The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1872-06-15
Tmr "xITE aEErISGs."
The Solee Of the old Church I.eIl
itseIf.
~ raT 90 Posr s'ass vs.

Mh bhifuh As lung icftfT-
dag In tho ornamental bat uHeless
condition 10 which age aud the want
of protection have reduced me, |
overheard the reading oi IN article
IN your paper signed I" Bell" I
didn't write u, ypu know, but stiIl |
like Il, and II makes me feel good 10
think that the little folks aud The
ladies are at work getting up a sue.
cc-eor to me. I heard a man say.
the other day. that this was the age
Of progress. This remark recurrod
to me yesterday when | heard that
article read. | thought that my
useless and humilating existence up
here would soon terminate and
should be remodeled aud remolded,
and il there be not not enough of me |
to make up a good-sized church bell,
| might, at least, be made useful and
ornamental on the necks Of some
dozen of the many cows that see
daily browsing among the dog,tennol
around my perch. The fact is, |
want TO hear my own voice again,
even though It be divided into many
tones and choruses. And for this
Imay be excused, since 1t Is not very
unlike human weakness which |
have heard distinguished men
charged with. not only want to
hear my voice, however, but I want
it to be usefully employed.
Shakespeare says, snow are our
bruised arms hung up for monu-
ments,' and so on. Well, I've hung
up here through springtime, and
through autumn, through wintry
blasts and SHOWS, and summer suns,
and I'm getting Of tired it. My arm
amt bruised, Ts broke, and I suppose
I'm q monument, too. l had hoped
that sometime or other the men
would take the matter in hand and
get o new bell, or else mend my
broken limb, which I've borne with.
out murmur; but "hope deferred
maketh the heart sick" as I've
heard the preachers say in the pulpit
just behind me, and I've felt some.
times that it would be better for me
to 60 back and hang on the old
plantation where mems hunger, il
nothing else, would force them to fix
me up and ring me every day at din
ner time, or else send me of to the
foundry where | might be wrought
into an ornament for some ono of the
locomotives that 60 dashing by me
every day. When Brother Vander-
pool first hung me up here, although
felt an excusable contempt for the
rough post no hung me on, which |
can't dignity with the name Of either
pillar or pedestal, | nevertheless felt
a little above those members Of the
bell family who jingle BY on the
locomotive. But, | confess 1t, my
pride has had tumble, and I've
been looking for one myself these
windy nights. I've hung here like
a scarecrow in cornfeld, (only to .
less purpose), till I'D rather be dog
and bay the moon "--even . ilea-bit.
ten, stump-taiIcd dog at that--or the
insignificant little "Bell (that) goes
ringing tor Sarah, ,"than hang here any
longer, and my prop to whom 4
am giving vent to my thoughts, says
chop him up and lay bis splinters
away for kindlings In the church
next winter and he'll feel honored be-
yond comparison to what he Is snow.
Sensible, isn't he? I've imbibed
some hope now, however, since that
lady mentioned by your cores
pondent who heard my wailings) has
taken the mater in hand and en-
listed all the little dears in town, for
| know that they, inspired by hope
and encouraged by the consciousness
Of being enlisted in a good cause,
UiN succeed.
/ had heard of the Unite meet
lngs' before that article was read
under my roost yesterday, but !
didn't understand precisely what
was up. A couple passed near me
one day, and heard one Of them
say, "it's all NONSENSE" to which the
other responded, "pcssibly, but you
know the children enjoy it, and III
Is. to say the least, cheap pleasure
to them" "Well,' said the otheF,l
''it will 90 on little while, and then
soon die ont" "Nay," said the
second, "you forget who started it,
or else you forget that she sprung
from a source thatrecognize no such
word as fiii, when it comes to build
ing churches, or anything connected
with them. And besides, she knows
she is engaged in q good work and
backed BY the enthusiastic support
/ Of every child in town, and good
many who are not children. Il will
succeed, it ought to succeed, and we
must all help They passed out Of
hearing and left me mystified and
rendering. Then / saw ''through a
/ glass darkly,. now ! see ''face to
face" and understand II all perfectly.
/ | heard that most delightful4one
of these "mite meetings' was held
last Friday night, and another 10 set
for next Friday night, and 80 they
60. Goodbye to my gloomy, inert
Suspension, and 4 joyful and happy
| welcome to the bright future that Il
dawning before mo. A bell, you
know, don't love silence and quiet
anthe time, and even the very locusts
have excited my envy Of late, for i
they couldn't sing as swectiy ne I