The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-01-22
Birds That WIN Sing.


There is nothing more impossible
than vocal ability. Miss Mary, lately
graduated with a full assortment Of ac-
complishments from the Pierian Insti-
tute, has one song Should he up
braid'-and though the friends of the
family have heard the little v oman chirp
it i've hundred times at birthday parties,
and on the nights of Thanksgiving and
Christmas, and after extemporaneous
tea-drinkings, they still demand the
warbling of that venerable composition,
and they still find the maiden quite will
ing to MARBLE it. There is no harm IN
this. To be sure it is a bore, but it Is
one of the kind to which it is pleasure
to submit. When mamma is so we'll
pleased, and papa likewise, albeit that
song cost him $3.50, it would be sin
and shame not to appear enraptured.
All society is based upon this amiRble
sort of deceit. So scream and gurgle
away, dear young woman, and sing at
your own sweet viii. Your involuntary
flats 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 are?
If we pass from parlor to vestry, we
find the same mania for melodious exhi-
bitiens. Everybody knows that there
is always e 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
inconsistent with brotherly and sisterly
emotions. But it isn't usual for him to
| do this with an obstinacy which renders
it necessary to subject him to criminal
indictment. Something quite new in
the annals of observation-disclosures to us
| from North Carolina. It is the report
of the case of "The State VS.. William
Ldnkhaw. Indictment for 1nisdemean-
or. Superior Court, Spring Term, 1873"
and a curious case it is. The unfor-
tunate Linkhaw was prosecuted under
the statute for 8" disturbing religious
congregation. This far from sweet
William is, it appears, member OF
the Methodist church, and is accus-
toned to sing after fashion so retarded
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 laughed, while
the moiety got mad" The "irreli
gious and theIfrivoIous" also attended
to enjoy the fun. The serious anc
devout" became indignant. Still vii
liam would sing. Sometimes the preach
er, for fear of profane merriment, would
order no singing at all. The presiding
elder refused to preach in the church OF
account of VIM. Linkhaw's bad singing
: Leading members of the assembly in
terfered and privately labored Will
William, beseeching him to sing n,
more. But he knew his rights, ant
knowing dared maintain them. H
didn't appeal to the personal Hbert.
biIl-not hel He fell back on his veste,
immunities as a Christian. He frml,
said, with a courage worthy of Martin
Luther, that " he would worship God
and that as part of his worship it wa
) his duty to sing" And so he did an
: with such deliberation that at the end c
every verse he was two and half ban
behind. Flesh and blood couldn't stan
it. The constable was sent for, VIII
took William into custody the gran
jury indicted him; the petit jury foun
him guilty of singing out of time. 3
i has appealed. The case may go up an
: up; bat we hope that it viii not g
: into the Supreme Court of the Unite
u States before we have a chief justic
: 1t would be too bad to have so delica
e a point passed upon by anything lie
u than a full bench.