The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-16
A Sunday Morning Scene in ftse
drnursfry

II was Sabbath morning June sab
hath morning in New England. The sun
rose over q h,iShed, calm world. wrapt IKE
\ Madonna in prayer. 1t was The Day, a.
the Bible is The Book. 1t was nh lnterSec'
ton of the natural course OF time, break
in the customary order of events, and lay
between, with its walls of saturday and
SUNDAY night on either side, IKE chasH'
or dyke. or mystical apartment, Mhal'
ever you would please liken IT 10. IL was
such 4 Sabbath to the people OF Livingston
as thew used to have before steam. that arch
tntinomian. 'annihlated time and
suare.'' and railroads bridged over all ON
valleys. Its light, its air. its warmth, lis
sound. its sun, the simmer OF its dawn on
the brass cock of the stceple. the look 0!
the meeting-house itself, all things, were
not as on other days. And now. when
those old SabbathS are almost gone. some
latent indefnable impressions OF what they
were comes over us. and wrenchcS Us into
awe, stiffness, and regret.
The people are assembling for meeting.
They come on all the four roads, ard
ny numerous foot-pathS, croSs-lot9. and
more on foot, and very few in wagons.
THE horses heads are ga-niShed with
branches of spruce and birch, defence
against flies most of the boys and some 81
the men are barefoot. divers OF them IN
their shirt. sleeves, carrying their coat on
their arms some OF the young Ladies nave
sprigs of roses. pinkS, SWeet-willlams, and
larkspurs others, both old and young.
bring branches Of caraWt'y, peppermint =.
and southern-wood some OF the ladl :
who ride leap from their horses with tie
agiitv Of cats /; others make Use nt horse
blocks that stand about the Green. You
would perhaps particularly notice old al.
Rayel and his wife. from the north part "l
the town, on-horsei,ack. the former straight
rs an arrow, the latter Il littl" crooked. and
both more than eighty years Of a&r
For sixty. years they have come III !hat
way, O distance Of seven miles for SKI,
wears, every Sabbath morning, have they
heated their oven, and put IN ah IRON poi
Of beans and an cariiicn dish OF ln@En
pudding, TO bake i'll their absence. aIt! 80
ready for dinner when they rciuTn. 10
meet eXleenceS Of this nature, IN the mealt-
time. YOU wlIl Observe that Mistress Ravci,
I'm common w.th many other women. h@>
ON her arm Il large, reddish caiiro bag llli.u
with nut.cakes and Chccs". OF VIII 40
see coming down the West street Mr.. Adolf
pbus Paddock, nephew OF the deacon. WAL!
his wife and six children and Mr.. AdilphuS
will contrlvc in some Way or other TO GIVE
YOU the names Of AL his children Wli""lit
your asking. even before lie reaches nc"
steps of the meeting hnl>r-- iriandapho it;;i
Ada, Cecilia Kchccca. inrinihia tann;i-
docia, AliStophanc>, Ethclbcrt. and Il little
boy he carries in BIZ arms. Socrates; aud
you will hear the y";tnG men and boys that
are lolI0ping on the steps repeat these
names as the parties 10 whom they belong
scverallv arrive.
The sexton. Philip Davis. now strikes
the second bell, and those that llve imme-
diately on the Green begin 10 turn out, and
when he commences toiling, il Is Il syn
parson Welles has started from his house.
which Is in PLAIN sight an hundl ed rods or
40 down the South road. There are Mr..
saltwater. the tavern-kccper; Esq. Weeks,
Judge Morgridgc, Mr.. Osborne, the joiner ;
Lawyer Beech, DR.. Spoor, and other vii
layers, with their families. Tony, the bar
Der, with his powdered hair and scarlet
coat, is conspicuous. Ihere L. Nom Dill, II
negro servant OF Parson Welles, once ;
sllve, fat, tidy, and serene. The WIDOW
Luce, who lives near the brook, passes ON
leading her little hunchback son, job; thel
you see the parson and lis wife, accomp'
MED by their daughter, Miss Amy.
This venerable couple have nearly mt
tanned the allotted age Of man, and are ycrg
Ing towards that period which is described
rs one OF labor and sorrow: Yet. on tht
whole, they seem to be renewing THEN
youth. Their forms are but slightly bent
and the step Of the old minister Is firm and
elastic. He is dressed in black-thc onl,
suit of the color i'll town. if we except thai
OF the sexton. which is known to be al ot
cast of the iar>on' >-kcrseymcr coat. sill
breeches and ST ockngs. He has on three
cornered hat, Il ileece-lke wig. white bands
and black silk gloves. HIS witc's dress j,
black satin, like that of the Widow
Wright's. Finally, as II It We're composing
part of the saccrdotrl train, riding slowly
and snlemnly behind. appears the Widow
Wright who always contriveS TO arrive u
the parsonage .ju-t rs the bell begins totoll
The parson and his wife, with dignity ans
gravity, ascend the steps of the church
the crowd mcekly opens to let them pass
then all enter aud take their appropriat,
seats within the sacred precincts. The bel
ceases lolling; the sexton hangs the bell
rope On high peg where the hoy> canno
reach it shuts the inner porch doors; zoe
to the outer door and hens twice quite lout
to the vacant air. and all is still.-frOm IN
ne,o edition of Judd'S "NayGret,' pub
Hshed by Roberts Brothers.