Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-02-04
9musring 8eaomg.
THE FATAL CAMP MEETING.
BY JOSTLE IN.

JOSlLc ~.
Never been to camp meeting, eh q" said
old bod, as we clustered round the camp
fire. NO, not such a camp meeting as this;
I don't mean,' he continued, as one of the
boys ventured to suggest that we were in
camp meeting then; your tarnation ignor-
ance is e'enamost strong enough to let you
know I mean one of them rip. roaring Meth
odist consarns, where the gals are convart-
ed by the score, and the boys foller as natu-
rally as kittens take to the milk pans when
they are left where they can get at 'em. 1t
was consarned true saying down in our
parts-but why should say doun, I don't
know, for it's woeful piece of walking here
away and pointed off in the direction of
the Pacific, evidently thinking the Utopia
he had left was in that part of the western
world, rather than in the region of the Ale
ghanies. He continued: 1T was con-
sarned true saying down in our parts, and
we'll understood by all hands, if you wanted
to make the boys chop wood, jist start the
gals out with the axes, and you'd see the
chips fly
sWal, yes, I'm going to tell you story
he said, in answer to the query, if you'll
promise to keep me awake. It's nightly
changed now, down where l was shook up,
from the time when was young. Then the
gals-you see, as old as I'm getting, can't
forget them gals-thought the greatest CON-
pliment her spark could pay her was to
praise the corn dodgers her plump fingers
made; while now-but no; won't say one
word agin 'em, bless their tender hands -
Let 'em play the pianny as much as they
have mind to; I'm not the man to take a
pleasure from 'em, even if l could Oh,
yes will go on with the story. Wal, you
see it's some changed now, for my story goes
back about thirty years or better, where the
pine woods fourished where the cities now
stand, and la trail jist wide enough to let the
OK teams pass, and even at that they'd Craze
the trees, was thought fine road, notwith-
standing the stumps.
'Wal, one fall the preachers came into our
circuit, and pitched their tents in what was
called Pine Holer, about ten miles from our
settlement. You see, the settlements were
getting mighty thick, even then, and they
were jist half way betwixt our place and the
jining logs, an when the boys came in tel
ling US about it, thar was regular stampede
for the Holler. All sorts of teams were
pressed into service, and we all turned out
to spend a week in the convarting mill At
that time was desperately in love-rd like
to know the time wasn't-with one of the
smartest gals in the settlement, and she show
ed her natural good taste by a kind leanin'
towards me. Ofcourse We rode alongside of
each other when we went to the camp, and
our conversation naturally turned on to the
subject of religion. She uaS a smart gal,
and chock full of education, and the way
she'd talk scriptur' would beat the parson
all to splits; and she was some on city talk,
too, you can bet-not that l knew about it,
to be sure, but the schoolmaster used to say
she was a perfect padygorn.' Paragon 1
suggested. 'Wal, something like it anyhow,
she went far ahead of me. She was power
fully pretty, with face like harvest moon,
and form that look down anything in the
shape of human flesh | ever set eyes on
Bymeby, We began to talk about marrying,
and sich like, and as had first rate chance,
no one round to tell ont, I jist plucked up
my courage, and ses I Fely, Cher mother,
who was some edecated, plucked up that
name out of book called Shacks-'twas
Ofely, but We all called her Fely for short, }
I've kinder set my 'fections on you, and if
you'll jist say the word, we'll hitch for life. ,
Twas for that period, for they never had no
divorce down thar Ses she, 'Dod,' and my
heart went pitter-patter, iist like dead
lambs tail; 'Dod,' said she, Il don't mind,
and if the old folks say yes, I'm with yer for
life Ses /, 'good,' and we settled it right
thar by hearty buss, though it was mighty
hard to get it, for as l kinder settled over
her way alter it, my tarnation beast jist took a
a shy, and my head went slap again hern,
which nearly upset her The preliminaries
settled, we prlcked up the anlmasand push
ed ahead
why didn't you marry her, Uncle bod ?
asked one of the party.
wal, that's jist what I'm going to tell
you. That camp meeting did it for me sure.
Wal, we arrove in camp about half an hour
or so alter the boys had pitched the tents,
and the sly looks that passed around showed
they understood how things war Alter
we'd got everything fixed in the tents, the
boys went out while the gals brushed up a
little, and they jined us alter time, and we
paired off, and as the old Gabriel was blow
ing the horn, we went into meeting. Twas
putty full when we got thar, and no place
for the gals to settle. While looking round,
nice, fancy-dressed chap, with city clothes
on, got up, and sez he, Madame, you can
take this'Ssat' Sez Fely, sez she, (you see
she wasn't,bostcd on city tarms,) i amt
madame, cause | amt married; but stran-
ger, thank YER and she sot down. He
made her bow that made me feel queer,
and she gave him smile that made me al
most hmm onto him. Then hn madn q