Smyrna times., 1874-01-14
Birds that Will Sing.

There is nothing more irrepressible than
Vocal Ability. Miss Mary, lately graduated
with a full assortment of accomplishments
from the Pierian Institute, has one song
"ShOuld he Upbraid '-and though the friends
of the family have heard the little woman chirp
it five hundred times, at birthday parties and
on the nights of Thanksgiving aud Christmas,
and after extempcraneous tea-drlnkings, they
still demand the warbling of that venerable
composition, and they still fnd the maiden
quite willing to warble it. There is no harm
in this. To be sure it is bore, but it is one
of the kind to which it is pleasure to submit
When mamma is so well please, and papa like
wise, albeit that song cost him $3.50, it would
be sin aud shame not to appear enraptured
All society is based upon this amiable sort OF
deceit So scream and gurge away, dear
young woman, and sing at your own sweet will
Your involuntary fats and sharps and small
liberties with the tempo are of no consequence.
Isn't the ramshackle old piano quite as much
out of tune as you areH
If we pass from parlor to vestry, we fnd
the same mania for melodious exhibitions.
| Everybody knows that there is always good
brother who thinks himself a perfect King
David, minus the harp, and who pOurs forth
his praise in way which puts everybody else
\ out, and occasions an amount of irritation in
consistent with brotherly and sistcrly emo
tiOnq But it isn't usual for him to do this
with an obstinacy which renders it necessary
to subject him to criminal indct-
memt. Something quite new in the an
nails of Jurisprudence comes to US from
| North Carolina. 1t is the report Of the case
of "The State VS.. William Linkhaw. lndict-
ment for misdemeaRor. Superior Court,
"Spring Term, 1873-and curious case it
is. The unfortunate Linkhaw was prosecuted
under the statue for disturbing a religious
congregation" This far from sweet Will
liam is, it appears, a member Of the Methodist
| Church, and is accustomed to sing after a
fashion so retarted that "at the end of each
verse his voice is heard when the other
singers have ceased" The effect OF
this was duplex. Half the congregation laugh
ed, while the moiety "got mad" The ire,
ligious and the frivolous" also attended to en-.
joy the fun. The "serious and devout" be-
came indignant Still William would sing
Sometimes the preacher, for fear of profane
merriment, would order no singing at all. The
presiding elder refused to preach in the church
on account of William Linkhaw's bad singing
Leading members OF the assembly interfsrred
and privately labored with William, beseech
ing him to sing no more. But he knew hi
rights, and knowing dared maintain them. Ht
didn't appeal to the Personal Liberty Bill
not he He fell back upon his vested immu
mites as a Christian. He firmly said, with
courage worthy of Martin Luther, that =" h,
would worship God, and that as part of hi
worship it was his duty to sing" And so hC
did and with such deliberation that at the enc
of every verse he was two and one.half bar
behind. Flesh and blood couldn't stand it
The constable was sent for, who took William
into custody; the Grand Jury indicted him
the petit jury found him guilty of singing ou
of time. He has appealed. The case may &,
: up and up; but We hope that it will not &c
into the Supreme Court of the United State
} before we have Chief-J ustice. 1t would b
too bad to have so delicate point passed upo
by anything less than a full bench.-N. \
Tribune.