Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-11-09

the little maid who had shared i>hlS baby
sports, Playmate no longer, Lucy was very
shy; but in her secret heart she was proud
of him., proud of the strength that could
.heaye the heavy timber up, which her brother
Nathan avUided ss-af the skil. that coutd TAME
the widest colt. She was sure he would al
ways be good hereafter. The four days
dwelling in a grove with him was}s delight
so great that it almost frightened her.
So the day came All Monday the com.
mittees were at work arranging the tents in
the form of hollow square, beneatb(th
shelter Of the trees. A bright little stream
curved around two sides of the encampment
In it's centre arose covered platform, to
which was affixed derrick painted pea
green, whose top supported q aharp.toned iron
bell. Ranks of rough benches confronted
this stand, in the midst of which and directly
under the platform, was small benched in
closure for the use Of the "anxious," who were
expected to resort thither at the close of every
service to listen to the prayers and appeals of
the brethren. Nor was the csrnal man for.
gotten. Besides the eating saloon, open to all,
each tent bore long table, duly spread three
times day with amplest provision. These
tents represented each village, and sheltered
by night and by day whole neighborhood.
The name of the place-"Pemigewasset,"
"Stowe," "Lacon"-was lettered upon the
front, accompanied by some floral device or
text of Scripture. Upon the .Ammonoosuc
tent was the Inappropriate recommendation to
"Watch and Pray" around which, by way Of
antidote,ra wreath of fowery hops was gar
landed. The space within was gorgeous in
its appointments, and boasted, besides small
bookcase of religious reading, round table
with a red cover, which supported huge
nosegay of flowers and gave the whole tasty
effect, as Mrs. Wilder exultingly remarked to
Mrs. Robbins, equalled by none of the others,
of which effect Ammonoosuc was justly
proud. And so the camp-meeting began
fairly.
All day Tuesday, people were pouring in.
Each one.seated wagon brought three and
baby; each two-seated, Eve and two babies.
By night hundreds were assembled. The
moon was brilliantly full, and the singing and
prayer maetipe- which, ,isaasasassd= ssseas-;
bly,, so spirited and satisfactory, that Brother
Little rubbed his hands and remarked to
Brother Smith that he'd been to forty camps
in his time, but, in his opinion, this was going
to be the greatest yet.
"How funnyw whispered Hepsy Robbins,
as they watched the hustle inside the tent.
"See, Lucy. the beds this side are for US, and
that side for the men.folks. Don't it look
queer?" ..-F
i "But who sleeps on the tablet" laughed
Lucy, as a roll of rustling mattresses was
lifted up.
"Don't you know? Why, the elders and
deacons, of course. That's to keep people in
order, and stop any skylarkiDg and frolicking
among us young ones. Say, Lucy, which
bed will you have? Here, take this one next
to mine.' g.. ..... ...
"Lucy," called her mother; and she whis.
pered, "heres your place, next to me. don't
want you down there with those girls, for
you'll talk and chatter all night, and not be
fit for thing in the morning. just slip of
your frock there behind the curtain, and put
on your double.gown, and I'll FIX you"
= So, like Christabel, cher gentle limbs she
did undress," so far as gown and hoop went /;
and pretty soon, in her neat, gray wrapper,
she was lying comfortably tucked up in the
bed her prudent mother had provided with
pillow and quilt. Sweet, musty smells filed
the air from the hay-covered floor. The strag-
Cling moon.rays, the Tapping curtain, the
chewing and champing of the horses tethered
close by-all was odd and novel. She could
not sleep.
By.and.by the men came in spread their
quilts and blankets, and subsidized into repose.
Good Elder Adams occupied the end of the
table nearest to Lucy's couch. His righteous
slumbers quickly became audible, and peep.
ing round to look at him, Lucy saw pair Of
eyes intently fixed upon her. A strange thrill
came over her brain as she met them. Only
the width of the narrow table and the elders
boots separated her from Kane! She blushed
uncomfortably, and dropped her eyelids not
to open them again but, for long after, fairy
lights and visions seemed to dance before her
and trouble her repose.
At dawn the camp awoke. Small chance
was there for late sleeping. Thin blue smoke
began to curl from early fires. Horses whin.
neyed for their corn. Impatient hands waited
to pack away the beds and restore the tent to
daytime order. By eight o'clock breakfast
was eaten and dishes washed and white-hair-
ed Elder Adams took his place, Bible in hand,
at the head of the long table, to lead in pray
er. Lucy sat just without the door. The
stiffness, the beautiful peace Of the newborn
day, seemed reflected in her face. One gol-
den beech leaf huttered down and lay upon
her fair braids. Kane wasn't given to poetry,
but somehow a line came into his head as he
looked:
"Oh !my Love is like the morning"
He had seen it somewhere and he thought it
was true-about Lucy.
At ten o'clock the changing bell announced
general service, and the crowd assembled.
Truth to tell, it was not picturesque crowd.
The American of the rural districts is rarely
q handsome animal. He is lean. He is
brown. He loses his teeth early. Hard work
and soda soon transform the loveliness OF
youth into palor and sharp outline. Salera'
tus claims its own. Here and there one sees
a sweet, young face, or an old one with fine,
strong lines deep.cut and inserutable, like a
carving in stone; but personal beauty is the
exceptions. Beauty apart, however, we may
be proud of our mutitudes For decorum,
for .good.humor, for general neatness of ap'
pearance, for civility to strangers, for sense
of fpropriety which almost ranks as dignity; it
would be hard to find their. parallel in any
other country. at this Cadiz camp-meeting
even the babies caught the spirit Of the occa'
sion: and sucked their thumbs ;contentedly
throughout tie services without o. cry. {tThir
teen ministers occupied the platform. With
able gsneralship the lesser lights were first
brought forward, leaving the greater r@the
third day, when the excitement was expected