The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-04-03


church."
"Atchurch?"
ayes, sir, ifyou plense, ut church to-mor-
row. The llalleIujah Chorus you know, sir,
being part of the MessiNh, we thought il
would be particular appropriate; aud we are
all perfect in our parts, aud there's two or
three chaps out ofthe next parish that are
coming over to Snatcham to see their friends,
and they'll help us you know, sir, and every
thing is quite ready, and rehearsed and all
that; and we hope, sir, you won't have no OBJ
lection, because we can never do it so proper
as with them additional voices what's coming
to morrow, and there will be such lots OF
people come to church OH purpose to hear us,
thar they will all be so disappointed if we
don't sing il.
Here James grippe, somewhat jealous ofhs
rivals eloquence, and taking advantage Of
Martins pausing for Il moment TO recover
breath, stepped forward, saying-"No sir, we
hope you won't refuse us your leave, because
all the people so calculate upon hearing IT,,
that they will go away in dudgeon if so be
they are disappointed, and mayhap they will
never come to church again, but so among
the methodishes, or some of them outlandish
sexes; aud it would be pity to overthrow
the established church just for the matter of
n stave or two of music"
The rector sighed deeply, but not audibly,
and replied, saying, in II tone OF mud expos
tulution-"But Tomorrow, my friends, Is
Good Friday day oieXtraordlnnry solemn
ty, aud scarcely admitting even the most sol
emn music in its service"
Exactly so,' interrupted Martin Grubb,
chats the very thing | say, sir, and therefore
the Hallelujah Chorus is the most puculiar
appropriate; it's one of the most sollumst
things ever heard,--irs quite awful and
grand enough to make the hair OF ones
head stand upright with submity."
"'Tis indeed, sir" added James Gripc,
"you may take my word for II, sir"
"Perhaps" returned Martin Grubb, "your
reverence never heard it;uow, ifso be rs you
never heard it, muyhap you don't know
nothing about it in which case we can, IT
y2u please, with your permission. sing
Won, n little bit oft, just to give you an idea OF
The Soor l;ersccuted pastor looked round
upon his torrneutors ir blank amnzcncnt,and
saw them with their ruthless mouths Wi"e
open, and ready to inihGt upon
him the utmost penalty of their a"-
ful voices. In tremulous tones the worthy
man exclaimed, mo, no, no; pray don't
pray dont--don't trouble yourselves beg
YOU will not. know the piece of music TO
WHICH YOU lCItI uuN llllllh ou N'hlh BNiT
form it on any other day than Good Fri
day"
Singers are peculiarly irritable class of
persons, and the slightest opposition or con-
tradiction irritates and disturbs them, so that
at the very moment that the rector uttered a
sentence ut all interfering with their will,
they all surrounded him with clamorous and
sulky importantly, and set TO work with all
diligence TO dcmolish bis objections.
please, sir" said Martin Grubb, shaking
his big head with look of logged wiltulness,
81 don't see how it's to be done. The Halle
luiuh Chorus requires lot of extra voices
what isn't to be got every day; and five tells
them chaps as coming over tomorrow to
hel p us, that We don't want their help, they
may take tiff, and never come over to Snatch
am again."
"But perhaps" the pastor meekly replied,
'!they may assist you in the grave and sober
singing of some serious and well-known
psalms in which all the congregation may IL
mite"
On hearing this, the broad-faced butcher
expanded his features into n contemptuous
sort of Il grin, and sad-"Come, now, that is
"A good one, as ifreg'la scientific singers would
c0mc all the way to Snatcham Just TO sing
old psalm tunes"
"Mr GRIPPE also said-"lIc! he! hep
ole! he! he!" is n very conclusive kind of
argument; and so the rector of Snatchem felt
it to be, for he could not answer it, nor retute
it, nor evade it. lie looked this way
and that way, up to the ceiling and down
to the floor towards Mr. GRIPPE and towards
Mr. Gruhb; but neither ceiling nor floor, nor
Gripe nor Grubb, afforded him any relief
from this painful embarrassment. The eXult-
ing singers saw that he was posed, and that
now was the time to push home their victory,
and overwhelm the rector by their united i'm
portunities. So they all crowded round him
at once, and almost all Mt once began to as
suil him with such n torrent Of reasons and
augmentation, that he had not word to say
for himself.
"Please, sir" said Onesiphorus Bang, 81
ha'n't got nothing else ready to play"
"Nor neither said lssachar Crack.
"PIease, sir" said Alexander Rodolpho
Crabbe, 1--WE never like 10 do nothing without
your leave, and we hope you won't compel
us to do so now. My wife says she'll never
come to church again, ifthe ialleluIaII Ono
rus is not performed tomorrow"
"And declare" said Gregory Plush, "that
for nv part. never wish 10 touch the SER
pent again, if we mayn't do that piece of mu-
Sic"
Absalom and Peter GRIPPE also said the
same as touching the claronets; and James
Gripe then looked ut the rector with quaint
Nv interrorutive aspect, which without utter
inc a word, seemed to say-''Ihere, slr,Whai
will Won do without Absalom and Peters
carionets?" Now, for his own part, the wor-
thy pastor would have been glad to get rid
of the whole cla,nor of their music, for these
chorsters were always at loggerheads either
with one another, or with all the rest of the
parish.
The rector, thus overwhelmed with argu-
| mani and nlnnnnncn with nnthOS and imDor.