Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-11-24
THE GAZETTE.
CEDAR FALLS, NOV. "a, 1871.
The Widow WaIc0tt.
BY AUGUSTA LAl,NED.


BY AUGUSTA LARNED.
Elder Bruce ought to get up re-
vival. We've had kind of spiritual
irought here for more than thre,
Years. Folks are as lukewarm as
| hey can be; and over to Bradshaw
they've had such refreshin' time, j
declare it's been like the dew on
Hermon. 1t does seem as though we
ought to bestir ourselves, for Buck
Vile, and Spaulding, aud Marryill
have all had first rate revivals since
the last protracted meeting was held
here; and they ain't nothing like az
influential churches as our'n. Not
one of 'em has got red moreen cush-
ions and hanging lamps. Aud say
to my husband: Hiram, what does
it signify IL sinners bodies does Sc,
easy, Ii their souls are In the gall OF
bitterness and the bonds Of iniquity?'
I'd like to have something that would
prick the unconverted up to sense
of their guilt. Ahem! Miss Wal.
colt, l believe you don't belong to
our connection?n
NO." replied the widow, gently,
as she Sat on the highest step of her
back stoop, shelling peas for dinner ;
"but 1 hear Elder Bruce preach every
Sunday, and like him very much. )"
II dare say you do" returned Mrs,
Spangler, rocking hard In the low,
splint-bottom chair the widow had
given her, ard making IL crack
I'VE all like him. Husband and me
set great store by him and the truth
IL, we was the first that was i'm favor
of getting him here, and I guess he
KNOWS how much he owes us.
don't believe the elder could get
along If he didn't have husband to
'advise him. He's looked up to as
much as any man In the community,
1t do say 1t, as hadn't ought to; and
as for my daughter, Minervy, since
his wife died, she's been the Elders
right hand. She's taken the lead In
the Sunday-school, and sung In the
choir, and had hand in everything.
Folks do say she'll go to the parsou-
age one of these days; but laws,
don't pay no attention 10 such nom
sense. If the elder and she wants to
make IL up between 'em, its nobody's
business. But still, do say that l
think the elder ought to get up re>
vival." re-. ..-... .rr
"Perhaps," returned the Widow
Walcott, In the rano mild tone, "he
thinks revivals are dependent on the
will Of God. The Spirit, 1t is said,
'goeth where il listeth'; and no such
awakening could be lasting in it's
effects unless there had been a previ-
Gus preparation of the spirit"
"Them may be the views you hold
i'm your denomination, Miss Walcott {;
but for my part 1 think the old dry
bones need a good shaking up now
aud then. Sinners must be made 10
trenble. Elder Ricketts, can do it,
Wherever he goes, there's q glorious
outpouring; and, when I think of 1t,
1t does seem as though the elder
ought to ask Brother Ricketts, to
come aud help him hold course of
meeting. They've had fifty new
members added to the church up in
Pnney % 'efns were scinfdren
not more than ten years old, and
rome were real old case hardened sin
ners; and now they're going TO put
in q new pulpit. with one Of them
low desks, made Of roses
wood. Dear me! IL does seem as
though something ought to be done
in our church. We go dragging
along in half dead and alive way !;
and Hiram and me both think that
a good smart revival IL all that IL
needed"
But don't ii often happen, Mrs.
Ssngler, that people fall away after
such seasons of excitement, and be.
come ten times worse than they
were before-espscially where they
were drawn into the church without
any deep and lasting convictions ~
Aud the widow rose and gathered
the pods into her apron. "pm told"
she added, "that there's more drunk
enness and profanity in Buckville
and Spaulding than there was before
the protracted meeting"
20, what can you expect of Buck
willie and Spsulding? They always
WAS sinks Of iniquity; and you can't
make me think il don't do 'em some
good to have rousing now and then.
But we think good deal Of our
selves, and hold our heads as high AS
the hest. you haven't been long
enough In Skittleton to learn all
about US, Miss Walcott and we're
ruther slow about taking In stran-
gers. But don't think they have
any reason to complain when they
are took in"
Mrs. Spangler rose to take her
leave. She had just dropped In for
a morning chat, and for more than
an hour lad been seated on the back
stoop of the widows cottage, in the
lazy transparent shadows that flick
cred down from the dropping boughs
of willow like the green mist from
a fountain. There were morning
glories and scarlet runners trained
against the treIlis-work, and bit Of
white-muslin curtain futtering out
from the sitting-room window
There was neat littlo path running
between borders to the gate; and the
smell of old-fashined pinks and roses
coming up pleasantly to the nostriIs.
The widow got up too, holding the
basin Of peas she had been shelling
In her hand. Her shaker bonnet,
with little touch Of black upon IL,
had slipped of, showing her soft,
silky brown hair, with only here
and there thread Of gray. She was
little under the middle size. and
her large gray eyes had . peculiarly
sincere and candid glance. Widow
svalcott's youth had passed away !;
but she had not lost all the round
ness and softness and bIooIu Of youth.
She wore the plsinest OF black dresses,
and there was pair OF old gloves