Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-06-08
MISCELL A n 7.
From the Southern Weekly Post.
The Country Church
BY A MoUNTAISEER.
ooh, little things bring back to me
The thought of by gone hours;
The breath Of kline upon the lea,
The murnur of the mountain bee
The scent Of hawthorn flowers

The scent Of hawthorn flowers
No SPOT among the frequent resorts OF my
youthful days has left distinct and indehole an
impression upon my memory as the Old Country
Church. Looking back through the dim shadows
Off Intervening wears. the Sunday mornings on
which used to be put IN trim tor church, seem
to me the brightest, sunniest hours ever expert
enced, and even now glow upon the awakened
vision of the mind with brlliancy and ardor that
ore intense even to paiufulness. | know not how
II was Int the impression still continues that those
Sundays were all bright, suushiny days, and that
everything reflected a keener glare than was ac-
customed To observe at other times. Perhaps one
reason was that on bad days we were not 50 pune
tual in our attendance upon public worship, and
another may be added that the strict moral regl
men to which we were subjected by our parents
restrained Us from the active exercise whIch on
other davs tended TO render us less morbldly SEN
sitve. But although the afternoons of these still
solemn days were generally seasons OF lasSltude
and headache to myself, the retrospection which
re;pvests them with a peculiar brightness is By no
means painful one, and feel a sort of melan-
choly delight in living over again the little part
played in the weekly Solemnlty.
Getting ready for Church in the country impl-
ed in those days considerable variety OF efforts
and maneuvres. The saddlng of horses, the
preparation of the carriage, the collection OF whips
7 and umbrellas, and great number OF mlnutle
must be attended TO. which seldom interrupt the
Sunday morning meditation of village congrega-
ton. Our own party usually consisted OF two dl-
vision, the insiders and the outsiders; the former
ensconsed in close old fashioned carriage were
co,yeyed very soberly along by venerable driver
and pair of venerable horses. That old driver
can never forget. He was one of those old fam
liz servants, who born in lower Virginia prior to
.Ls Revolution, had experienced in early life ma
az Of the ycissitudes and hardshps OF that trying
.S.oi and retained in their recollection some OF the
- .:Sr details connected with Its history
mos, .a'eres. ,nes 70 Nve:al wealthy families as us
He mad belonged 70 ,Ss 5 o. ?tial patriots OF the
State, and when very young acru, ~ Il Peytor
tillion in the equipage of the celebra'U" snce
Randolph on his journeys by private convey,
to and from the Coutinel Congress. He could al
SO remember the horrors of the siege of YORK
Town, having been seized by the troops OF LORD
Cornwais aud kept in their hands till their me-
morable surrender to the combined French and A
merican armies. After being restored to his mas
ter he passed by hereditary descent into various
. hands. and finally into those ofmy atherwho re-
t,ined him in his favorite occupation OF coachmau
and cave him the opportunity of induiging MS
tastes every Sunday morning. fOor ora uiau
In offensive meekness, in transparent simplicity
and in unwavering faithfulness. he was almost NJ
TO be the model Of an 'Uncle Tom" He lived
for many years after his pilgrmages to the Conn
trv Church had ceased, and died tranquil as NJ
had lived the object of veneratiOn and affection iron
all who knew hlm.
We'll, the insiders were under his command
and the outsiders, consisting of my father and h'
sons sons including myself, followed or went before 9'
horseback rss Those are fine times for boys in tn
country when mounted on stiff and awkward
plow horses in saddles vastly too large and viii
sheir feet in stirrups orciby shortened TOR the os
casisu, they whip and jerk and kick their sieGa S,
into tho favorits pace, and imagine every sprlgn!t
" motion of the head to be an evidence oil col''S
spirit. II. ,,,,ds h
o,r Sunday travel through noble forest OF OAK
y hickory, chcsnut and pine. and the solemn shaa
Of the woods contributed not little to our impres
SION Of the sanchty of the day. The silence
those dark soIitudes broken only by the shri
cb;ruug of the locust. or the occasional barking Q
the squirrel. accorded well with the purpose wit