Year: 1872

dergraduate to meddle with and iniure so
noble and valuable an Instrument


From that hour | knew there was no
more help TO be obtained by me from that
"noble and valuable" etc. I was thrown
on my own resources. My organ pro-
crossed but slowly; my work, from being
initiative, became tentative; and often
times fitted twenty different pieces of
wood in given place before | got it
right. Week after week toilcd away la.
boriously, with patience worthy of
better cause. chafed good deal at my
constant obstacles, and twice did attempt
to make 1t up with the organist. But it
was no use.


mo, sir" he said, peremptorily; 'there
will be no more damage done TO the organ
by you again, If can help it,"


By this time had finished the key.ac.
ton, bellows, sound board, and wind
chest. The pipe-work, so far as it was
metal, did not attempt. This portion
OF my organ was supplied by an organ
builder in London. The stopworlk was
also finished, and | was now engaged in
putting on some composition-pedafs. In
this there were one or two intricacies
which | could not solve, and l at last de-
termined that | would attempt furtively
to get into the chapel organ and examine
the composition-pedals there But al
this | was staggered by the difficulty of
the project. To get the keys of the organ
was impossible. To force an entrance
was, of course out of the question. NV
only chance was to watch an opportunity
when the organ should be left open, and
the organist absent. For this combina-
tion of circumstances | watched and wait
ed i'll vain for nearly three weeks At
last, one Sunday morning, | was late for
chapel, and passing up the antc-chapel
found the choirgates closed, and the SER
vice well advanced. / had nothing par
ticular to do, so | thought | would sit
down in the ante-chapel' to hear the an
them. So | made myself comfortable
near the screen, looking up every now
and then to the "noble and valuable" old
instrument above me. Towards the end
OF the Psalms a frightful ciphering took
place, or lin untechnical languagel several
notes struck down inside the organ, and
sounded various and discordaht pipes
whetherthe organist liked it or no. This
"cipheringn | at once perceived was on
the swell. In a second heard hand
full of swellstops pushed hastily in, and
the Psalms were finished on the Great
and Choir. When the anthem began,
the first few chords told me plainly
enough, that the swell was now all right
the ciphering had been cured Now
knew that, in all probability, the organist
must have got at the key-action to effect
this, and | also knew that, in that clumsi-
ly-arranged instrument, he could not do
this without going inside. At once it
struck me-had he left the little side-door
open? If he had, now was nv oppor-
tunity. | slipped up the winding stair
case, and crept cautiously along the top
of the screen till hid myself behind the
organ. Unfortunately for me, the side
door was near the bellows-handle, and 50
| long as the mau who blew sat near could
do nothing. However, as this was SER
mon Sunday, | had plenty of time; so
kept still in my hiding-place, and bided
my time. The bellows blower, might 20
to sleep, or lie might leave the organ loft
! for few minutes during the sermon.
! The Dean gave out his text, and com
menced one of his dreary and lengthy
compositions. l cannot say | was very
attentive. | was too fully occupied in
watching my man. Slowly and ponder
ously the learned Dean got through his
introduction and the first of his three
/ heads. Just as he proceeded with
Secondly" the bellows-b blower, to
my great joy, softly left the organ
loft, while the Organist was all right
in 'front.' listening hard, it is to be
/ hoped, to the Deans sermon. In a
moment l slipped round, when | found
the coast was clear, and came upon the
| little side.door open l doubled myself
up and got in. | went cautiously on
hands and knees across the top of the
bellows, and after several hairbreadth
escapes, reached the rods of the great
organ stops, with the composition rollers
working above and below. I softly got
off the bellows at the side farthest from
the side door, and here | had to place
myself into the most uncomfortable posi-
/ ton it is possible to conceive. | had Just
room for my two legs, but none for the
upper part of my body. A large beam
| projected just into the very spot where
my shoulders ought to have been so
had to bend my head forward over the
! top of the Teseryoir-bellows, with a row
of sharp wire screw-ends above, lying
across the nape of my neck The com,
/ position pedalwork was now in front
of me nearly, and, pulling out a
small rule, Immediately commenced my
| investigation and measurement. Mean,
| while, l could hear the heavy theological
Dean droning out his interminable
sermon. For the first time in my life ]
admired his prolixity, for every additional


subdivision of his subject gave me SC
much more time for my work. l knew
| full well that, when the sermon came tc
an end, my little excursion must alsc
terminate, for the organist would ther
commence his concluding voluntary.


heard n faint sound at the back
of the organ, of which, however, l did
] mnTh I cIIVY
rightly that 1t was the blower returning
| to his post, and | naturally calculated the
small gratuity which would suffice to buy
his silence when | made my exit through
the dark little door opposite. How fal
| the Dean had advanced in his sermon
| could not tell exactly, but knew he was
deep in Thirdly" and | thought to my
self it was nearly time for me to get out


had just resolved upon thfs, and was
| folding up my twC-foot rule and my paper
OF memoranda, when my attention was
attracted by subdued creaking sound
| | looked around, and, by the dusty twi
| light which prevailed inside the organ,
just saw enough to suspect that the bel
Iows-blower had begun to put in the
wind. In the greatest CONSERVATION pu


my hand upon the top of the reservoir
bellows just before me. Yes, it was toe
true; the wind was being put in, ready


for the concluding voluntary. 1t mus


be remembered that my head was of ne


cessity bent forward, that my face was
looking down upon the top of the bellows


and that was 50 securely wedged into
this position that it was only by scramb
ling across the top of the bellows | coulC
possibly get out; and this was only posi-


Bile when the wind was out and the bel
lows at its lowest level. Immediately


when saw the difficulty, l endeavoreC
to get one leg upon the bellows, il
the hope might be able to scramble ovel
it to the other side before it rose mucI


higher. But it had already risen too higE
for this. Every movement of the handle


worked by the man outside, raised thu
large moving surface an additional incl
or so, 1t was now breasthigh, within
two inches of my face, To raise my heaC


was impossible, for, as before remarked


a row of sharp screw-ends technically


called "tapped wires'0 was directly owe
a