Sawt al-Mara — page 23

three days later he took off his working coat and laid down his tools, and stood gazing with surpassing pleasure at the thousand pipes which he, with those boys, had turned into a splendid instrument of music.

And so, instead of the many years Lewis had believed the making of the organ would take, it was finished in a period of six months. Now the boys and girls began to think of holding a concert, during the special broadcast after Christmas, to the sound of the organ. But new troubles arose.

They had to move the organ from the lower floor of Lewis's house to the church. And when the distance was measured, their faces turned pale, and they realized that they must alter the size of the church so that it might hold the great organ. Within a few days the walls were pulled down, wooden seats were set up for the choir, the place was widened, and then the walls were put back. And upon close checking it appeared that the size of the organ case was wrong, and that they must take it apart and make it anew.

Despair took hold of the hearts of those youngsters, for they believed the Christmas celebration was lost; they gathered in the rest room, pain rising in their faces. Then Lewis sat down at his own organ and began to play quietly. Scarcely had the melody of the Lord's Prayer taken possession of the air of the room than the members of the choir slipped away one after another and made for the lower floor of the house — and within moments the sound of hammers rose... Then Lewis could do nothing but follow them...

Hours before the appointed opening of the celebration, on December 24, 1948, that little church beside the road began to overflow with visitors — among

them the workman, the farmer, the old doctor, the blacksmith, and others. And among them was a representative of one of the companies that sell musical instruments, which had heard of what was going on in the little village of Hollywood and had sent him to verify the truth of the rumor.

Anxiety rose in the faces of those present, and lips were pressed tight: "Will the instrument give out music, one wonders?" The clock struck seven, the hour set for the celebration to begin, and the crowds held their breath, waiting and watching... Then the radio engineer signaled to Lewis, seated at the organ, to begin. In a few seconds the voice of the organ rose, gentle as the blowing of the breeze, sweet as the gliding of the brook's waters, and those present heard the strains of the hymn of faith flooding that silent church with majesty.

Suddenly the youngsters appeared in the aisles on the two sides of the church, in their chestnut-and-white robes, their voices rising in harmony and blending with the voice of their beloved organ. And when Fulton Lewis stood to tell the crowds what those youngsters had endured for the sake of accomplishing this great work, the tears of many flowed — above all when he said: "This is the fruit of faith, when it drives the faithful to work!"

And today one feels a new atmosphere prevailing over the little town of Hollywood, where fathers and children have built a recreation room in the church for the gathering of the youngsters and their kin. There is, besides, a feeling of dignity and good keeping that pervades the town. The children are happy with their new school, whose land was given by Mr. Merville Dean, who owns a lumber company. And beyond this, they hope that

one of the industrial companies will accept Mr. Dean's gift of a hundred acres of land, offered to any company that will bring new factories to the town to give work to the inhabitants.

Hollywood, which but yesterday was an unknown, out-of-the-way spot, has today become a bright, shining town, all hope and promise. Its grown folk declare with every pride: "It is our children who put our town on the map." And the voice of Fulton Lewis rises, full of wonder, to say: "Youngsters can do anything!"

Translated by "The Woman's Voice"