Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-10-21
CONGREGATIONAL SINGING.

CONGREGATIONAL SINGING.
SHE sang IN the choir and he preached
in the pulpit: that was the beginning of
it. When she stood up and chanted he
thought that al angel had stepped down
from heaven. He was speedily robbed of
his delusion when he turned his head and
looked at her; she had finished her part
and was whispering with the tenor,
while the bass and contraltO repeated the
solemn strain-yes, actually whispering
and laughing behind her FAM He was
not aware that he was still gazing fixedly
till she cOlored and dropped her eyes
upon her notes, and let the music bubble
from her lips as if by inspiration. Once
or twice again during the service Mr..
Gildersleeve cast a glance toward the
choir, and discovered the lovely soprano
still whispering and laughing, writing
on the fiy-leaf of her hymn-book and
passing it, or reading from slips of paper
which the others passed to her. He looked
again while reciting the finest passage in
his sermon-the tenor was offering paper
of sugar plums, and the soprano was moth
ing 10th!
Coming out of church, Mr. Gildersleeve
said to one of his wardenS: We have eX-
cellent music. Pray what does the quar-
tet cost the church?' Not that he cared
particularly, but in order to open a con-
versation on the choir.
Nothing-nOthing whatever" re-
turned the warden. " A voluntary choir
belong to the best families-best voices
in town-great igations-fnest fami-
lies-rich, influential and all that"
Plainly the church could not discharge
voluntary choir drawn from the best
families, and to which the congregation
was under such a burden of obligation,
even though said choir laughed and flirted
and ate caramels to a surfeit.
THE finest families ought to teach
their children better manners" thought
the Rev. Archy Gildersleeve. The follow
ing Sunday he had nicely-prepared ser
mon touching on the subject, evolved
from the text: {" For the place wherein
thou standesU is holy ground" but still
Miss Sally Sunderland smiled, and whis-
pered with the tenor, and wrote non
sense on her fan, and chanted as if Heav-
en-sent.
"What can they have to talk so much
about?" wondered the Rev Archy. Of
course nobody took the sermon home,
though Warden Wiseman-a widower OF
he ,rrI0 L,
clothes on weekdays since Mrs. Wise
mans departure-said to the young cler-
gyman:
''T That was just the kind of sermon
like to hear; it hit off our tenor to T !:
he's always making eyes at Miss Sally
and leading her into temptation with his
everlasting gum-drops. l don't blame the
girl; but it isn't seemly, flirting on holy
ground, we all knowm Warden Wise
man had his own eyes on Miss Sally, and
didn't relish the tenor's sugar-coated in
reference.
Congregational singing" said Mr.
Gildersleeve, is form of worship that
| have always had at heart | should
like to establish it here. Could we not
dissolve the quartet gracefully?"
Just So" said Mr.. Wiseman, whose
notion of grace was something heretical
But we all know that chOirs are touchy;
and the consequence was that on the next
Sunday the singing seats were vacant, and
Miss Sally, the soprano, sat silent in the
family pew and listened to the congrega
tional rendering of the chants, where
Warden Wiseman led off, always a sylla
BILE or two in advance of the rest, and ole
Mrs Crochet, who had sung in choir a
sixteen, quavered discordantly in hel
efforts to overtake the warden, or to drown
her neighbours voice in the attempt, anC
where the entire body of singers wrestleC
bravely with the high notes and broke
down dismayed. Mr.. Gildersleeve cast
glance into the Sunderland pew, and Mis-.
Sally was smiling saucily, Going out o
church he made haste to reach that youns
lady.
why did you not join US in our al
tempt this morning, Miss Sunderland?
he asked, quite pleasantly.
Because l had been given to under
stand that mysinging was not acceptable,
lofily.
Are you quite sincere, Miss Sunder
land IN believing that your singing ha