Year: 1872

MoZaFI urSt experience OF large or
gan was In the monastery of little town
on the banks of the Danube He was then
six years old, and in company with his
father had left his home in Slazburg, and
started upon a long course of travel. All
day long they had been sailing down that
ajestic river, past crumbling ruins, frown-
ing castle s,cloisters hidden away among the
crags, towering cliffs, quiet villages nestled
in sunny valleys, and here and there
deep gorge that opened back from the
gliding river, its hollow distance blue with
fathomless shadow, and its loneliness and
stiffness stirring the boys heart like some
dim and vast cathedral.


The company of Monks with whom they
had been travelling that day were at supper
in the refectory of the cloister, when
father Mozart took Wolfgang into the
chapel to see the organ.


And now as the boy gazed with some
thing of awe upon the great instrument,
looming up in the shadows of the great
empty church, his face lit up with serene
satisfaction, and every motion and attitude
of the little figure expressed wonderful
reverence. What tones must now be slum-
bering in those mighty pipes Tones,
which ii once awakened, could give utter
ance to all that voiceless beauty which the
days scenes had showed him life and death /.
present and past; the peaceful river, and
the deserted ruins the unfailing shadow
at his side.


g Father, said the boy explain to me
these pedals at the organs feet and let me
play"


Well pleased, the father complied,
Then Wolfgang pushed aside the stool, and
when father Mozart had filled the great
bellows, the elm organist stood upon the
pedals and trod them as though he had
never needed to have their management ex-
planned


How the deep tones awoke the sober still
ness OF the old church. The organ seemed
some great uncouth creature, roaring for
very JOY at the caresses of the marvellous
child


Tue monks, eating their supper in the
refectory, heard the tones and dropped
knife aud fork in astonishment. The or
ganist Of the brotherhood was among them :
but never had he played with such power
and freedom They listened some grew
pale, others crossed themselves till the
prior rose up, summoned all his courage,
and FASTENED into the chapel. The others
followed but when they looked up into the
organ-loft, 10 there was no form or any
organist to be seen, though the deep tones
still massed themselves in new harmonies,
and made the stone arches thrill with their
power. 1t Is the devil himself" cried
the last one of the monks, drawing closer
to one of his companions, and giving a
scared look over his shoulder to the dark
ness of the aisle.


.' 1t is q miracle :" said another. But
when the oldest of their number mounted
the stairs TO the organ front, he stood as
If petrihed with amazement There stood


the tiny figure, treading from pedal to
pedal, and at the same time cutching the
keys above with his little hands, gathering
herdiuils OF these wonderful chords as
though they were yiolets and finging them
out into the solemn gloom behind him He
heard nothing, saw nothing besides, his
eyes beamed like stars, and his whole face
hghtened with impassioned Joy. Louder
and fuller rose the harmonies, streaming
forth in swelling billows till at last they
seemed to reach a sunny shore, on which
they broke aud then whispering ripple
Of taintest melody fingered a moment in
the air, ike the last murmur of a wind
harp. and all was still.