Daily national era., 1854-04-11
LITERARY MISCELLANY.
For the National Bra
REcoLLECrIoasoF NY YGRAHDrATHERsH HOME.
CHAP. VIII Concluded.

CHAP, tlli-Conciudeu
Twas a quaint old building, that meeting
house yet fair specimen Of tho buildings OF
it's class, Of those days whose inner architect
ure Is ever the unique Of bygone rem'nscences'
We had the omnous, cylndricai so"ndng-
board, high pulpit, with its trap-door, ai.ar
fenced in broad galleries, double row OF via,
dows, and square, ra'led pews MI cohs.ruoseu
az plain unpublished wood Ishoud love to wor-
shin In one OF those old churches once more
Rnt. ah! should MT now wonder TO zee The
pastors head emerging from the trap doof DC
awed by the deacon's nasal dictatlon u his
choir. should not now tremblc at the oscliia-
tions of the ponderous sounding board, nor yet
rlav l. bo-peepu between the rails Of the fqnare
pews All, those were roomy pews, Jnst IKE
an the constructions or our comfort taking an-
cestors--pews to lounge in, pcws 10 be dined
in, pcws big enough to take in tho Squlre's
arm chair, with room enough for a'l the 'gnde-
wife'sp haxcn heads--pews in whose scat mr.
rangcmenta tho modern belle would pariicu-
: larly delight But those, nevertheless, were
days Of sermonizing and sermon listening NO
pentcel, SNOWY service dispelled the mornings
ennni but half days length Of hone thrnsts
came laundering down from the high priest Of
the sanctuary, so many anathemas for his ave-
struck audience
In those days Of simple love and reverence,
no aged, worn-eut shepherd was ever cast GH
by his flock He had fed them well for many
years and, remembering this, they looked with
loving eyes ON the short comings Gf feeble ago.
So, when entered that sanctuary, the white
head Of an old man of eighty years emerged
from the trap door His limbs were palsied,
his voice broken, and. his hands fell feebly en-
the worn covere Of the Bible; yet, with that
broken voice and feeble arm, there was revcr-
=, IL, CN- al
once strong arm Of that shepherd had led many
father and many mother there, into the
straight ard narrow way.
There is, indeed, no cloquence more effective
than the simple appeals that come from the
loving hearts and truthful lips of those we'll
tried pastors They showed an acuteness in
selection and adaptation of texts which often
proved the seed of great REVEALS and gave evi-
dence of their Godlike inspiration.
Said the gray haired pastor cf my grand
fathers eanctuary, as he bowed over the cCfin
OF an aged patriarch, named Jacob who, in
the enjoyment Of heslthful and honored old
age, had died suddenly in the night time And
when Jacob had made an end Of commanding
his sons he gathered mp bis feet into the bed
and yielded up. the ghost, and was gathered
INTO his people" A deep silence fell on the
assembled multitude. The atter-coming SER
mon sank deep into many hearts.
u At another time, while he pointed to the
shrouded form below, Of strong man, stricken
down by the waysidc, he exclaimed, in low
and searching accents, "Who among you will
give ear to thisg Who will hearken and hear
for the time to come?n And for each time
those solemn words were echoed over the cold
clay. we have evidence that a soul was gained
In those dave, the moral Of death was pointed
over the ccfin in simple, heart searching elo-
qnence.
The gray haired, eli quent old man was gath
cred to his fathers He. was greatly missed.
Even little children mourned him, and for q
long while the mention Of his name brought o
tear to every eye.
A strong hand here fell on the cover Of the
Bible and strong voice echoed through the
sanctuary, but there was less reverence and
Icss sIIenUr ru,ugn rnerv was rne game atti-
tude, there was less an air Of devotion. There
was an audible futter of ribbons-the rustic
belle perchanee began to study the advantages
Of her position In the square, open pew.
The new minister was earnest, fervent fear.
less, noble. locking, and withal o bachslor--a
bachelor he came, and, alas, q bachelor he
went despite the unwearied pains Of tattling
Hepsy and the allegiance Of devotional dam
sells. He never usuIped the place Of the old
pastor IN the affections Of the people; but there
was room enough for him also in their great,
honest hearts, and they loved him. ques-
tiopsble ambition took him early away, and
he found elsewhere wider sphere for bis tal-
cnt, and, what was better, companion for his
parsonage.
Both these pastors hold conspicuous place
in my gallery Of portraits Nor is any mean
place allotted TO tho nasal-twanged deacon,
with his long queue, tied with black ribbon,
snuf-colorcd coat, and sharp cye for the younk-
ers though, in my youth, his presence gave
no sacrcdncss B., the altar Nor is the little
hunch-baeked fiddler, by any means forgotten,
who drew out such heightened harmonies from
that scarce then defnmcd instrument, his fd
die. The poor fiddle, a.asi has eince fallen
from the comyanionship of psalm tunes, and
Withdrawn it, melodies from the village choir
Indeed, can this moment recall every person.
age won't 10 assemble in that old church, from
the weIlseatcd ~squirc,o and his aspiring
daughter, to tho palsicd pauper, in the corner
OF the gallery, who used to share the younk-
ers' MONDAY lunch.
Ah, those nconday lunchssl they had n rel
ish 70 them How many loving heart, may
not the hours intermirsion have draEn to-
wards the sanctuary How many trayel-worn
feet may not have been turned bitherward by
tatiling Hcp~y's gcssiping propcnrities But
an, in those days cf simple habiis how many
oame indeed to worship God in rpirit and
truth, albeit the ample space given 10 chat and
gossip
At noon tho mothers, with their wee-bits,n
scattered themselves amongst the ncsrest farm
hooscs, whlst the sturdy farmers lcllcd laz,ly
on the green, Watching the pranks Of their
noisy little ones The lads and lasses stroIled
into tho fields, here and thore true lovers halt
ing beneath the shade OF an oak tree, or tit
ting down under the willows by the brook
aide, frgetful of their lunch and the other
Ioiterers. Now and then sober maiden, Ike
Hannah, OF a tcttering old man, would turn
into the little churchys ord, whittier each Sab
bath noon turned ALSO, TO spell out the time
rubbed inscriptions On the mossy stones; and,
What grati6ed my childish curiosity still more,
q watch the other lingercrs there. They had
most Of them some precious little spot in that