Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-08-11
MISCELLANY.
Muss III OUR CHOIR

A genuine Yankee cousin narrated the fol-
lowing to one of us one evening last winter
We have kept it safely lodged in mamory till
now. After tipping his chair and himself
back toa comfortable position against the wall,
he commenced thus;
My name is Iidgkins-Jonathan T. IIidg-
kins. The T. stands for Turner, who was my
grandfuthcr and corporal in the old rcvolu-
tionary army. SO you see | belong to the
good Old genuine stock of the land of the free
and the home of the brave. At this present
speaking am twenty five and a half years of
age, stout, tall and, as the gals say all KILN
good looking ! am also a musical character,
OF the most eXcrucaingly melodi jus dcsciip.
tion. In fact, the whole of our family arc
musical too. Dad and marm used to be death
on harmony They've got to be kind of old
now, though, and their voices have got kinder
cracked. But their musical mantle las de-
sccndcd OH their two children with perfect
veneeancc.
When 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 rght-up.and down hallelu-
jah music she can't be beat. AS to me- go
the Whole iiggcr on tenor. I've got the darnd-
est curIouscst voice too, you ever heard tell
on Its just as smooth as glass; some Jolly
chaps down in town say broken glass, but
that's all owing to envy. Now all have to
do is to set it in the key of c. and it goes soar
ing upwards and onwards like tarnution 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 Atleas they hav'nt.
Sal riz to be head gal singer in our choir down
IN Spott'down, when she was only sixteen
years old. I've led tho choir since [ was
twenty two, and it | hain't had time on t
since began, judge yc.
Snottsdown you know, is a manufacturing
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 AMI ain 'townod by nobody
Mc have all sorts of prcachu' in it too. About
all the socts you ever hcarn tell on have
had theit tUra at it, 1t is now occupied by
the Hallclcwyoritcs. They believe the Lords
coming tliis year, sure, about the first day OF
fall, precisely.
Aforc they had the meeting house, however,
it was occupied by the Yewntariuns, and it
was during their cohfounded reign that the
muss took place in our choir, which knocked
all the masctl talent in Spottsdown into
knock up hat. Now you just exercise some
patience and more charity and | IL tell you all
about it.
You see, then, or will, when l show it to
you, that when the Yewnitarians first put
preacher into our pulpit, | led the singing.
Sal did the prime soprano, and everything
connected with our choir was going just about
inkstand. Well, the minister speak on had
only been settled about month, when down
iuicr 10 our place from Boston, the
Al,
tarnal crittcr wasn't satisfied with coming him
self so he brought whole troop of first ratcrs
along with him, and gave scientific sacred
concert in our meeting house OF course ev-
erybody was there who could get there, besides
one or two who couldn't.
AS far as music was consarncd, that air
consart killed me just about dead. The very
next day afterwards, the proprietors called a
meeting and voted to have the scientific music
introduced into the Spottsdown choir forth
with. The day after that Squire Dawkins,
the clerk of the parish, called on me whilst |
was out diggin' taters, and said:
MIR. Hidgkns, | hereby notify you that
it has been voted to have scientific musick
from Boston, introduced into our choir, forth
with"
What in thunder do you mean by that
air" says /. "I consider that our musick is
raythcr in that line now, | do, really"
$50 far as the real gnerwine is consarned,'
said the Squire, $50 do /. It's the instru-
mental part of the Dizziness that am talking
about; you know we amt got any of that kind
to speak on now, Mr.. 1ldgkins."
"Nor don't want any, as | knows on,
says1.
"The proprietors think different said the
Squire "and saws thew must and will have