could not see the lone
devotee. At length she from the aisle, and
moving to the organ loft paused beside the
organist. Bertram - she murmured.


Quick as thought the organiSt raised his head.
There, with the light of lamp suspended to the
arch above falling full npon her, stood the Prin-
cess who had graced the royal pew that day
The court dress of velvet. with its ermine trim
mings, the tiara, the necklace, the bracelets had
been exchanged for a gray serge robe and a
long thick vail which now pushed back
from her fair, grlish face.


"Why are you here, Bertram?'' asked the
Princess.


al came to bid you farewell; and us dared
not venture into the palace, gained access to
the cathedral by brihing the bell-rnger, and
having taken the seat of the dead organist, let
my music breathe out the adieu | could not
trust my lips to utter.''


A low moan was the only answer, and he
continued You to be married on the
morrow


-
what trial it will be to stand at yonder altar,
and take upon me the vows which Will doom me
to a living death"


"Think of me- rejoned the organist.
" Your royal father has requested me to play at
the wedding, and have promised to be here.
If were your equal could be the bridegroom
instead of the organist; but poor musician
must give you up"


"It is like rending my soul and body asunder
to part with you,' said the girl. Tonight |
may tell you this-tell you how fondly love
you, but in Jew hours it will be a sin Go,
60, and God bless YOU"


She waved him from her, ms if she would
Danish him while she had the power to do so
and he-how was it with him? He arose to
leave her, then came back, held her to his heart
In along embrace ana with a-half smothered
farewell, left her.


The next morning dawned in cloudless splen-
dor. AT an early hour the cathedrel was thrown
open, and the sexton began to prepare for the
wedding. Flame-colored flowers nodded BY the
wayside hame-coored leaves came dashing
down the trees and lay in heaps upon the
ground; and the ripe wheat waved like a golden
sea, ana berries dropped in red and purple clus-
ters over the rocks along the Rhine.


At length the palace gates were opened and
the royal party appeared, escorting the Princess
Elizabeth to the cathedral, where the marriage
was to be solemnized.


It was bright pageant-far brighter than tie
entwined foliage and blossoms were the tufts OF
plumes which foated from stately heads and
fsstal robes that streamed down over the hons.