The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-04-05

|. The Dead Church in Chaset0,cn.
The interior of the church was almost
| as dreary and forlorn as its exterior. The
two rows of low backed, comfortless pews
with an uncarpeted aisle separating them,
looked forbidding and homely. The gal.
lery opposite the pulpit was decorated
with wooden ornaments in very bad re-
pair, and the moon-faced clock had a
broken long pointer and crooked short
one. A red curtain drawn over a brass
wire, just above the gallery-r revealed
a small melodeon, weighted down with
half-worn singing books. The little
square Of carpet in front of the pulpit
was glazing in color, and offended the
minister's eyes. But he cared little for
the appearance of the church. He
turned anxiously to the congregation,
and glanced over the men and women
who sat waiting his remarks. They did
not even seem inclined to look at him
now, although he saw many faces whose
owners had stared at him curieusly
enough at the depot. The church win
dows were open, and delicious breeze,
laden with the perfume of lilacs in neigh
boring gardens, of the apple-blossoms on
the adjacent hills, rustled gently the
leaves of the hymn book which the min
lister was opening.
Mr.. Argent longed to spring to his
feet, and to address the congregation
with burning words which should infuse
life into their fainting souls. For he
well knew that their souls were faint.
A kind of spiritual paralysis had, two or
three years previous to his arrival, fallen
upon both the Congregational and Bap-
list churches in Chasetown, and thus far
all efforts to heal it had been vain.
Gradually the attendance fell away, and
by and by it became difficult to secure
preaching in either church. The Con
gregational minister, who had for twenty
years contented himself with a meayer
salary and small approval, had call else
where, and, despairing of Chasetown, &C.
cepted it. The church thenceforth be-
came dependent on "trial preachers"
The Baptist brethren were reduced to
the same precarious method of obtaining
spiritual assistance, and Redman, the
rich manufacturer and prominent worker
in their denomination, had thought to
do them great good by sending Mr.. Ar
gent among them. The young clergy
mans fame had preceded him, and dozens
of the Congregationalists had thought it
worth their while, on the occasion of his
first appearance, to visit the Baptist
church. They secretly longed fer that
spiritual awakening, the hope of which
had almost vanished from their breasts.
Would it come from him?
The little church was not filled,
There were great ugly gaps in the very
middle Of the congregation. Here and
there half dozen bright, handsome girls
occupied pew together, and, conscious
OF the Contrast of their beauty with the
hard features and angular outlines of the
farmers wives and the farmers scattered
about them, they looked coquettishly at
the new minister, as if surprised that he
did not notice it. AS for the farming
folk, they appeared gloomy and unsym-
pathetic; the husbands set apart from
their wives; each person seemed to shrink
into his or her corner, as if some wrath
to come vas concealed in the gathering
twilight. A few elderly, red faced,
squared.jawed men looked critically at
the minister, as if wondering why he
were 80 presumptuous as to delay his be-
ginning. When Mr.. Argent ,arose, he
felt as if be had the whole congregation
upon his back, and it was crushing him.