The soul of an organ

i^J

GIFT OF
Sir Henry Heyman

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

THE SOUL OF AN
ORGAN

BY

LOUISE VESCELIUS-SHELDON

nKe ChristopKer PublisKing Hotise
Boston, Massachusetts

-' -* i -* ^ " ** « t» «» ^ ., .

Copyright igi6
By Thb Christopher Publishing Hoosk

INTRODUCTION

The following pages, which, in my
humble judgment, are of intense interest and
value to all seekers for first-hand informa-
tion regarding the nature of a larger life
than that which meets our external senses,
contain an accurate account of experiences
in real life, veiled in the guise of seeming
fiction. We have almost ceased to be as-
tonished at any new revelation in the domain
of applied science which may come into
general vogue. Only a comparatively few
years ago Wireless Telegraphy was un-
known, and the great discoveries of William
Marconi and a few other extremely ad-
vanced electricians were looked upon by
many professedly **practical, level-headed"
persons as merely figments of the scientific
imagination.

As long ago as during the 80's of the
19th century Sir Oliver Lodge and a few
other singularly intrepid and adventurous
men of scientific renown had plunged into
the vortex of Psychical Research, but though
the famous Professor Alfred Russel Wal-
lace had avowed himself a Spiritualist and
Sir William Crookes had come out boldly
in favor of a scientific theory of telepathy,
the average man of science looked askance
5

6 INTRODUCTION

at anything presumably calculated to cross
the mysterious border-Hne between the physi-
cal and the spiritual.

The position of the scientific world is now
so greatly changed that we are not aston-
ished to learn on good authority that Sir
Oliver Lodge is positively convinced that he
is in possession of satisfactory evidence
confirming the fact of actual communion
between those still functioning through physi-
cal bodies and the so-called, but mis-called,
dead.

A gifted writer has recently expressed
herself in the following impressive words^
called forth by recent demonstrations in the
field of actual scientific exploration: **But
a very few years ago wireless telegraphy as
a medium for transmitting intelligence through
the air was unheard of; yesterday the hu-
man voice was heard distinctly half way
round the planet; to-morrow we may hear
a voice from one of the distant stars."

Important though these new discoveries
and revelations unquestionably are, when
viewed solely from the standpoint of com-
mercial advantage and freedom of inter-
course between physically separated friends,
the ethical implications of this rapidly grow-
ing proof of the immeasurable greatness of
human capacity are far more stupendously
important, for the larger view we take of our
possibilities, and the greater our knowledge
of the law governing psychical as well as
physical activity, the stronger must become
our hold on assurances of immortality and

INTRODUCTION 7

the certainty that we are even now and here
living in a spiritual realm immeasurably
vaster than our physical senses can deter-
mine.

The more sensitive we are constitutionally
or temperamentally the more readily do we
respond to vibrations in higher octaves than
those which appeal to our less sensitive, or
less highly sensitized, fellow beings.

Musical therapeutics is a branch of scien-
tific healing which has been as yet hardly
hinted at save by a few unusually progressive
musical enthusiasts, among whom Eva
Augusta Vescelius, sister of the author of
**The Soul of an Organ," has been a genu-
ine pioneer. But with the increase of atten-
tion now being bestowed upon the psychical
aspects of therapeutics, we may confidently
expect that in the very near future music will
take its rightful place among accepted health-
giving and health-restoring agencies, and lit-
erally from the very ''soul*' of an organ will
proceed healing effluence appreciable by suf-
ferers for whose necessities other modes of
treatment may have long been tried in vain.
The widespread interest in music, which is
growing daily, is certainly an avenue through
which the higher forces can work directly for
the alleviation of human suffering and the
increase of knowledge concerning celestial
realms. Adelaide Proctor's exquisite poem,
**The Message Sent to Heaven," is receiving
more and more justification as science grasps
the hand of poetry and pays its tribute to the

8 INTRODUCTION

fundamental verities which underlie the poets'
rhapsodies.

The coming age will unquestionably be
one in which there will be no antagonism
between intellect and emotion, but the two
will so dwell together, as in connubial felicity
that, to use popular rather than scientific
phraseology, head and heart will run in
double harness.

Transcending all else of interest and vital
moment to humanity is the clear, bright
light which modern revelations are shower-
ing upon the hitherto dark problem of our
Hereafter. We may well admit the reason-
ableness of the new widely accepted proposi-
tion that there is the same intimate connection
between ourselves on earth and our so-called
"departed" loved ones that there is between
devoted friends whose physical bodies are
held apart by what the world calls material
space. The chasm of space is practically
bridged on earth by wireless telegraphy, but
there must be stations and operators or the
truth of "wireless" cannot be demonstrated.
So is it with our conscious communion with
the usually unknown realm of spirit. Glibly
we speak of invisible, inaudible and much
else that we arbitrarily designate neoratively.
while all about us are highly attuned human
instruments responding to finer vibrations
than the general average of humanity in its
present limited development can be aware of.

As a definite contribution to the literature
of the new period I heartily commend the
following entrancing story to all who are on

INTRODUCTION 9

the alert for confirmation of the mighty
truth of the beautiful inspiring words of
Harriet Beecher Stowe:

''It lies around us like a cloud, a world we
do not see;
But the soft closing of an eye, may bring
us there to be.**

— ^W. J. COLVILLE.

* 'Seated, one day, at the organ
I was weary and ill at ease.
And my fingers wandered idly
Over the noisy keys;
I know not what I was playing.
Or what I was dreaming then.
But I struck one chord of music.
Like the sound of a great Amen.

It flooded the crimson twilight.
Like the close of an Angel's Psalm,
And it lay on my fever'd spirit.
With a touch of infinite calm.
It quieted pain and sorrow.
Like love overcoming strife,
It seem'd the harmonious echo
From our discordant Hfe.

It linked all perplexed meanings.

Into one perfect peace.

And trembled away into silence.

As if it were loth to cease;

I have sought, but I seek it vainly.

That one lost chord divine.

Which came from the soul of the organ.

And enter'd into mine.

It may be that Death's bright Angel,
Will speak in that chord again.
It may be that only in Heav'n
I shall hear that grand Amen."

— ^Adelaide A. Proctor.

11

TKe Soul of an Organ

CHAPTER I.

In the province of Wurtemberg
on the banks of the Danube lies
the ancient and fortified town of
Ulm, whose streets at one time re-
sounded with the strains of martial
music and the tread of the armies
of Napoleon I.

It was in this quaint old town
that Napoleon's forces were en-
camped on their way to Russia,
and thirty thousand souls gathered
in the Cathedral to greet the Em-
peror.

The inhabitants of Ulm look
with awe and admiration upon
their Cathedral, whose single lofty
spire points like a finger to the
skies, while from its smaller pinna-
cles the Swabian Alps are to be
seen in the near distance.

13

14 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

The great Munster, four hun-
dred feet in length, is a worthy
temple of worship. Erected more
than three centuries before Colum-
bus set sail to try the fortunes of
a western course, serene and calm
it stands welcoming the hurrying
throng with scarcely a mark from
the hand of time to show the pass-
ing of the years.

It was a lovely day in May when
the sound of a great organ pealed
from the open door of the Cathe-
dral, while shimmering streams of
light were falling on worshiper
and priest, pillar and pulpit, from
windows high in the vaulted dome.

On the incense laden air, which
floated from the altar, rose the
thundering tones of the great in-
strument, uttering as it were, its
warlike commands to bitter foes in
combat, then again changing to
pleading strains as from some dis-
tant angel choir until the wor-
shiper was barely conscious of the
passing scene and the angel chant
grew fainter and still fainter, the
eyes closed in rapt adoration of
things sublime, the blood flowed

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 15

through the veins with an added
swiftness, the heart pulsated with
a conscious throb, and the breath
came slower through the lips, for
the soul of the man at the keyboard
was speaking through the instru-
ment, telling the story of life,
while the answering echo in every
heart gave testimony that all men
were brothers.

Who was this man that could
breathe into the organ and make
it a living entity to which the
thoughts and heart-throbs of the
kneeling multitude responded?
His shapely head covered with
softly waving brown hair, was
poised on high, broad shoulders;
the pointed beard had been care-
fully trimmed; the face in outline
was a blending of the feminine
and the masculine, and yet there
was a certain strength about the
muscles of the throat. But it was
in the dark blue eyes veiled by
black lashes that the singular fasci-
nation of the man was to be found.
Under deep emotion an intensity
of expression illuminated the face,

16 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

reminding one of Hoffman's paint-
ing of the man, Jesus.

As the music died away in the
gathering twilight and was lost in
the dark recesses of the Cathedral,
the organist rose and lifting his
head, gazed through and beyond
the arches above him. Presently a
sigh escaped his lips and he regret-
fully turned from the instrument,
his face lost that rapt look of the
artist, as slowly descending the
winding stairway, he passed out
through a side door into a garden
and strolled up a narrow path
leading to the dwelling at the end.
The strains of music still lingered
in his ear and he stood a few mo-
ments looking at the great stone
pile, as he had done many times
before.

It is in the presence of strength
outlined in noble structures, hal-
lowed by the devotion of centuries
that the best inspirations are often
born. Who knows what new motif
comes to the soul of the musician
who, through solitary hours, lives
alone in the vaulted dome of these

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 17

architectural wonders — " frozen
music."

As the organist awoke from his
reverie and neared the porch, a
sweet but intense face appeared in
the doorway.

He smiled as he saw his sister,
the gentle Amina. The green-
sward was covered with cherry
blossoms and the evening air was
laden with the delicious odor which
arises from the earth in the early
spring, while one of those rare,
restful twilights fell over the land.

As Amina came and stood at
Joseph's side, the nightingale in
the bushes sang its ode to the night
in a burst of joy. When it ceased
singing Amina softly crooned a
lullaby. All nature was wrapping
itself in repose, and she was assist-
ing it. Amina's brownish-lidded
eyes asked so many questions, not
of you, but of the stars, that it
would have taken an eternity to
have answered them, and her low
feminine voice was but an echo
from the gentle spirit within. To
live in her brother's world of music
made her life complete. He was

18 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

the beloved "Joseph" of the com-
munity; the capable leader of an
orchestra.

"Helena is coming home," said
Amina, as she handed him a letter
stamped with a foreign postmark,
"and she may be with us at any
moment, for the letter has been de-
layed."

A look of surprise swept over
the organist's face.

"Helena coming home!" he said.
"After all these years! I can
scarcely believe it."

He paced up and down the walk
with Amina, as he looked over at
the great Munster and continued:

"When Helena left us to go to
America as the wife of Carl Bauer,
I was the poor student, struggling
hesitatingly, but slowly to the goal.
She returns to us alone; a widow,
to find you, Amina lovelier than
ever."

"And to find that you are
the Kapellmeister of Ulm," said
Amina, with a bright smile. "I
have often dreamed of her return
and wondered if we would know
her."

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 19

"She cannot have changed very
much," said Joseph, thoughtfully,
'*for she was so temperamental; so
full of nervous energy, and restless
to the point of caprice, but never
tyrannical. She says," reading
from Helena's letter, '' 'I have
been overwhelmed with the care of
Mr. Bauer's affairs since his death,
and have finally decided to close
my house for the season and return
to the old home in Ulm.' "The
simple life here, sister, attracts her
after all. We would not wish to
leave it for all that she could lavish
upon us."

CHAPTER II.

As the evening chimes pealed
from the tower, Amina's voice
roused Joseph from the reverie
into which he had fallen.

"Come, brother," she said, "we
have the proben tonight. It is time
to go." And they passed through
the gate in the wall that sur-
rounded the garden and walked
down the quiet old street to the
hall not far away, where the sound
of sweet discord, dear to every mu-
sic lover greeted the ear.

The violins were being tuned to
pitch; the softly melodious tones
of the horns were heard; while the
sweet-voiced oboe, the flute and the
clarionet were merrily caroling
cadences and arpeggio prepara-
tory to the evening's rehearsal.

Joseph took his seat as leader
with more than his usual show of
interest, for 'Tristan and Isolde*
was being interpreted by his be-
loved band. Joseph lifted his

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 21

baton and the passionate under-
tone of the great love poem began
to slowly vibrate through the
room. When the tender strains
of "Isolde's" music were heard,
Joseph's heart swelled within his
breast and the notes of the score
were blurred through a river of un-
shed tears. A vision of his own
lost Ailsa, whose life had been his
inspiration, rose up before hiin.
From early childhood the love be-
tween Joseph and Ailsa had blos-
somed like a flower, but a day
came when, with scarcely a mo-
ment's warning, Ailsa sighed her
soul away into the limitless ethers,
and left Joseph bereft.

It was Amina's tender sympa-
thy that gave Joseph renewed
hope, and gradually brought him
back to an interest in life. This
was accomplished in a measure,
through their mutual love for
music.

The program played this eve-
ning exerted a peculiar influence
over Joseph. When the final beat
was given, he dismissed the men
with a nod, and placing his hands

22 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

over his heart, walked home in si-
lence by Amina's side. The whis-
pered name "Ailsa" was sufficient
explanation for his noticeable
pallor.

On reaching the gate in the
garden wall, a carriage drove up
whose lighted lamp flared full in
their faces.

"Joseph, Amina!" cried a voice
from the darkness.

"Helena!" they both gasped and
in another moment were locked in
their sister's fond embrace.

As Helena entered the guest
room and seated herself in a
wooden high-backed chair, under
the swinging lamp, her eyes
roamed over the familiar apart-
ment, but always returned to
Joseph and Amina, who were
quietly observing her, while the
strains of "Tristan and Isolde"
still rang in their ears.

Amina found her old familiar
place on a footstool, at Helena's
side, and sat regarding her in open
admiration — for she was her ideal
of womanhood. The oval face,
sparkling blue eyes, and fun-lov-

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 23

ing mouth (perhaps a little too
wide) , with its dimpled smile, were
irresistibly fascinating. Her head,
crowned with a wealth of burn-
ished brown hair, which fell in
ripples about neck and ear, to-
gether with the pink and white
complexion, gave her quite a
youthful appearance. In fact, na-
ture had been very prodigal with
her gifts to Helena Bauer.

The dress, the bright boxes and
trunks belonging to her, the things
she threw down here and there, all
made an instantaneous change in
the home.

"I suppose that you would like
to know what brought me home to
Ulm? The fact is, that after Mr.
Bauer's death, I found the adjust-
ment of his business interests re-
quired my undivided attention.
Those months of anxiety seemed
fearfully long. You can imagine
how tired I grew of the confusion,
when I decided to throw care to
the winds and return to you in the
serenity of the old home, and rest
awhile."

Amina caressed her sister's hand

24 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

and said: "We intend keeping you
with us for many days."

"You are living happily as
usual, Joseph, under the shadow
of the Cathedral, with its gloomy
niches and whispering corners?"

"We love the old Cathedral; it
casts its benediction over us. We
would be lost if we left its
shadow," Joseph said, rising and
leading the way to the dining
room.

The room with its low ceiling
and small square windows draped
in white dimity; the steaming tea
kettle hanging over the fire and
humming a tune to which the lid
was merrily dancing; the table
spread with its simple fare, to-
gether with the general air of com-
fort and repose, presented a quaint
picture to the tired traveler. It
was as Joseph said: "We need so
little to make us content."

CHAPTER III.

Helena nestled in this restful
home with ever-increasing interest,
for the qualities of both mind and
heart of her brother and sister
appealed to her affectional nature.

She realized that it was Amina's
brooding spirit hovering over ev-
erj^ detail of Joseph's career that
gave him time for labor and com-
position. It was Amina who ar-
ranged the orchestral scores for
rehearsals ; kept the house scrupu-
lously clean; prepared the meals
to suit his tastes, and still found
time to devote to her piano and
accompany him in his violin
studies.

The music, so impersonal, car-
ried healing on its wings. It was
like heavenly manna to Helena's
soul; and she knew that it was
Joseph's and Amina's daily food.

This visit to the old home proved
to be one of genuine pleasure to
Helena, especially in the meeting

26 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

of girlhood friends who assisted in
making the summer pass quickly
by. When the days began to
shorten, Helena took long solitary
drives, during which she turned
over many things in her mind.
Her restless spirit craved excite-
ment, while her commercial inter-
ests called to her from New York,
but a feeling of fear gripped her;
the fear of loneliness which is the
twin sister to monotony. As the
time fixed for her departure drew
near, the restlessness increased un-
til she had a sudden inspiration.
Joseph and Amina should return
with her to America ! The decision
was quickly made, and that same
evening on her return from the
drive, she broached the subject.

"Why cannot you and Amina
go to America with me?" she said
to Joseph, as they sat talking of
her departure. "You should see
something of the world beyond
Ulm. Everything that you have
here is included in the life in
America, but there, commerce
overshadows art."

There was a long pause. Joseph

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 27

sat motionless, while a flood of ten-
der memories swept over him.
The inspiration of the home, of the
Cathedral, of a thousand and one
things that were life itself.

"Nothing can overshadow art,"
he finally said, "for art includes
philosophy. The professional man
and the philosopher should grow in
wisdom, and their judgment and
spiritual intuition increase with
years. The treadmill of competi-
tion in the business world is the
soul crusher; the genius escapes
the treadmill, but it takes what the
American calls 'nerve' to do it and
play the game to a finish. Nothing
was ever gained through slaying
your brother."

The restless movement of Hel-
ena's rocking chair was the only
sound that broke the stillness.
There was a sad note in Joseph's
voice as he continued:

"Our wants are few, sister; we
have enough for our every need,
and I think that Amina is happy.
Why should we leave the old home
with its hallowed associations and
break the rythm of our lives?"

28 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

"Ah, brother," cried Helena,
shrugging her shoulders, "you are
not weighing your words. The
fact is, you have too many ideals."

Joseph sat thinking over those
words "too many ideals," until
Amina came into the room and lit
the lamp, then turning to her he
said in a low voice, full of emotion:

"Our sister says that we have too
many ideals. She is wrong! We
cannot have too many ideals, for
we have time to live up to them
here. Live your own life in your
own way," he said to Helena, "but
leave us, with God's blessing, to
listen to the voice of the soul, and
do what little we can to interpret
the music of the great masters.
Here, life's song lingers on the
gentle breeze, and we are content
with our lot just as it is."

"I have no patience with either
of you. Why should your music
constitute the entire world to both
of you? Now brother," continued
Helena coaxingly, "you can both
labor in your world of music, and
at the same time be of assistance
to me."

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 29

Joseph rose from his chair and
moved restlessly about the room as
he said:

"The whirr of your great wheels
of commerce would drown aught
else! I must hear the nightingale
that sings in these bushes. I
would pine for the Cathedral — for
the Danube flowing by our side."

"So you think now," persisted
Helena. "But you will find other
things in the New World which
will take their place. We have the
woods, the birds, the rivers; in
fact, all that Ulm possesses we
have — with the exception of the
Cathedral. Joseph, I have no
one near me upon whom I can rely,
and you would be of great assis-
tance to me."

Joseph stood facing her, and at
once grasped the situation. She
was asking him to be her servant:
to place secondary the results of
his years of study; to throw aside
his art and take an interest in her
world of finance? The artist soul
in him shrank from the very
thought of it. Lifting his head he
looked steadily at her. Helena

30 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

had never seen him so stirred, and
the intensity of his varied emotions
surprised her.

"Should I accede to your wishes
and go with you," he said slowly
and distinctly as if weighing his
words, "we would all pay too
dearly for it. If I gave up my
hopes and ambitions as a musician
even for a time, the ear would close
to the harmonies that are born of
inspiration. I would become disin-
tegrated. Do not ask it."

Helena sat dumb. What could
it all mean, she asked herself.
Could not Joseph hear the great
orchestras of the New World;
greater than any he could ever
hope to hear in Ulm? Was there
no other song so sweet as the one
the single nightingale sang in the
garden? She looked at Joseph
and thought what a pity it was that
he was not more practical; what
was he really accomplishing any-
way. Composing a few fugitive
songs: an orchestral theme now
and then. A leader of an orches-
tra! What did that count for in
her world of things? What a pity

THE SOUL or AN ORGAN 31

it was that he was not like other
men who loved money?

CHAPTER IV:

Helena yielded gracefully how-
ever, to the seemingly inevitable,
and following the line of least re-
sistance, sped away to Paris to re-
new her wardrobe, and live a few
weeks in the French capital which
she had frequently visited with Mr.
Bauer. She was fond of gay col-
ors with daring artistic touches,
and only in that feminine city
could she find the right combina-
tion. Her gowns were selected to
suit her moods, so she adorned her
clothes.

A month elapsed before, pendu-
lum-like, she swung back to Ulm.
A few days after her arrival,
Amina sat looking at her sister's
purchases. She had never seen
such beautiful things, for, in their
quiet life, nobody wore expensive
gowns or jewels, except on gala
days, and the desire for personal
adornment had never before pre-
sented itself so forcibly.

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 33

Picking up a string of pearls
which Helena had brought her
from Paris, she counted them.
There was a pearl for each year of
her life, and as she clasped the
necklace around her throat, a
spark of the feminine within her
was touched; the necklace pos-
sessed an indefinable charm, and
she did not take it off. They were
her first jewels. As Helena con-
tinued opening other boxes con-
taining mangels of things in lace
and silk, so beautiful in texture
and design that one could but won-
der at the hands that made them,
the artistic side of Amina's nature
awoke to the meaning of such
clothes to the wearer.

She saw in a flash why Helena
loved that New World where such
things were created and from
which she and Joseph had shrunk.
Perhaps she had been a trifle sel-
fish in not urging Joseph to return
with Helena, for the change from
Ulm to America, even for a sea-
son, would certainly give him a
larger view of life, of men, and of
things in general.

M THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

It was all very well to love God,
and be a musician like Joseph, but
she realized also, that in her sis-
ter's busy world, ideals were either
moulded into concrete form, or
cast aside.

As Amina thought over these
things, she dressed for the street,
and went for a long walk. Her
step was slow and hesitating as she
left the house, and when she re-
turned an hour later, she stood
looking at the Cathedral, wishing
that it could speak and give her
some of the wisdom it held within
its walls, so that she might know
which way her duty lay. When
she entered the house, she had de-
cided upon laying the whole matter
before Joseph.

That very night she told him
frankly that she thought the
change would benefit him, and
concluded:

"We need not leave Ulm where
the spirit of content dwells, to
plunge into Helena's world of ex-
citement; we can live our own in-
dividual lives, leaving others to
chase after butterflies."

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 35

She paused, for a grim look of
resolve swept swiftly over Joseph's
face; as if in fact, he had had a
glimpse into futurity. Breathing
deeply he rose to his full height
and slowly said :

"This sacrifice is unnecessary.
But we will go, for a season and
see if it *pays' as Helena says."

CHAPTER V.

When Joseph told his devoted
band that he would soon be leaving
them, their protestations of devo-
tion made it difficult to break the
last tie that bound him to the old
home. The night at last arrived
when they gave their final pro-
gram. Never had they played so
well. Joseph heard the cheer of
approval from his friends who
crowded the hall, and heard them
crying lustily: "Auf Wiedersehen
Kapellmeister." His eyes filled
with tears; he bowed and lifted
the baton for one more mmiber.
It was the "Lorelei," and the echo
of the song was heard on the mid-
night air long after Joseph had re-
tired to rest.

A few days later they went
aboard the great ship and steamed
away with Helena to the New
World. Days passed and they sat
unnoticed in a corner of the spa-
cious salon, but it was the violin

36

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 37

lying in Joseph's stateroom, that
revealed his secret to his fellow-
passengers, and he was asked to
assist on the usual concert pro-
gram. When Joseph arose to play
they received him coldly, expecting
doubtless, to be bored by some
mediocre fiddler. But at the first
inspiring touch df his bow the at-
tention of everybody was rivetted
upon him. His face was trans-
figured, and he was soon oblivious
to his surroundings. When his
bow swept to its last beat, a great
wave of applause greeted him.
Hastily resuming his instrument,
Joseph played a Grieg melody,
filled with the magnetism of the
north, and the feeling of isolation
which had hitherto enveloped him,
fell away. He immediately be-
came the center of attraction and
made many friends.

They landed in New York the
following day with a feeling of un-
mixed pleasure, but listened in a
confusion of mind to the din of
gong and cable car, and the roar-
ing rushing trains overhead. They
were particularly interested in the

38 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

whirl of action everywhere in evi-
dence, and were soon convinced
that this was indeed a new land
and a new race keyed to a new
momentum of speed.

As they entered Helena's door,
a world of splendor was revealed.
On the walls of the drawing room
hung paintings from the brush of
modern masters. The fjords of
Norway, with their stupendous
waterfalls and beautifully tinted
snow-capped heights; Venetian
scenes and woodland paths soothed
the eye; while the summer breeze
played with the delicate lace cur-
tains. The grand piano was lost in
an alcove, which served as a back-
ground to gold and tapestried fur-
niture; shaded and draned in soft-
est tones of silken hangings, the in-
terior of this abode seemed an
Aladdin-like palace to the two
wanderers: especially to Amina,
for she had never even in imagina-
tion, pictured such a home.

CHAPTER VI.

Mr. Bauer had been considered
a singularly astute man in the busi-
ness world but he had made no
secret of the fact that he owed his
success to his wife's good judg-
ment and keen insight into his
moneyed interests.

The entire management of the
business had now fallen into her
hands. It was the detail con-
nected with it that irked her, and
it was here that Joseph's well
known characteristics, developed
through years of concentration
that had taught him the value of
time, served him in good stead.
He called for assistants from Mr.
Bauer's former employees, and the
early morning hours of the day
found him hard at work in the
office looking into Helena's ac-
counts, where she left him to con-
duct the business in his own way.

From the moment that Amina
stepped into Helena's home, a

39

40 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

round of gaiety with all its accom-
panying frivolity, kept her in a
continual whirl of excitement from
morning until night.

While dressing, in an abandon
of delight, for her first night at the
opera, she glanced in the mirror
and saw a stranger reflected there.

The low-cut evening gown of
pearl-trimmed cream-colored satin
Irevealed the exquisitely moulded
form of a beautiful woman.

The brown hair parted in the
middle of the low, broad forehead
and falling over the tips of the
small ears, was softly twisted into
a psyche knot at the back of the
shapely head.

For a moment Amina stood gaz-
ing at the mirror before it dawned
on her that she was looking at her
own reflection in the glass. Then
she awoke to a new sense of power,
which beauty alone gives, and
turning, descended the winding
stairway in a bewildered state of
mind. The Amina of Ulm had re-
incarnated.

Joseph stood faultlessly attired
in evening dress, and watched her

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 41

as she came, then bowing low, said
in a tone of mock humility:

"May I have the honor of escort-
ing Lady Amina to the opera to-
night?"

Amina courtesied and replied :

"I have been looking forward to
this night and hoped that it might
be possible for us to go together.
Just think, Joseph, of the changes
that have taken place since you last
led your orchestra."

Amina was evidently stirred, for
she added: "We must take up our
music studies and be serious once
more."

His sensitive lips twitched as she
said it, but he bit them into firm-
ness, and a sterner look, that was
almost austere, stamped itself
upon his face. The life in New
York had wrought a greater
change in Joseph than in Amina.
A dignity of bearing had always
been a distinguishing feature of
his make up, for it seemed to sepa-
rate him indefinably from other
men less introspective. He was
conscious, however, of a lack of
physical strength, for in trjring to

42 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

keep pace with the standard Amer-
ican business man, the end of the
day found him too tired for study.

"Helena's investments need my
undivided attention," he said to
Amina, when she questioned and
expostulated with him for becom-
ing submerged in the world of
finance.

Helena appeared superbly
gowned in a riot of color, and
wearing her famous rubies. She
gave her brother and sister a
glance of approval as she wrapped
her sable cloak about her, and filled
with the joy of life, descended the
steps to her waiting car. Her
opera box was the cynosure of all
eyes that evening, for its occupants
were distinctively charming in ev-
ery particular. From that night
the Metropolitan Opera House be-
came a veritable shrine to Amina,
and she revelled in the appearance
of each new attraction, until the
opening of the early Spring morn-
ing musicales which enchanted her,
because they were possibly, more
intimate affairs : the artists seemed
more human.

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 43

The end of the season's intro-
duction to New York's social life
found Amina eager for the change
offered by Helena to the quiet
of the country. Not until she
heard Helena directing the prep-
aration of the summer home,
did she know how tired she was.
A lassitude stole over her which
she was unable to shake off, and
when the day came for the closing
of the town house her lagging feet
would scarcely take her to the train
which bore her rapidly away to
green fields and pastures new.

CHAPTER VII.

During the hot and sultry
sununer months, Helena lavishly
entertained her numerous friends
in her country house on the Hud-
son. It stood on a bold promon-
tory commanding an inspiring
view of that noble river, and it was
there, amid the poetry in nature
which awakened to the whispering
of the muses dwelling along the
banks, that Joseph and Amina
drank in their first breath of free-
dom from care in the New World.

One day as Joseph stood idly
watching the early morning train
as it crawled into the station on its
way to the city, it seemed to take
on the form of a great ogre swal-
lowing its meal of suburbanites,
and crawling out again with an ex-
ultant shriek of delight. Joseph
turned away and lost himself in the
cool shade of a neighboring grove,
where all thought of the business
world fell away and melted into
the hazy atmosphere hanging over

44

THE SOUL OF x\N ORGAN 45

the river. The spirit of content
breathed through the trees.

While humming a half- forgotten
melody, his attention was arrested
by the tolling of the bell in the ivy-
covered belfry of the village
church. There was a peculiar ten-
derness in the sound, for it was
keyed to the same pitch as the
great old bell in Ulm, and it fell on
Joseph's sensitive ear like a distant
echo of the Cathedral bell. He
stood for a moment entranced, lis-
tening to its sweet message, then
with but one thought, that of get-
ting nearer to the tolling bell, he
turned towards the church and on
entering the door found himself,
alone. The rapt stillness quelled
the rapid beating of his heart, and
he dropped into the first seat he
came to and bowed his head to re-
ceive the benediction he felt was
there. The birds sang in the trees,
while the perfume-laden air floated
in through the open window. An
organ stood in the chancel; the
gift of a wealthy communicant
who spent his summers in that
vicinity.

46 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

As Joseph raised his head, his
eyes fell upon the organ. The
ends of his fingers began to tingle
and reach out to touch it; the urge
grew stronger by the moment, un>
til finally he rose and falteringly
made his way to the instrument.
As he took his seat in the organ
loft, his critical eye ran over it and
he gauged its possibihties with mo-
mentarily increasing interest; but
the instant his fingers lightly
touched the keys, and his feet
found the pedals, he knew it to be
an instrument worthy of the inter-
pretation of the masters. The mo-
ments slipped by, until he lost all
mental cognition of time. The
great orchestra concealed in the
organ awoke and crashed out into
symphonic waves of sound, such as
had never been heard in that edi-
fice. During the pauses in the mu-
sic, the silence in the church was
eloquent, there was such hope, such
comfort in it.

Amina had missed her brother,
and on going in search of him
heard the thundering tones of the
church organ in the distance. She

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 47

quickly followed it, knowing that
only Joseph's fingers could be
manipulating the keys.

On entering the church she sank
to her knees, listening spellbound
to the wonderful music. Joseph
had found the path to the organ
and she knew what that meant to
him. She had not been blind to his
apathy for his art, but now he was
playing with a fervor that re-
minded her of the days when she
heard him in the Cathedral.

Amina regained her courage and
through it was able to meet the
coming, but unseen blow, with for-
titude.

As Joseph closed the morning*s
musicale with an improvisation
which pictured, with crescendo ef-
fects the storm through which he
was passing, he closed the organ
and stood facing, but not seeing
Amina. Startled at the sight of
his wan visage, she covered her
eyes with her hands% She was not
weeping, but a sense of an impend-
ing sorrow swept over her. Jo-
seph descended the steps of the
chancel and walking slowly down

48 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

the aisle, came upon Amina stand-
ing in the shadow. Taking her
hands in his, he spoke to her in a
voice just above a whisper, while
a wave of melancholy swept over
him.

"There is a cry way down in my
heart that will not be silenced. We
are not the same in spirit as when
living by the Cathedral's side!
There, we lived in harmony with
our surroundings. Here, I feel
like a tired child who has no home.
I thought that Helena's affairs
needed all my time, but I have
'paid the price.' My health is
shattered!"

His voice rose to a cry of
anguish as he said:

"I am at war with everything
around me. I am out of my
orbit!"

Amina's eyes were like two
smoldering coals of fire as she
patted his hand and said :

"Hush, brother, this is a passing
phase of our life. It is our first
summer in the country, and you
know that the weather is very try-
ing. Let us confer with Doctor

THE SOUL or AN ORGAN 49

Bell and then consider the next
best thing to do."

"Doctor Bell can do nothing for
me, for I am soul sick." As Jo-
seph said this, he glanced up at
Amina who stood very still by his
side, while the lines of her face
deepened. "However," he quickly
added, "you are worrying over me,
so I will reconsider the matter, for
Doctor Bell might suggest some-
thing that would lift this mental
depression."

"This spirit that is hovering
over you, brother, is but a cloud
that will soon fade away. Let us
go home now, for you are tired."

When Doctor Bell arrived in re-
sponse to Amina's urgent call, the
influence of his cheery voice and
magnetic presence pervaded the
house. After conversing on mat-
ters quite foreign to the sick room,
he turned and questioned Joseph
closely, and then sat absorbed in
thought. The ticldng of the clock
was audible.

As Doctor Bell's voice broke the
intense stillness, it was evident that
he had diagnosed the case to his

50 THE SOUL OF AN OEGAN

own satisfaction, for he said, in a
tone of authority:

"You have used up your surplus
energy and are now living on your
nerv^e. No vital organ, as yet, at-
tacked; heart action perhaps a lit-
tle weak, therefore liable to give
way under severe strain. The
truth is that you are only half alive
to this work-a-day world. You
are living more on the psychic
plane of life than on the physical.
The specific thing you are suffer-
ing from is called 'Nostalgia,' but
the old-fashioned name for it is
'Homesickness.' "

The doctor rose and, buttoning
his coat, gripped Joseph's hand as
he concluded:

"Medicine cannot reach your
case. However, there is no need,
in these days of science, in being
half -alive. Work over yourself;
diet, and you will pull through all
right," and, bidding him cheer up
and look on the bright side of life,
left Joseph facing his problem,
perhaps, more philosophically.

CHAPTER VIII.

A week later, on entering the
breakfast room earlier than usual,
Amina found Joseph seated in his
armchair, but unconscious. An
hour elapsed before a pressure on
her hand enclosing his rewarded
her efforts to arouse him. As he
slowly opened his eyes, there was
a look in them which she had never
seen before.

"Sister," he said, "my days on
earth are numbered."

"Joseph!"

"Listen to me," he whispered,
as he soothingly stroked her hand.
"I know — I know. I shall follow
the doctor's advice, but I am fully
prepared for any event in nature
that may take place; perhaps
*Heimweh' has stolen into my
veins. 'Homesickness,' however,
is not always fatal." He said this
with a forced smile that ended in a
slight sob. It was full of unutter-
able dreariness. "Ailsa came to

61

52 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

me last night, as she has done on
several previous occasions. What
the law is whereby she reaches me
I do not know. As Ailsa can come
to me, so there is a way whereby I
can return to you."

"Brother, you must live. The
doctor has ordered you home, and
says that there must be no delay
in your departure. This voyage
will bring you around all right."

She talked fast and with un-
usual determination, as if afraid
of being swerved from her pur-
pose.

"Perhaps it will be the best
thing for me to do, Amina," he re-
plied. "I will pull myself together
and leave on the first steamer for
home."

Helena was greatly concerned
over Joseph's illness.

"It does seem strange," she said,
with an unusual frown on her face,
"that he cannot be contented here
in America. However, if he must
go, let it be as soon as possible."

"Let me return with him?"
pleaded Amina.

"No, no," said Helena quickly.

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 53

*'Why should you wish to leave me
here alone? He may return al-
most immediately, for the voyage
will restore him to health." Helena
prevailed, and Amina reluctantly
consented to remain.

Two weeks later found Joseph
in Ulm under the shadow of the
Cathedral and in the midst of his
former associates. The change in
the Kapellmeister was apparent to
all, but the calm dignity of his de-
meanor forbade any one from al-
luding to it. They were satisfied
to see him once more sitting in the
Cathedral and listening to the bell
as it tolled the hour.

**It is the same dear old spot,''
he wrote Amina, "but I have
changed. When we left Ulm, we
snapped the magic tie of music,
more subtle than the wind that
blows in summer days. I sought
an unequal match; I tried to live
the way of the world, and retain
the life of the spirit. However, I
am going tomorrow to my old seat
in the organ loft of the Cathedral,
where I hope to regain my lost
ambition."

54 THE SOUI. OF AN ORGAN

It was evening when Amina sat
holding the letter in her hand,
while she looked at a portrait of
Joseph, done in pastel, hanging on
the wall. His very presence
seemed to breathe through it. Was
it her fancy that the face had un-
dergone a change? The eyes look-
ing into hers were suddenly alive.
The portrait was obscured by a
blue light which gathered slowly
in form, until Joseph's face,
etherealized, floated from the
frame, while a voice from the ceil-
ing said:

"Amina, I am free!"

CHAPTER IX.

The following day a cablegram
dated from Ulm was received. It
read:

"Joseph died yesterday after-
noon in the Cathedral." The fol-
lowing week the news was con-
firmed by letter. Joseph's death
had occurred during the service,
The music had suddenly ceased,
and, on searching for the cause,
the form of Joseph lying on the
organ manual solved the mystery.
Tenderly they bore him to his old
home, but life was extinct. He
was buried in the shadow of the
Cathedral, and was at rest at last.

The lives of the two sisters now
ran in parallel lines. Helena once
more took the reins of business
into her own hands, but with a
more subdued manner. The lone-
ly hours spent by Amina in the
dimly-lit music room became more
frequent as the weeks went by.

One evening, as she sat playing

55

56 THE SOUL OF AN OEGAN

Handel's "Largo," there seemed
to be a movement in the frame en-
closing Joseph's portrait. Scarce-
ly daring to believe her senses, she
waited. His eyes moved, and in a
few seconds his form floated out
into the room and stood by the
piano.

"Amina," he said, "I can only
remain a few moments. I have but
little strength — " the voice was
just audible, and then ceased alto-
gether.

Amina sat motionless, for it was
evident that Joseph was making an
effort to proceed. She sensed that
through her own passive strength
he gained his momentarily, and
was soon rewarded by hearing him
say distinctly:

"You wish to know how I left
earth life? When I went to the
Cathedral in Ulm my heart was
cold. The old organ loft did not
seem the same to me. But I con-
tinued playing, until finally the
soul of the organ awoke, and I rea-
lized that I was truly playing the
anthem of my life. One theme
followed another in quick succes-

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 57

sion, until the joy of perfect mel-
ody overpowered me. Then there
came a crash, and I fell forward
on the keyboard. After one mo-
ment of oblivion, a great peace
stole over me, when I became con-
scious of moving away from my
body. Hovering in space, I looked
down upon it through a bluish
light. I had no desire to return,
and was filled with a great calm.
Then someone whose voice was
familiar said:

" *You must return to earth life,
they want you over there.'

"Reluctantly and painfully, I
attempted to squeeze myself into
my body. It seemed an eternity,
and I knew that I had outgrown
my frame. I could endure it no
longer, and cried out: 'I will not
go back.' "

"Then came oblivion. I do not
know how long I lay there, but I
realized that I was being suspend-
ed above that body by an invisible
hand, and heard a voice like a
zephyr uttering words of encour-
agement, as if to someone just
awakening from sleep.

58 THE SOUL OF AN OEGAN

" *The butterfly is coming out of
the chrysalis. He will soon be with
us,' it said in tones so rythmical
that they seemed like music to my
soul, and, fearing nothing, I awak-
ened to find myself slipping away
on a raft which was being carried
down a swiftly running stream. I
soon came into a beautiful valley
of peace, where the air was balmy
and exquisitely perfumed."

Joseph's voice ceased, while his
form began to fade.

"Watch for me; I will return,"
he added, and with a sigh passed to
the open window, and dissolved in
the moonlight. Amina stood dazed
before the canvas portrait hanging
intact in its old place on the wall.
She had seen and talked with
Joseph. Wonderful night!

CHAPTER X.

Amina lived through the days
for the nights to come; for the hour
when she might retire to her room
and in the dim light play soft
strains of music, Joseph's favorite
themes, hoping that the desire of
her heart would be granted, when
she would be reassured that his
visit was not all a dream. She must
believe her senses, else they could
no longer guide her? He could re-
turn, for he had spoken to her. His
desire to visit this world had not
ceased with his death! She was
playing an old melody in the twi-
light, when she became conscious
of the same subtle influence per-
vading the room which had thrilled
her on the occasion of his previous
visit.

A great peace filled her heart.
She heard a sigh, just a breath,
and Joseph stood by her side.

"When you touch those chords,
Amina," he said, pointing to the

69

60 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

piano, "there is an answering thrill
in my heart which draws me to you,
like a silvery thread which forms
a bridge between our two worlds of
existence. Certain strains of mu-
sic kindle new fires beyond the veil,
which light the torches carried by
angel messengers to earth-bound
souls, and illumine the way. Ethers
of light of exquisite color envelop
himian beings through whom music
finds expression. The music is
then carried through the wireless
as a healing force ; like a sweet per-
fume, and is wafted on the breeze,
stirring old memories so soothing,
so dear. Your touch on this in-
strument, full of soul essence, vi-
brates through the densest ethers
and produces overtones, with their
sympathetic octaves, until a world
of sound swoons its way to realms
of life far beyond this plane of ex-
istence; and so, on that wave of
sound, I feel my way to you."

"Brother, I am so glad to know
that you wish to come to me."

"Unselfish devotion can bridge
chasms. I have also visited the old
home in Ulm. If it had been a

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 61

mountain hut, I would still wish
to return. Memories are doubly
dear where music has dwelt. I
tried to find solace in music while
earth-bound, but I can never tell
you, in words, of the beauty of the
music I now hear. Like a thous-
and stringed instrimients, and at
first so faint that my ear strained
to catch the harmonies. The wind
blows through the trees, mingling
with the murmur of the waters in
making music indescribable. As
it grows in intensity of sound, the
vibrations of the atmospheric
ethers take form in changing colors
and so give outward expression to
the music, until one is in a state of
ecstasy listening to it and seeing it
interpreted in symphonies of color
never seen on sea or land."

As Amina listened to these reve-
lations she wished that she, too,
might hear this ravishing music.

"You are about to ask me to
take you to the celestial realms,"
he said. "Hold no such thoughts,
for Helena needs you. My
thoughts will impress you, if you
act on that inner urge which ac-

62 THE SOUL OF AN OEGAN

companies those impressions. Be
faithful to them, for then you
strengthen the connecting cord be-
tween us; and, above all, be pa-
tient. There is a home building
for you on the other side which,
through your loving thoughts,
grows into perfection for your oc-
cupation."

"Oh, how long it is in building!
Why must I wait?" Amina's face
was a picture of despair.

"Hush!" said Joseph tenderly;
"while in the flesh I breathed my-
self into an atmosphere filled with
sighs of self-pity, thereby losing
my birthright of healthy manifes-
tation through the flesh which
stood for the personal I."

Joseph hesitated for a few sec-
onds, then in a voice which grew
stronger and more commanding in
tone, continued:

"No soul can progress that ques-
tions the way. For every step is a
precious link in an endless chain of
events. From life to life. We
were rythmically connected
through the subtle, sympathetic
family tie. But we must free our-

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 63

selves from all ties that bind us,
and become lost in the one great
love. It is found in service for
others, ilctivity in passivity is in-
vulnerable. Let go of the things
wliich bind you, and press on. It
is the letting go that counts and
makes the good soldier. Helena is
a good soldier!"

"Joseph!" gasped Amina.

"Helena, I repeat, is a good sol-
dier. Every moment counts for
something with her. She can do
no more until she sees a higher
light and lives through and out of
her limitations. She now lives in
the rythm of her life on the materi-
al plane, so she attracts to her ma-
terial things. Through assuming
responsibilities, she is solving her
problems. But she is on the wheels
of the gods. They grind slowly,
you know, and finally leave but a
handful of dust which a puff of
wind blows away."

CHAPTER XI.

Joseph's breath came spasmodi-
cally, yet it was evident that he
wished to say something more.
After a few moments of silence,
during which time his body seemed
to grow more tangible, he re-
sumed :

"It is so difficult to breathe this
dense atmosphere — so dense — ^to
reach you. Every time I return
here to you my progress in gaining
the inner worlds is retarded. How-
ever, while I have strength I must
tell you more of the life of the
Spirit. That life which adjusts
itself to, and includes, the life
physical."

"How can the mortal, while liv-
ing in the sense body of flesh, live
the Ufe of the Spirit?"

"There is an impulse of the cen-
tered breath, sister, which, if once
controlled by man under all cir-
cumstances, becomes the imibilical
cord of connection with the breath

64

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 65

of worlds within worlds : with uni-
versal life itself. It is the cord
which connects Mother Nature
with her children. Limitations are
broken through and planes of con-
sciousness, undreamed of, are con-
tacted. It is only through getting
into the rythm of life, through
breath control, that we breathe
around ourselves, consciously or
unconsciously, a protective atmos-
phere; sleeping or waking, and so
gain health and happiness. The
physical energy is transmuted:
keyed to a higher vibration, as it
were. When the thrill accompany-
ing this transmutation is recog-
nized by the mortal, discord ceases.
The body pulsates with health, is
rejuvenated, in fact, and refuses to
return to its former psychic envir-
onment. Where it existed a pris-
oner in the meshes of flesh inherit-
ance, or even obsession, and is
free."

"You claim, then, that we grow
in higher understanding of self;
find larger expression, as it were,
through gaining control of the cen-
tered breath impulse?"

66 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

"The recognition, alone, of this
breath impulse which throbs and
thrills, quickens the energies of the
mortal. He finds himself in the
attitude of expectancy — of listen-
ing. Because the life of the Spirit
has made its connection, and pulls
that cord, while the voice of the
Spirit calls to the forces of the
body to transmute energy to the
planes of inspiration and knowl-
edge which, when reached, are ever
normal planes where every activity
of mind and body serve in rythmic
conscious unison and the mortal is
free: has attained his birthright.
Those hours of expectancy, when
falling asleep at night and awaken-
ing in the morning, are two great
hours of the day when one should
seek protection from their source
of life. At night, the centered im-
pulse of the breath creates an at-
mosphere of protection around one,
like the shell around the egg. In
the morning, the impulse quickens
the pulse, and the mortal slowly
awakens to a profound stillness
within. The mortal awakens to —
energy!"

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 67

"When mortals, who are not in-
terested in these laws of life, drop
their mantle of flesh while still re-
taining their desire to live on this
earth plane, what is their portion
in the realms celestial?"

A look of tenderest pity swept
over Joseph's face, while he
breathed deeply and shivered.

"I did not intend to touch upon
that subject, but since you wish to
know I will tell you. One evening
as I stood on the brink of a chasm
a strange moaning sound fell on
my ear. Looking across the chasm
in the direction from which it came,
I saw a desolate tract of land,
where many people were moving
about in a grey misty light. Ques-
tioning a companion standing by
my side in regard to them, he said:
'They are earth-bound souls who
squandered their lease of life in
pandering to their own selfish de-
sires, and, upon passing out, came
here before they had made ready a
mansion or even a garment to live
in. They shun their neighbors,
and their groanings and whisper-
ings, created by their discordant

68 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

thoughts, produce a cold wind
which blows through the trees and
over the waters, and fills their
hearts with misery as they creep
away to hide themselves and think
over their lost opportunities. That
woman,' pointing through the
gloom to a female figure that was
trying to hold together a few
brown rags over her shivering
form, 'had untold wealth at her
command while in earth-life, but
lived for herself alone, so that
hardly one sympathetic thought
followed her here. Her garments
are what her thoughts wove. Pov-
erty and rags, and you see that
even they do not completely cover
her. Beings like herself are there,
on their incompleted mission, still
blind to the possibilities of a con-
tinued existence, and, instead of
going in search of the sunshine,
they remain to talk over the ma-
larial regions of the past: always
an unprofitable subject. They
passed through earth-life with all
senses dulled to the sufferings of
others; not trying to make their
brother happier, or even more

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 69

hopeful. They were not interested
in the problems of humanity, so, in
their greed, deprived other mortals
of their share in the things which
go to make up a successful hfe.
Therefore, through lack of har-
monious vibrations in their sur-
rounding atmosphere, they became
disintegrated, losing thereby their
body of flesh, and now, clothed in
rusty, ragged garments, remain
isolated and alone, until restitution
in earth-life has been fully made
through those they left behind
them."

Joseph's voice sank to a sigh,
and then all was still. A cloud of
mist veiled Amina's eyes, and when
she looked again at the portrait on
the wall, only a few seconds had
elapsed, but she was alone.

CHAPTER XII.

Amina now devoted her even-
ings to music, while the gift of im-
provisation became hers. Joseph
had listened and reproduced the
chorales of the skies, so she, too,
listened and heard. It helped her
to maintain her faith in the Su-
preme Power. Supreme, for noth-
ing that man could conceive of
would approach the wondrous cre-
ations described by her brother.
Her hfe here, in comparison,
seemed pent up in narrow confines.
So she waited night after night,
hoping to hear more of that New
World to which he had gone
Weeks elapsed, but Joseph did not
come. Months passed by, while
she sat, hungry hearted, and with
waning courage, waiting for a sign,
a word, until finally her heart grew
cold.

Helena had grown very tender
in her affection for her sister, who
seemed to be drifting into a sea of

70

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 71

lethargy from which she was pow-
erless to rescue her. Amina rec-
ognized Helena's efforts in her be-
half, and struggled against the ob-
session which was paralyzing her
energies. But it was useless, for
she had allowed herself to drift.
Continued thoughts of the life be-
yond, combined with her intense
desire to know^ more of it, had led
her to silent hours of meditation
and solitude, without any centering
thought beyond that of wishing to
talk with Joseph. Therefore, she
had become negative, had relin-
(juished her birthright, her indi-
viduality.

It lacked six days of being the
anniversary of Joseph's death,
when Amina sat playing a Chopin
Nocturne in the dim light; a sigh
breathed itself through the air, and
Joseph stood looking into her eyes.

"I have come," he said, smiling
radiantly upon her.

"Did my desire to see you once
more reach you, brother?"

"It was the compelling power
which brought me to you. I came
through the law of desire."

72 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

He took her hand with a firm
but gentle touch, which Amina re-
turned with a hand clasp. Ques-
tioningly, she looked at him.

"What form is this you wear,
brother? It is the same, and yet it
is not. Tell me."

"This form was my inheritance
on entering the celestial sphere in
which I now live. It is infinitely
stronger in every way than the old
earth form."

As Joseph continued speaking,
Amina's emotions were so intense
that her heart almost ceased to
beat.

"And now, sister, I have found
a still greater world than I knew
of when I was here. A Being
(of whom I will tell you later) led
me to the border of that land, and
taught me how to control my
breath so as to glide over the sur-
face of the country, which hitherto
I had only trod upon. The light
was more roseate-tinted, with no
speck, no dust, while the grass was
greener than I had ever seen it —
like a great carpet spread under
our feet. Lilies stood taller than

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 73

I, with their stalks and leaves
transparent, while foliage of the
trees took on the form of feathers
waving in the perfumed breeze.
Many of the homes resembled ala-
baster, and as I came to one, an im-
pulse seized me to descend and en-
ter. I had only to point my foot
towards the house and touch the
steps and glide through the open
door, when members of our house-
hold greeted me with a smile of
welcome, for I was expected. We
all proceeded to an inner court,
where fountains were playing and
tall trees stood."

Joseph's eyes flamed with an in-
tense look of joy.

"I have seen Ailsa. She lives in
a great white mansion with lovely
children whose parents are still
earth-boim^d. Ailsa, in her trailing
white robes and golden hair, which
ripples in massive waves over her
shoulders, is more beautiful than
anything you can imagine. The
little babes nestle to her throat like
doves under the mother's wing.
There are no homes over there
more beautiful than those in which

74 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

the babies laugh, and sleep, and
grow in stature. The gardens are
filled with butterflies and tinted
orchids; while sweetest lullabies
are heard. Unutterable chords
are struck when that word 'Love'
is spoken. It is the one word
which expresses all things."

A few moments of expectant
silence followed, then Joseph's
voice throbbed with an exultant
tone:

"I wish to tell you one thing
more before I go, sister. As I
was walking by the river's side
listening to the waters, the music
they made suddenly ceased, and
there stood before me a Being
whom I could not look upon. He
spoke to me in a voice so perfectly
modulated that all other sounds
seemed harsh in comparison. The
influence of it pervaded all space.
It had in it the essence of what
Spirit Itself is ; and yet you, and I,
were component parts of It. I
had been in search of one Perfect
Being. One long since made per-
fect and when we met I felt that
I saw before me the adorable ex-

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 75

pression of what I would some day
become, simply through its in-
dwelling power, its central force.
I could not stand another moment,
and was slowly sinking to my
knees when the Being spoke, but
in such dulcet tones that the great
old organ at Ulm, which had no
mate on earth, seemed harsh in
comparison.

" 'Not there,' said the Voice,
*but to the height of your stature,
with your heart beating against
mine, for I am your elder brother.
Shall we lift the veil and view the
city celestial, where we will meet
again some day?'

"An instant later, a scene of en-
trancing vistas lay before me.
Rolling from beneath our feet lay
a valley which stretched away to
grassy slopes on whose sides, hang-
ing like white roses, were temples
overshadowed by camelia trees in
full bloom, unlike any others that
I have ever seen, so wide-spreading
and yet so perfectly proportioned.
Over these grassj?' slopes were scat-
tered mansions of every size and
description.

76 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

Each one, however, had its vines
and trees, and the guardians of
them knew the souls who dwelt
therein by the flowers which
bloomed near the entrance. The
slopes of the valley rose to a high
mountain on the horizon, and
there, through that wonderful
light, could be seen the fairy-like
city, more symmetrical and beauti-
ful than any dream of fancy — for
it was — ^^the home of the Perfect
Being, who continued saying:

" *We will go there later. You
shall see from the jewelled tower,
that is lost in the stars, how you
have journeyed from your home on
that dark earth planet, and how,
every time that you were disap-
pointed and stumbled along the
way, it was a step upward, to join
us here.'

"What rapture it was, Amina,
to listen to his voice, for every
word he uttered struck a respon-
sive chord in my heart.

" 'Shall we go on?' I asked.

" 'Be patient; for you must re-
turn to earth once more, for the
longing desires of that soul will

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 77

eall you back from the inner celes-
tial spheres.'

" 'Must I return to earth? Can-
not a messenger be sent to bring
Amina to me, for I cannot leave
this place that I have longed to see,
and yet never realized one jot of
its glorious beauty. No words can
paint it for those who have not
seen it, and if I return to and cross
that awful abyss to earth, and lose
you, brother, how can I hope to
ever regain those heights?'

*' 'Then you would go on alone
and partake of all the delights pre-
pared for you. Shall we go on?'

''I heard a distant cry, and
a chord from your instrument
reached me. Its tenderness was
heard where we stood. I looked
up at the Being who called himself
my Elder Brother. His eyes were
closed, but he could see through
the lids, and could have read my
thoughts had he chosen to do so.
But there is no desire in those
realms to possess anything that
does not belong to one. As I hesi-
tated, I heard you cry:

78 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

" 'Joseph, have you forgotten
me?'

"My heart was riven, and I said,
*I will go back/

"Then came one glorious mo-
ment when I heard a rythmic
chant. I had stood there so intent
in gazing on the scene at our feet
that I had not noticed that our
Brother was surrounded by a le-
gion of the most adorable beings
eye had ever seen. They were
swaying back and forth above the
green sward, and their garments
of azure-like quality created a vi-
bration, until each one of them
had a special tone which blended
with those nearest, and so on
through the band, until I awak-
ened to the fact that they were
each one in tune with the In-
finite Mind and the glorious an-
them which gradually stole upon
my ear was an 'Alleluia,' snatches
of which I had often heard in the
organ loft, but never clearly
enough to fasten in my memory.
It could not have been understood
only in the company of such celes-
tial creatures. It was a song of

THE SOUL OF AN OEGAN 79

triumph over my decision to come
to you; for it seemed that my giv-
ing up their world to descend into
the depths to reach you sent them
into a song of rapture-

" * Another soul redeemed!' they
sang. But I had first made the
decision before I heard the song."

CHAPTER XIII.

'^Joseph, I understand — I un-
derstand— how utterly selfish I
am," whispered Amina. "To
think that I gave a sigh to bring
you back from those realms of
light! For did you not earn the
right to be released from your
form of clay?"

There was such an expression of
deep self-pity on his sister's face
that Joseph tenderly laid his hand
on her suffering head.

"The greatest thing in the world,
Amina, is to learn to forgive your-
self. If I had not made the deci-
sion to return to you because you
desired it, I probably would not
have heard the 'Alleluia.' I can
hear it now, but I could not give
you any idea of its beauty through
the agency of any earthly instru-
ment, and I have been wondering
ever since how I could have turned
from it to come to you. I only
know that on those entrancing
strains came the voice:

80

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 81

" 'Brother,' it said, *as our hearts
beat once in unison, so the tie that
binds us can never be severed. You
are a part of me. But that other
heart down there cries for the
celestial life. It is attuned to the
songs we sing here. Her desire is
for the larger life which speaks to
her in the stillness of the night: in
the watches of the morning when
the swinging orb of day throws its
taper against the eastern sky, and
nature cries aloud for joy. There
is a body terrestrial and a life as
well, which is as a shadow to the
body celestial and its life. But
shadows are such real things to
children. Your sister will soon be-
long to our celestial household.

"I turned from him to descend
to you by the path which lay be-
tween us, and I found myself in a
dense, black fog, so dense that I
hesitated to take another step. As
I stood there, a great fear stole
over me, which increased to terror.
Then that voice spoke again from
the darkness: 'Fear nothing; I will
light the way,' it said. With that,
there came a light which shone

82 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

through and around me, as if my
body reflected light from a great
sun. It was the flame of the
Spirit within me. It ht the path
ahead of me, and as I passed down,
now filled with confidence, and
came near to the place where the
cold winds blew in a minor key,
shapes of strange, unknown creat-
ures slunk past me in the darkness.
At a point where the wind shrieked
and howled, I met the rich woman
in her brown rags. She was lean-
ing on her cane and regarding
me fearlessly through those hiard,
steely blue eyes which, as she con-
tinued looking at me, began to
soften.

" 'Where did you come from —
Angel of Light?' she asked with
an imperious air.

" *I came from above, where all
is Light. I was a mortal until I
climbed up those steeps, and in a
twinkling of an eye was changed
into what you see me.

" 'I have come from below,
where the cold winds blow, by
slow, arduous steps, hoping to
meet with some one who could tell

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 83

me ,how to reach those summits
which I glimpse when the wind
lulls and the leaden veil lifts,' she
said with a deep sigh. 'I am will-
ing to climb higher if you can as-
sure me that I will not lose my
way, and may hope for a ray of
sunshine such as you reflect to fall
across my weary life. I am so
weary,' and she leaned on her staff
in an attitude of hopelessness.

"As I stood waiting for her to
cease speaking so that I might tell
her of the Great Heart awaiting
her up there, the * Alleluia' was
wafted through the air. She looked
up, startled, and listened intently,
then slowly sank to the ground,
her old cane dropping from her
hand and rolling down the hill, as
she fell into a deep sleep, with a
glorified smile on her face. I knew
that she had found peace, and
would go higher up and join the
throng, so I passed on and came to
you."

As Joseph concluded, his coun-
tenance seemed to reflect, in a
measure, the light from the Being
whom he had attempted to de-

84 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

scribe. A few moments of expec-
tant silence followed, then Joseph's
voice throbbed with an exultant
tone as he said:

"I have a message for you. Ailsa
will be here in a few days to bear
you hence. She will be with you,
so you will have nothing to fear."

With a gesture full of compas-
sion at Amina's breathless emotion,
he placed his hand on her head and
continued :

"On the anniversary hour of my
release from earth form we will be
here to take you away with us"

"In six days?"

Joseph bowed his head. Giving
him one long look, Amina felt her
blood chill and then turn to molten
fire. Her body thrilled to this
new emotion; her head fell back
against the chair on which she was
sitting, and when she awoke a new
day had dawned.

CHAPTER XIV.

The following morning, as Hel-
ena entered Amina's room with her
usual cheery greeting, she hesi-
tated, for a visible change had
taken place in Amina. The dark
shadows in her face had deepened
and an ethereal expression had
stamped itself plainly upon her
face. She gave Helena a smile of
recognition and, crossing her hands
over her heart, as if to quell its
tumultuous beatings, raised her
eyes confidingly and said:

"I am going."

"Going where?"

*To Brother— to Joseph."

"Amina!" sobbed Helena.

"It is true," Amina said gently.
"Joseph came last night and said
that he would return for me on the
anniversary hour of his passing
from earth life. That will be in
six days. He loved you, Helena,
and we know that you did your
best to keep Joseph here; but he

85

86 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

was SO tired — so tired of his earth-
ly garment ! He is now free to live
his life, having first earned the
right through living a life of ser-
vice here. I am going home to
see them all." She turned wearily
on her pillow as she continued: "I
could not tune myself to my sur-
roundings here, and become inter-
ested in your life, dear Sister; my
heart was not in it."

"Amina," said Helena, breath-
lessly. "Try and be a good girl
and use your will to arouse your-
self out of this senseless condition
into which you have drifted. You
must, in the first place, leave this
house. You need an entire change
of scene. Besides, you must, you
must think of me. I have con-
cealed from you my anxiety of
mind."

"Dear Helena," interrupted
Amina. "Do not grieve. If you
but knew — I choke — oh, I cannot
find words to make you imderstand
what is awaiting me. Listen —
don't you hear the echo of a great
anthem? How they chant! The
roll of an organ, like the beating of

THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN 87

a heart, throbs through it alL
Hush!"

Helena stood in silence by her
side. In that moment she realized
that here was a force defying her
to avert the coming dissolution.
Every method that she could think
of had been carefully pondered
and acted upon, even to the turn-
ing of the hands of the clock for-
ward one hour. The love of home
and family was deeply entrenched
in Helena's nature, and she
mourned for Joseph, that great
soul, whose death had shocked her
awake to life's mysteries. But she
quailed as she caught a glimpse of
the future, and saw herself stand-
ing alone, while her sister was slip-
ping from her side.

After a moment of profound
stillness, Amina turned with a look
of unutterable tenderness which
thrilled Helena's inmost being, and
said between pauses, as if repeat-
ing a message dictated by another:

"Joseph called you a good sol-
dier. Therefore, my dear Helena,
promise me that you will not grieve
when I am gone? That you will

88 THE SOUL OF AN ORGAN

be brave where I was weak; cour-
ageous in helping others through
life, where I was faint-hearted?"

"I promise you that I will be a
good soldier. I will take up my
life anew and consecrate it to the
work that you and Joseph have left
unfinished," Helena whispered.

Such a look of exaltation shone
in Amina's eyes that Helena dried
her tears and, leaning down, ten-
derly kissed her sister.

CHAPTER XV.

The sixth day, the anniversary
of Joseph's passing out, arrived.
That afternoon as the clock struck,
the doctor entered the room.
Amina was crying:

"He has left me. They have
taken him away: oh what shall I
do?" Despair was depicted on
her countenance. "Doctor, Joseph
promised to be here when the clock
struck the hour. He has forgotten
me.

As she said this, a long sigh es-
caped her lips and she dropped
into a deep sleep. The watchers
felt relieved, and at the same time
confident that the turning point
had been reached and she would
now be cured of her vagaries. It
was nearing the anniversary hour
of Joseph's death (with the hands
of the clock turned forward) when
Amina awoke* The look of des-
pair had changed to one of rapture
which illumined her face, and she

90 THE SOUL OF AN OEGAN

seemed to be gazing at some object
through and beyond them both.
An influence, almost palpable
filled the room. Doctor Bell re-
alized that with all his scientific
knowledge he knew little of the
spiritual laws that govern the
body.

As the clock struck seven,Amina
rose to a sitting posture, and rais-
ing her hands as if to some invisi-
ble presence, murmured:

"Here I am, Joseph, "then
added in a whisper, "Oh hear it
* Alleluia AUe — :" and with one
long breath of ecstasy, her heart
fluttered and stopped beating.

No one but Amina had heard
the "Alleluia.'' The stillness was
profound. Her ear alone was at-
tuned to those chorales of the skies.

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