Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-10-23
CONGREGATIONAL SINGING.

CUNGHEGA IIUNAL SlNGlNG.
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 an angel had stepped
down from heaven. He was speedily
robbed of his delusion when he turned
his head and looked at her; she had fin
ished her part and was whispering with
the tenor, while the bass and contralto
repeated the solemn strain-yes, actual
ly whispering and laughing behind her
fan He was not aware that lie was
still gazing fxedly 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
q glance toward the choir, and discover
ed the lovely soprano still whispering
and laughing, writing on the fy-leaf of
her hymn book and passing it, or read
ing 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
nothing loath
Coming out of church, Mr.. Glider
sleeve said to one of his wardens "We
have excellent music. Pray what does
the quartette cost the church9" Not
that he cared particularly, but in order
to open conversation ON the choir.
" Nothing-nothing whatever" re-
turned the warden. GA voluntary choir
belong to the best families-best
voices in town-great obligations
finest families-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
flrted and ate caramels to surfeit.
"The finest families ought to teach
their children better manners" thought
the Rev. Archy Gildersleeve. The fol.
lowing Sunday he had nicely prepared
sermon touching on the subject, evolved
from the text, "For the place whereon
thou standest is holy ground ;" but still
Miss Sally Sunderland smiled, and whis
pered with the tenor, and wrote nonsense
on her fan, aud chanted as if Heaven
sent.
What can they have to talk so mucl
about9" wondered the Reverend Archy
Vi course nobody took the sermon home
though Warden Wiseman-a widower O.
some months, who wore his Sunda,
clothes on week days since Mrs. Wise
mans departure-said to the young
clergyman
GO That was just the kind of sermon
like to hear; it hit off our tenor to q T
he's always making eyes at Miss Sally
and leading her into temptation with hi
everlasting gum drops, don't blam
the girl /; but it isn't seemly, flirting Oh
holy ground, we all know" Wardel
Wiseman had his own eyes on Mis-
Sally, and didn't relish the tenor's sugar
coated interference.
Congregational singing" said MI
Gildersleeve, " is a form of worshi
that L have always had at heart. I shoul
like to establish it here. Gould we nc
dissolve the quartette gracefully"
Just SO, )" said Mr.. Wiseman, who's
notion of grace was somewhat heretical
But we all know that choirs are touchy
and the consequence was that on th
next Sunday the singing seats wer
vacant, and Miss Sally, the soprano, Sc
silent in the family pew and listened t
the congregational rendering of th
chants, where Warden Wiseman led of
always a syllable or two in advance {
the rest, and old Mrs. Crochet, who ha
sung in choir at sixteen, quavered di
cordantly in her efforts to overtake th
warden, or to drown her nuighbor
voice in the attempt, and where the el
tire body of singers wrestled bravel
with the high notes and broke down di
mayed. Mr.. Gildersleeve cast glant
into the Sunderland pew, and Miss Sail
was smiling saucily. Going out
church hemadehaste to reach that youn
lady.
"Why did you not join us in our a
tempt this morning, Miss Sunderland
he asked, quite pleasantly.
Because had been given to unde
stand that my singing was not accept
ble," loftily.
"Are you quite sincere, Miss Su
derland, in believing that your singir
has not been acceptable9 Doesn't 20,
conscience tell you that your singing W
all right, was fit for the angelic choi
but that your conduct-ahem. I b.
pardon. was about to speak too fran
y, as you might think"