Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-10-15
From Godey's Lldy's Book.
THE CORNER PEW.
BY MISS META ~. DUNCAN.

in America. are acknowedg I'd as belonging 10 our
languaua they ars 10 be found in Webster, ana
mostpsope can give adictionary meaning ol 'hemi
but as lar as the living vocabulary is concerneu'
thew are dead leuers-few use eIhcm, ana sun lew
er feel them. Novelty and change arelhe Wa'eh'
words which have taken their place, ana one gen
eration recklessly undoes the work oi ior'ner'
This is all very we'll, TO certain EXTENT Ior 'h
country like ours, the cry Tor ages yel 10 come
INC, sill he .onward." BuIinths restless search
for improvement. would II not be well 10 pause
and ask oursevesif there be not some holy yPIaees'
some consecrated spots, where the presumpluous
hand of undermining Improvement should not en-
teri We are called a calculating people. Why
omit, in the summing up Of useful results the IN
fluence which the relics Of the past hold over The
human mindl Patriotism is a sentiment which
is nourishod chiefly through the feelings ana I'M
apination; il is the chaE which must bind US to-
rether as a nalon-and yet, year by year, we
suf,r the landmarks and tokens OF the past 10 ne
unr,oted and demolished before our eyes, aud
whom future generations shall ask Tor the tang,bl
witnesses Of their counlry's history what Will be
the replyl The young, the enlhuslaSuc ana ihe
imoulsye, must seek in vain for the speaking
though silent witnesses Of those who struggled,
suffered and died that they might be Tree!
Thisreckless dsregardor lhemonuments OF the
past psrvades our whole people. Witness Mount
Vernon. and the indifference TO its possession ex'
hibted by the nation al large. We need now
ever, 90 no farther than our own city Tor crying
witnesses Of this fact, while we can point to the
Hall Of Independence and remember the sacrlle'
gious spelling which its interior underwent some
wears since. With us, the shadows OF the NIGH
" dead linger not round the spots hallowed by
their sufTarings and their struggles. We sand
amid scenes and in places consccraled by the
trce1 Of the sage, the patriot and the hero' nor
feel our spirits slirred by the ASSOCIATION whlch
those dumb witnesses, wood and slone' can caIl
forth! And if the hour comes when exnedlency
or whatseems expediency torlhltS cIalms'
we tear down and spoil without remnrseu ee'
ling. This love Of innovation aud change does
not alone affect The spots connected win our MS
tory and great names. Our old churchaS snare
the same fate, and aro 50 altered, 50 modernlzed'
that, with few exceptions, stranger TO Ju1g7
from their appearance, would suppose iha' 'ne oO'
servance of public religious worship was win Us
the growth Of the last twenty years. Inc capa'
cious and comfortable pewS in which our l"re'a,
thrrs offered up their prayers are OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
into softly cushioned pigeon boxes ana 'n' PowS
which franklin owned and Washington knelt IN
are obIilerated in this rage Tor modern improve
mcnt.
Reader, when we took up our pen we meant 10
Land Won for little while rever3nty, though OH
secular cares int mt into achurch; but az VISION
or ,ba sacred Building rose before our mental eye
al w,bah ia it--a,w We liked il bl3t--dim ven.
or,hle ooltm,.worn, We remembered with a sign
~, c.w how very few such remained to US III
,L, s;m,lic,v in which our forelathers had wor'
,,l E,r, n Instant we feared thai
,har,. wa, not even one left in which gliding
hrnn1, and luxurious furnishing had not usurPed
N ,;r ancient sober adornment5. Tha tram o
,h ,noht, called uo by III 80 reflections you have
bafors YOU. and we have gventh1m 10 you at once
for two roa9ons--ir5t, that th5curr1nt OF our mar
,a,ive should not b. stayed by any dgressona
and next, that you might not suppose 'hI'' haV'hi
lad von inloa church yaa were expected to lister
10 a sermonl And should your eye light upoI
This naraqraDh first, you are assured IN all SINGER
;,y ,ba t6e whole OF the foregoing remarks ma!
h, "skpped" without any dermen to III tale.
Itwas Sunday morning, and we are within IN
nracinc,s of one of those dim and ancenllook
inr churches, which in heir aspect seem so be
Grino ,h,ir solemn obi ect Tn1 hush I'd and rev
erpnt stiffness which prevailed within the venera
HE old church, broken only al intervals by soft
iv.opened door or gliding lootstep OF some lag
card among the congregation, fell upon The splrl
,yi,h ,ha, tender, solioning influence so well be
coming such place. The clergyman has no
We, appeared, and the attention OF The congr1gl
lion was as vet uuGxed. We shall, iherslor>
choose this moment to call your notice to the ot
;ecls which have brought US hher. In u Iarg
and comfortable pew, conspcuousy placed, thra
nrrsons were seated. The Oldest Of these was
gentleman advanced in life, whose heavy, iorblc
ding coun,enance repdIsed one al the first g'ancs
Beside him sal lady, some five or slX'and'twer
~ wears of age, whose features IN their generi
resemblance 10 his marked her at once as h
daughter. In the features alone, however. dive
the resemblance; the expression was totally di
f,rent. while her eyes were so fine as TO redeel
ber otherwise ordinary face. The third occupaI
oC the pew was a,al and handsome young man, S
nn,ike both his companions that few would haV
guessed him 10 be the son Of the one and the 0rt
iber of the other. The lady sat reading auel
,iyely in her prayer.book. The old gentleman
with his back turned to the pulpit, was apparent
watching the entrance Of the congregations; viii
the young man, facing the opposite dlrecuon, WI
gazing intently, though lurlively, upon pew
IN obscure corner of the church, in which sat
,all. car,.worn man and young girl.
Weekly, for many months past, had Edg
Gransdan's attention been riyeted upon this pev
M, ,ba, i,s inmates were new and strange to hin
On. no: the thin, pale face Of the gentleman W;
familiar 10 him from boyhood, and the young Il
DIV was the sama little girl whom h. hal seen
sweet, gente-looking mother lead, tor years.
her seat in TINT dusky pew. Edgar, howeve
had been absent some years; and mouths az
when he returned home, his attention had bee
.uvoctad n the changes which time had WruuU
'ro MA ashamed to confess ibis Ihoupb,s
,imas became completely absorbed in conI1mpI
ring Them. The thin, pae-laced man was no
bseome paer and thinner than ever; the gsnll
looking wife had disappeared altogether and b
.de her father sat the IiIle gir--now grown in
- ~. -. .Iu1inn nf human b .n.lL., h. 1