The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1876-03-18

10 Jne mouse OF worship. lneT6 IL u
profound silence, followed by a rustic
of relief and expectancy, as a tall, slight
figure, with hair in golden wavelets, EN-
ters and mounts the pulpit, and then
announces to the waiting assembly that
the good old patriarch has been sudden
ly called away to join the spirits of the
just made perfect and with subdued
and modest demeanor, he gives out one
of David's grand old psalms, arranged
in metre. The chorister arises and
faces the congregation, and without
musical accompaniment, the simple
tune is sung. The voices are lower and
softer than usual, in memory of the
saint departed; and mingled with them
is tenor voice of surprising sweetness,
which thrills the being of quiet Agnes
Mckee. Now the folded hands be-
come relaxed, the lips slightly apart,
and the dark gray eyes seem lighted by
a reflected beam of inspiration from the
glorious orbs of the young divine His
theme is grand ne-Immortality I
Death is swallowed up in victory And
there is magnetic thrill felt all through
the phlegmatic listeners, invoked by
the power of devotional eloquence. The
sermon ended, the young preacher sinks
down exhausted. After the servic8(
there are no congratulations from the
elders, but they, with the rest of the
congregation, soberly filed out with a
new sensation filling their hearts. At
the portal, Agnes looks back to catch
one more glimpse of that golden crown
ed head. The minister is coming to.
war1 her with extended hands, and
" Agnes i'' Robert - are all the
words uttered in the Joy of meeting.
Six months collapsed, during which
time Robert Angus, the young and
eloquent preacher, was installed pastor
of the " Covenants" The old church
had been & reformed )" the majority of
the congregation we're for the change,
but Elder Mckee " set his foot down"
against such innovations on the ortho-
doX mode of worship, as singing hymns
and playing the organ. Music, he af-
firmed, was of the Evil One and the
whole Mckee clan, who tone their cue
from him, echoed the sentiment, and
they left the new pastor and his follow
ers in high dudgeOn. There was no
outward csange in Agnes, but there
was conflict in her heart between love
aud tilial duty. How could she leave
the old church, which was never so
dear as now that Robert, her first and
only lover, had stirred within her
noble ard more generous sympathy,
with "all sorts and conditions of men,"
She cared not by what name the old
church was deigned, so long as she
could remain al worship there.
1t was Sabbath morning in smiling
May. Tne church bells rang out a
peal of sacred joy, but Elder Mckee
made no preparation to obey their in
vitation to come to the house of wor-
ship. He sat moody and thoughtful,
with the bible unopened before him.
His wife, who had always yielded obe-
dience to him, did now as she was COM
manded and remained at home. Pres
emily his daughter entered, arrayed as
we have seen her before, except the
scarlet berries and ivy, which had been
discarded for some natural white blos-
SONS in her dark hair and at her bosom.
Take off those gew-gaws immedi.
ately, "said her father, in a stern voice,
and stay at home. No child of mine
shall ever set foot again in that desc.
Grated temple"
"O o father" said Agnes in a tone of
entreaty.
" Not word Come, mother-come
wife; no one shall put uninspired songs
into our hands and say, Sing them. >"
" Let us sing, to the glory OF God,
the three first stanZas of the fifty-fourth
psalm. Agnes sound the pitch"
How her hand trembled as she sought
for the place in the little psalm book
which Robert had given her just pre-
vious to his departure for the theologi-
chi seminary ! How her voice quivered
as she began the psalm But her voice
was soon drowned in the souorous notes
of her father.
Elder Mckee fervently prayed for the
backs'ider, for the ff-necked and re-
bellious, and then felt that he had dis
charged his duty for time.
Evening drew near, and Agnes seated
by the open window, listened to the
bells which seemed to keep saying,
Come, come, come I"
Shall 1 heed their call 2" she men,
tally asked, as she glanced at her stub
born father, now doing in bis chair.
with a red bandanna thrown over his
bald head.
The voice of Grandmother Mckee, in
an adjoining room, sounded harsh and
querulous, as she discussed with Agnes
mother the acts of the new minister.