Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-05-27
THE STORY TELLER
zs . t3t7F For Arthur's Home Gazette.
The Singing School at "Slaugh.
sdfr. s4ia-f ters's." BID Uafs ~ .gt
BY A TRAVELLING NATURALIST.

Slaughter's' is the name by which is
known the Baptist church at the cross roads
near Medon, and the singing school was estab-
aished there because there was no other room
of sufficient dimensions in the vicinity. These
people are not much in the habit of patronizing
things of this sort, but as Keener, the music
teacher, belonged to their church, they con.
sented to change their rule expressly for this
occasion and with the clear understanding that
it was to go mo further. POO
1t was great time when Elder Bouden
gave out the following notice from his pulpit
'Mr. Erastas Keener will sing, the Lord and
the weather permitting, at this place next Sab
bath, A. M, in the morning, for the purpose
OF making up class to cultivate spiritual har-
monies-a very great time among the young
men and the young women especially. Such
"a smirking; such a twisting of white necks
such whispering up and down the row OF
men; such a glancing of bright eyes! How
everybody looked straight at Hodijah Snap,
the bass singer, the same H. S. who had sung
Ocean on a bet against the great round note
singer from New York, and beat him seven
seconds on the Sustained note, so well known
in that admired composition; and how IL.
s. looked straight at the wall as if in perfect
unconsciousness of his being the centre of OBJ
servation. How Peninah Swift, the sweet
treble singer from North fork of Dry Creek,
did hide behind her married sister to have a
good blush all TO herself, for fear the popular
look would turn next 10 her; and how the
married sister denied her shelter, with an au-
dible whisper, mot to be such fool From
these tokens the reader will perceive that the
subject of singing school at Slaughter's was a
popular thing and that the travelling natu-
ralist' found several items there TO transfer to
his memorandum book. sms -,Ftt3 ..t
1t was In corn planting time that all this
happened, and the LATEST was the busiest now
from one end of The settlement to the other ;
but many barrel of corn was lost from that
year s crop, by the neglect of the young men
whose hearts were bent on next Sundays sing
ing school. Never were there such crooked
lows as those which Hodjah Snap made, and
it is record that while his soul was engaged
in the Sustained note before referred to, his
mule, whose soul was in the corn crib, turned
thitherwards, and brought II. S. smack to the
draw bars before he knew what he was about
The girls met clandestinely in out-ofthe-way
places to sing treble. 1lf ..-.-. .st.r-
Mother Hardaway heard them near the
grave yard, and as she was Millerite got her
ascension robe ready. -....... e. .r
Major Gorley heard them in the carpenter s
shop, and thought it was somebody saving
boards. Grandry Morris heard them near the
lime-kiln, and went after them with sharp
stick to order them back TO their work.
Erastus Keener heard them, and his mouth
watered as he promised himself full class,
full pockets, and increased fame.
Sunday morning came at last as Sunday
morning always will if we wait long enough
for it, and by halfpast seven everybody was at
the church. True, the school didn't commence
until nine, but what of that! don't our folks al
ways enjoy an hours chat before service
There had been fearful raking up of old sing
ing books through the week, and the variety
was infinite. How an antiquarian would have
gloated over them There were all the styles;
patent notes., (facetiousy styled buckwheat
notes, round notes, named by way of scandal
blind notes. numeral notes, an amusing sort
of Improvement on the old fashion, which re-
quires more labor TO learn than all the old
fashions put together, and every other kind of
notes. In fact, the collection resembled a
Brokers Office, with this difference, that most
of these notes were without any value whatev-
er, broke past all redemption. Out of this va
riety, the favorite book, by odds, was THE
Missouri Harmony the most remarkable com
pilation of miserable tunes, arranged in ways
unknown to science, that ever the singing worle
groaned over. Precisely at nine, for Erastu
Keener prided himself on promptness, the
singing commenced. .n ,..J .-..t. ..f,
There were some difficulties to contend will
at the outset. Only two of the singers 'knev
the notes, and they by no means knew then
well. The usual order of instruction in ciyi
lized countries, requires that the class shoul
be taught the rudiments before they go to sing
ing, but Keener knew by bitter experenc
that he could never make up a class that way
singing must be done, and that right at tn
outset. Adapting himself, therefore, to tn
emergency, like all other great men, he a
ranged the singers into four parts to CORE;
pond with the constituents of harmony, an
started them on 'Lenox,' well known fugu
piece, sung to BLOW ye the trumpet, blow. >
Lowell Mason would have objected to tn
tune for an opening piece, but Keener pr,
sferred it, because everybody was acquainte
with the 'chune,' and everybody liked it b,
cause lit was SO high In the West an
South, we always give the bass to those who
nature has gifted with hoarseness, the tenor
air (for that is the same thing in this country
to those males who happen to know the tun
and the fourth part to those who don't. TT
latter being, by far The most numerous, it is
happy way of disposing of them, for they a,
certain to get lost either in the first or secou
abar, and that is the end of them until the en-
Of the tune. Lenox being speedily erccute
the next choice was 'Grenfeld's, page 52,',i
which announcement each Of the sierner sc
took piece of tobacco, each of the miIder,
sly lump of sugar, and Keener himself drin