Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-07-19
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MUSS IN OUR CHOIR.

MUss IN OUR CHOIR.
A genuine Yankee cousin narrated the
following to one Of us one evening last
winter. We have kept it safely lodged in
memory till now. After tipping his chair
and himself back to comfortable position
against the wall, he commenced thus:
My name is Hidgkins-Jonathan T.
Hidg gkins. The T. stands for Turner, who
was my grandfather, and a corporal in the
old revolutionary army. So you see be-
long to the good old genuine stock of the
land of the free and the home of the brave.
At this present speaking, I am twenty-five
and half years ofage, stout, tall, and, as
the gals say, all KILN good lookin'. l am
also musical character of the most ex-
cruciatiugly melodious description. In
fact, the whole of our family are musical
too. Dad and marin used to be death on
harm ony. They've got to be kind of old
now, though, and their voices have got kind
er cracked. But their musical mantle has
descended upon their two children with a
perfect vengeance.
When l say two children, mean my
sister Sal and me- Sails about the greatest
soprano on record. She's splendid, good
too, on the alto. On regular right-up-and-
down hallelujah music she can't be beat.
Asto me, I 60 the whole 6gger on tenor.
I've got the darndest curiousest voice too,
you ever heard tell on. Its just as smooth
as glass, some jolly chaps down in our town
say broken glass, but that's all owing to en-
w. Now all I have to do is to set it in the
key of G, and it goes soaring upwards and
onwards like tarnation crow from the top
of pitch pine tree. Of course voices and
talents like mine and SAILS couldn't get
through this vale of tears without being
particularly appreciated. At least they
haven't. Sal riz to be head gal singer in
our choir down in Spottsdown, when she was
only sixteen years old. I've led the choir
since I was twenty-five, and if haln't had
time ont since began, judge ye.
= Spottsdown, you know, is manufactur-
ing village in the State of Vermont 1t
hain't got but just one meeting house, and
that airs genuine one. That is to say,
it was built by about everybody and amt
owned by nobody We have all sorts Of
preachin in it too. About all the sects you
ever hearn tell on have had their turn at it.
tits now occupied by the Hal!elewyerites.
They believe the Lords a coming this
year, sure, about the first day of fall, pre-
cisely.
Afore they had the Westinghouse, how
ever, it was occupied by the Yewnitarians,
and it was during their confounded reign
that the muss took place in our choir, which
knocked all the musical talent in SPOTS
down into knock-up hat. Now you just
exercise some patience aud more charity
and I'll tell you all about it.
You see, then, or will, when l show il
to you, that when the Yewnitarians frs
put preacher into our pulpit, led the
singing. Sal did the prime soprano, anc
everything connected with our choir, wa:
going just about inkstaud. Well, the min
lister l speak on had only been settled abou
month, when down comesa feller to ou
place from Boston, the grand New En-
gland Emporium. But the tarual critic
wasn't satisfied with coming himself, so ht
broughta whole troop of frst-raters along
with him, and gave scientific sacred con
cert in our meeting house. Of cours
everybody was there who could get there
besides one or two who couldn't.
As far as music was consarned, that al
consart killed me just about dead. Th
very next day afterwards, the proprietor
called meeting and voted to have tn
scientific musick introduced into the SPOTS
down choir forthwith. The day after that
Squire Dawkins, the clerk of the parish
called ou me whilst I was out diggin' ia
ters and id:
'Mr. Hidgkins, hereby notify you tha
it has been voted to have scientific music
from Boston, introduced into our choir
forthwith
sWhatin thunder do you mean by tina
air. says I. i consider that our music
is raytherin that line now, | do, really
so far as the real ginerwine is consarned
said the Squire, $50 do I. It's the instru
mental part of the Dizziness that am talk
ing about; you know we amt got any
that kind to speak on now, Mr.. Hidgkins
Nor don't want any, as | knows OF
says I.
sThe proprietors think different said tn
Squire, 'and says they must and will hav
it,
Then let 'em gitit and be darned, say
Then you've no objection says be.
Not bit,' says l, feeling all the time
if l was knocked higher than kite
wall, we've been talking with Dodg
about it, says the Squire, 'and he's agree
to get German chap to play the violin
and an Italian to play the big fiddle, an
some kind of gal crtter with an outland
ish name, to take the place of your siste
Sal
sAccommodatin' chap that Dodge is,