the congregation was confounded."

Bach's answers are filed with the original charges, and are all very
brief and submissive. In some instances he pleads guilty, not thinking
it worth his while, strong man that he was, to either apologize or
explain.

But the most damning count brought against him was this: "We further
charge him with introducing into the choir-loft a Stranger Maiden, who
made music." To this, young Bach makes no reply. Brave boy!

The sequel is shown that in a few weeks he was married to this "Stranger
Maiden," who was his cousin. She was a Bach, too, a descendant of the
merry Hans, and she, also, played the organ. But great was the horror of
the Arnstadites that a woman should play a church organ. Mein Gott im
Himmel--a woman might be occupying the pulpit next!

Johann Sebastian's indifference to criticism is partially explained by
the fact that he was in correspondence with the Consistory at Mulhausen,
and also with the Duke Wilhelm Ernest, of Saxe-Weimar. Both Mulhausen
and Weimar wanted his services. Under such conditions men have ever been
known to invite a rupture--let us hope that Johann Sebastian Bach was
not quite so human.

* * * * *

Michelangelo never married, but Bach held the average good by marrying
twice.

He was the father of just twenty children. His first wife was a woman
with well-defined musical tastes, as was meet in one with such an
illustrious musical pedigree. It wasn't fashion then to educate women,
and one biographer expresses a doubt as to whether Bach's first wife was
able to read and write. To read and write are rather cheap
accomplishments, though. Last year I met several excellent specimens of
manhood in the Tennessee Mountains who could do neither, yet these men
had a goodly hold on the eternal verities.

We know that Bach's wife had a thorough sympathy with his work, and that
he used to sing or play his compositions to her, and when the children
got big enough, they tried the new-made hymn tunes, too. These children
sang before they could talk plain, and the result was that the two elder
sons, Wilhelm Friedemann and Phillip Emmanuel, became musicians of
marked ability. Half a dozen other sons became musicians also, but the
two named above made some valuable additions to the music fund of the
world. Haydn has paid personal tribute to Emmanuel Bach, acknowledging
his obligation, and expressing to him the belief that he was a great