Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1842-06-10
THE FIRST BELLS.

.
when the sun seems to shine with shadowy
light, and the woods are filled with notes Of
sadness; when the up-springing flowers seem
| blossoms strewed upon bier, and every
streamIet chaunts requiem. Have we not
all our trials? and though we NAV bury the
sad thoughts TO which they gave birth in the
dark recesses Of our own hearts, yet memory
and sensibilty must both be dead, if we can
always be light and mirth(ul.
Once it was not so. There was time when
! gaily viewed the dull clouds of rainy day,
and could hear the voice of rejoicing in the
| roarngs of the wintIy storm; when sorrow
was an unmeaning word, and in things which
now appear sacred, my thoughtess mind could
see the ludicrous.
These thoughts have been suggested by the
recollection Of poor old couple, to whom, in
my careless girlllood, gave the name Of .'the
first BELLS" And now | doubt not you are
wondering what strange association of ideas
could have led me to fasten this appslla,ion
upon poor old man and woman. My answer
must be the narration Of a few facts.
When was young we all worshpped in the
great meeting house, which, now stands so va
cant and forlorn upon the brow of Church hill.
Ii is never used but upon town meeting days
for those who once went up to the honse Of
God in company, now worship in three sepa-
rate buildings. There is discord between them
that worst Of all hatred, the animosiiy which
arises from difference of religious opinions. l
am sorry for it; not that ! regret that they
cannot all think alike, but that they canno,
"ayree 10 difrer."-Because the heads are not
in unison, it needeth not be estranged !; and
difference Of faith may be expressed in kindly
words. have my friends among them all
and they are hot the less dear to me, because
upon some doctrinal points our opinions can
not be the same. creed which do not now
believe, is hallowed by recolleetions of the
Sabbath worship, the evening meetings, the
religious feelings-in short, of the faith, hope,
and trust, Of my earlier days.
remember now, how still and beautiful our
Sunday mornings used to seem, after the toll
and play Of the busy week. would take my
ca,ecbism in my hand, and SO and sit upon
large fla, stone, under the shade Of the chesnut
tree ; and looking abroad would wonder if there
was a thing which did not feel that it was the
Sabbath. The sun was as bright and warm as
upon other days, but its ligh, seemed TO fall
more softly upon the fields. woods and hills;
and though the birds sung as loudly and joy
fully as ever, thought their sweet voices uni
ted in more sacred strain. / heard Sab
odsH tuuC III IC waving Va NV couSHo uoN'S
me, and the hum Of the bees around me; and
even the blea,ing Of the lambs, and lowing
of kline, seemed pitched upon some softer
key. Thus it is that the heart fashions the
mantle with which it is wont to enrobe all ma
.ure, and gives to its never-silent voices tone
Of JOY, or sorrow, or holy peace.
We had then no bell and when the hour APP
preached for the commencement Of religious
rooE Iato fnrtl, tic
shippers in silence. But precisely half an
hour before the rest Of our neighbors started,
the old man and woman. who lived upon Pine
hill, conld be seen vending their way TO the
meeting house. They walked side by side,
with slow, even step, such as was BETTING
the Grand which had brought them forth.
Their appearance was always the signal for
me TO lay aside my book and prepare to follow
them to the house of God. And it was because
they were so unvarying in their attendance;
because was never disappointed in the forms
which first emerged from the pine trees upon
the hill that | gave them the name of ''the first
bels.'
WHY they went thus regularly early know
not; but think it probable they wished for
time to rest after their long walk, and then to
prepare their hearts to join in exercises which
were evidently more valued by them, than by
most of those around them. Yet it must have
been deep interest whicir-brought SO large
CONGREGATION from the scattered houses, and
nany lar-olf dwellings Of our thinly-peopIed
country town.
And every face was then familiar to me.
knew each whi,e-headed patriarch who took
his seat by the door of his pew, and every aged
woman who seated herself in the low chair in
the middle of it and the countenances the
middle-aged and the young, were rendered IA
miIiar by the exchange Of Sabbath gances, as
we met, year after year, in that humble tenn
pie.
Blu. upon none did look with more inter-
ss, than upon "the first BELLS" There they
always were, when l took my accustomed
pace-there upon the free seat at the right
hand of the pulpit. Their heads were always
bowed in deep meditation till they rose to join
in the morning prayer; and when the choir
sent forth their strain of praise, they drew
nearer to each other, and looked upon the same
book, as they silently sent forth the spirits
song to their Father in heaven. There was
an expression of meekness, Of calm, and per-
feet faith, and Of snbdued sorrow. upon the
countenances Of both, which won my rever-
ence. and excited my curiosity to know more
of them.
They were poor. knew it by the coarse
and much worn garments which they always
wore; but could not conjecture why they.
Welded the society and sympathy Of all around
them. They always waited for our pastor
greeting when he descended from the pupil,
and meekly bowed TO all around; but farther
than this. their intercourse extended not. 1t
appeared to me that some heavy trial, which
had knit their own hearts more closely togeth-
er, and endeared to them their faith, and its
religious observances, had also rendered them
unusually sensitive to the careless remarks