Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-08-08

N'' anu your rttutrS 10 cross the ->'''
Mountain with me this morning, on IL visit
To the County of Hardy. eur object being t"
attend Il TrNkARp meeting, t. be held At
their meeting house on the Eastern bank III
the Lost River. It's the Sabbath day, and
aS We wend our way along the serpentne
course, winding now this way, aud then
that we find ourselves soon up on the first
bench of the mountain Oh what il cloud
less sky The sun already three hours up,
IN his day $ journey, p"urs his hot rays
powerfully against the mountains side; hut
what season now for thought There is
no noise. All is quiet, save the clatter OF
our horses hoois Nome Of ~ feel like utter
iug word but in solemn silence We ride
on, wrapt in contemplative thought. Oue
turn more ana here we are "n the top, iar-
ing the West See what wonders This
scene before us is natures stack yard. Look
J Wonder IN the dim distance. 81 miles away,
/ the old Aleghanirs proper rear their lofty
SUBMITS, and all in between from this stand
point to those high boundaries Of our VI
sion. rise up, stack after stack, all shapes and
sizes Of hill and mountain. Nav turn -
Look East ut the Valley We have left. oh !!
/ how beautiful. and how true is it that II
| GINA is ro,ki ,rithin hepScit, did sin, hut
/ know it, But. We must get on. Down We
/ 90. AMI are -unu sale IN the cove, Il small
/ valley leading out between two mountains
into the i.ust River country.
| There is much along the road to attract
/ the stranger. See what beautiful group
of sugar naples there on our right, (mapIe
sugar Is one al the staples "f this end oi the
county, and yonder in our front. look M
! the muuntanerr and his family vending
their way u the meeling-the father. moth
rr, and five children with their only horse,
make up the group. The mother and Nv"
Youngest little ones make II good load inr
Dohhin, whilst the father and older chaps
walk in front, all going Indian tir, IA very
necessary way Of travelling where the paths
are 80 narrow and rough. Well, At the foot
of the hill y"nder, surrounded hy clump
of trees do You not see the meeting house?
very unprelendIng sort Of Il building, aud
Just beyond the Little Mountain River
ruHleS wildly along its winding way. But
says one. why call this Lost River? Well.
III tell yon. Do yuu see that high bluff
away down the valley yonder-wrll Near
there the river PUSHES INTO II mountain cave,
and is last to your view, and the next thing
ynu know about it is that ii rushcs "ut Ca
pom River, and thus the names Cupnn Tor
one aud Lost for the other. Now. we will
hitch our horses and walk into the meeting
house. Don't be disappointed my city
friends. tynu who are used I" cushions AMI
carpets and spring back pews,) at the print
tive appearance of the interior. But take
a seat OH one Of these PLAIN pine benches,
and for once in Your lives let Your spinal
column support Your body for ut least Il tw"
hours sitting Aud nnw before service hr-
guns, let lis dot down the appearance, nt
things Dn You see that long pine table "n
the right, and another oh the lett, surround
ed with benches? And now those
benches fast filling up with long bearded
men on the one side, and white capped Wa
men on the other. Why, how very close the
women sit t. each other. All see why 1t
j., Mry dontanyo Of Hem reu hoppy. There
is no pulpit or stand On the extreme end
of the table on the mems side, aud next the
group, with his long flowing beard and
long straight hair comhei carefully buck be-
hind his ears, and the bridge ot Ia, hose
mounted with par Of heavy brass specta;les,
who reminds one of what would, according
To our imaginlngs, represent old Abraham,
the father OF the faithful, (if we could leave
the sperks out Thu. arranged around
their two tables, with outsiders filling the
benches the services began, consisting OF
singing. reading the Scriptures, aud payer
all Of which was conducted very much
like any other modes, in the simplest man
ner Then came the sermon, and We sup
bose because there were strangers present,
our preacher thought it important 10 give u
an idea Of some OF their very peculiar views,
aud particularly did he dwell on the Holy
Kiss. Feet Washing, &c. After he hal
finished lie challenged contradiction, and
called upon his brethren t. bear their tc>ti-
mony To the truths he had uttered which
some of them did by eXclaimlns, true. all
true: aud after prayer aud singing, we were
dismissed These Tunkards singular
people, and very clanIsh withal. That Is,
they help one another temporarily. itavery
poor man. joins them they make 1t point
To all unite IN lettering his condition.
Once year they have ID feast, and thus You
find attached 10 every meeting house.
Kitchen for cooking purposes, aud then
these long tables We spoke about come III
rlay. They first feast all the outside bar
harians" then the tables are re arranged,
and all along III rows you see dishes filled
with the Lamb soup and when the order IL
given those who sit at the tables begin. two
three or four dipping from one dish with
spoon, and thence L. the mouth. Then
COMES one with II large w OF VINE, and
pours out IL cup full and hands 1t t. the first
one ut the table ana he to the next, whilst
the person with the Jug walks behind to re-
pIeni.h when required. Then they all turn
round with their back, Ia the table, and
bare their feet for the washing. Then come.
ON. with mn apron tied about him. ami be-
gins Ia wash and wipe, and when he Is tired,
another from the bench takes his place. and
So they go around among all the har-io"ted
ones the women doing the same ~ the
men There are other prcularltI"- We could
mention. but space will not permit AMI
by invitation We will accompany An old ac-
ulIaintanre 10 his mountain home Tor II
snack before we return I" the Springs, Tor
our horses and ourselves are hungry. Well,
here We are, and whilst we sit down III this
shade outside the family are all busy with
preparing our rrpast, and our horse. on the
i,t in thr rp,r are mun,hiup their corn with