Elegy for the organ grinder

City corners have not been the same since the disappearance of the organ grinder, cranking his music box for pedestrians. When the organ grinder receded into history in the early 20th century, cities lost an enchanting, mystical sound. It was like the calliope of a carousel, the sound of children on painted wooden horses turning around and around. How curious to imagine that this music man was once a common fixture of the urban landscape.