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The old instruments have vanished: we have our organs and harmoniums: our choirs sing better and more reverently; but there are no reunions of the village orchestra, which used to afford so much pleasure to the rustics of former days. In the lord's hall there were plenty of sedentary games, and amongst these pre-eminently stands the noble pastime of chess.
My heart, do not burst!... Do not burst like the lilacs of the flower-garden whose fragrance I alone have touched.... Will hope be born again? I am afraid. Is this one more disillusion? The wasp has hummed. I love none but the violet lilacs, I love none but the blue violets. It is Sunday, and I hear in the depths of my soul the droning of the harmoniums of poor churches.
It is shown here, and was also at the Centennial, and it was the carrying of one overland to Russia, where it fell into the hands of Kratzenstein, the organ-builder to Queen Catharine II., which initiated the free reed in Europe, and led to the accordions, concertinas, harmoniums and parlor organs which perhaps afford the cheapest and loudest music for a given expenditure of muscle and wind of anything we have.
"Why," I asked, "do you have two harmoniums?" "Harmoniums, sir!" protested the guide, staggered. "Those are roll-top desks." If only the floor could have opened and swallowed me up, as it opens and swallows up the grand piano at the Thomas concerts in Chicago!
Next, to their aural orifices, and the avenues audient of the brain, was borne a very melancholy sound as of harmoniums, hymns, organ-pianos, psalteries, and the like, all playing different airs, in a kind most hateful to the Muses.
Here he had at once established a reputation for showing off the merits of a piano, a song, or a waltz, to customers male and female. Here he had thirty pianos, seven harmoniums, and all the new and a lot of classical music to experiment with. He would play any "piece" at sight for the benefit of any lady in search of a nice easy waltz or reverie.
Many other sisters in the Lord were, called on to help some to play the harmoniums provided in each room, and lead the singing in varied languages others in writing letters for those who could not use a pen themselves, and whose hearts were softened by kindness shown in this way others in filling, bags with books and tracts.
In the Inns of Court and Chancery Lane professional etiquette forbids barristers and solicitors to play upon organs, harmoniums, pianos, violins, or other stringed instruments, drums, trumpets, cymbals, shawms, bassoons, triangles, castanets or any other bony devices for the production of noise, flageolets, hautboys, or any other sort of boys between the hours of 9 A.M. and 6 P.M. And this rule of etiquette is supported by various special conditions introduced into the leases by which the tenants hold much of the local house property.
The Kirks, if I mistake not, have different collections of hymns, which, till recent years, were contemned as 'things of human invention, and therefore 'idolatrous. But hymns are now in use, as also are organs, or harmoniums, or other musical instruments. Thus the faces of the Kirks are similar and sisterly: Facies non omnibus una Nec diversa tamen, qualem decet esse sororum.
The voices of the preachers were in endless conflict through the thin weather-boarding sides, and when the rival harmoniums "got busy" there was nothing left for the confused congregations but to chant their rival hymns to some popular national tune upon which they were mutually agreed beforehand.
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