The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-30

fallen on such evil days. Its floor was sunk ia
places. its pcws worn and broken. and ils pull
pit but bare little box. Just largo enough to
admit the somewhat lean body Of the preacher,
and hardly lifted above the level OF the floor. Ii
could not be said Of the pastor Of Thcrmopyr,
rs voltairc said OF the proudcr ccclcsiastics.
erect upon the lotior pulpits OF his time. that |
| he stood i've feet above contradiction. III he |
was lifted at all above the plane OF argumcnta-
tive peril. IT was only 10y q hand breadth OF clc-
walton. an altitude which an ambitious aud in
tropid dsputant might readily scale. over the
| pulpit was a small square window, OF which |
| some ofthc pancs were broken tho apcrtutes
| being covered by paper. and its Light shone IN
a pale nimbus round the preachers head,
| showing the boundaries OF tho bald spot
upon its summit with pitilcss cloarness.
| 1t was not much Of head. Even lis cncirclns
aura could lend TO it but little to nspiIc Nenerh-
| ton. There was indeed something pitcous in
the narrowncss and fccblcncss Of his under
standing and in his complete ncapacity 10 set
in just relations with any other u single IT, ought
or single sentence. lie seemed as poor in
temporal endowment as he was in intellect. and
indeed it was little wonder. He had gone through
lean years Of famine. in which the squeak oi the
! 1.-THE pig WAS only heard ia vauscs Of The noise
Of battle in distant diminuendo. as 1t disap-
| pearcd s.ung across the pack saddles OF ruth
less rctroating fora+<crs. But he bore all with
mcckncss. and II he sometimes sighed for bet
ter fortunes. so that he might posscss himself
among other comfortable belongings OF the
ancient chasc which had stood whitening UNI
der Bclden's shed for half aEenerMion. gcncr-
! ously roasted upon 10y hens and Systematically
pervadcd 10y the surly bulk OF the Beldcn dO<
who would ccnsure him 1t WAS legitimate
and sinless aspiration. although in his case it
| sae,uad h.. i... Usiana-s- - a IA ,cto0s.
There were good many odd and interesting
characters at Thcrmopylie. Some came and
went. making little sign; others seemed native
to the region. like the fish which. unknown else
where existed only ia the waters Of the brook
which were tempered 10y the outflow Of the
springs. Old Madame POndcXter had brought
her occasional rheumatism to the baths from an
carly period Of the century. She was "a tall.
nercc old woman. with gold eyeglasses and
long fur mitt MS and wherever she went she
was followed by JUDY. her black servant. a girl
Il sixteen or seventeen. with handsome Egyp-
tan face. who wore large plain gold rings in
her ears and q bright turban around her head.
and who bore shaws ana Wrappers and other
articles Of Undermined nature and utility for
the use ~ her mistress She was born In the
old poiudcXtcr mansion in South Carolina. and
Madame seemed to disdain other service than
hers. She would have one but JUDY to
wait ON her at table JUDY always slept
on q little couch at the foot Of her bed.
and when che was III. ~ she often was II was
on Juby's brcast-sO broad and warm. and
vital aud tender-that her poor old lean. with
cred head. naked Of its curls and adornments
was pillowcd. So IL was said. On that dark
faithful bosom. no doubt. her old. dim eyes shed
many sorrowng tears. Those who disliked the
old woman because she was So fierce and
naughty could not have known what IA forlorn
and piteous life was hers. nor what tender
and sOrrowiul heart beat ieeblcr and feebler in
the midst Of il ALL
Major Poole and Madame were constant
friends though they had strange ways Of show
ing it. Inwardly amicahle. they were outward
| Is hostile IA cats. They were ncighbors at
home. aud had girded at each other for fifty
years. There was "A rumor that in their early
youth they had been lovers. Whether or not
this was true. the delicate and romantic ca
denccs Of devotion had long ehbed out Of
. their discourse. Most Objectionable old cat in
South Carolina" the Major would muttcr now
and then. I've said So for thirty years She
won't last long, though" On the other hand.
, Madame did not conceal her conviction that the
MAJOR was going 10 pieces rapidly. In truth,
\ his govt dated automatically from the third dc-
/ cadr Il the century and there was little left oi
? him except prodigous bingham mock cloth.
n, a system Of arthrit.c calcarcous deposits and
a ready and inoNhnust.bic fund Of irascibillty.
q !
r now only "a slight shred. hardly strong enough
TO string his tltleon. His face was rcd and his
p eyes protuberant. although their prominence
u seemed 10 indicate ol-trurtcd circulation rather
( than Increased capacity OF clrcums pcction. II 5
chin used 10 rest on the extreme cdseoi his stlff
a high neck cloth. from which it would occasion
. ally Grou during energetic outbreaks Of con-
q versation. huryinG behind that garment the
70 principal portion # his features. Out 81 these
, Bingham depths he always recovered his coun-
q tcuancc with a snap and a jerk. as II his head
1 had been hung GA wires. He told the same
y story with great portinacity. n social orpros-
sion the more grieyous from the fact that Il Wac
a never good one. II il had ever boen po~sess,d
It OF that. 10 story Indispensable salience known
y ms n point. the Major had used II So long as an
; auscr that he had worn II on completely Still
n he occasionally made pungent and amusing
i observations. though they werc apt TO be inter
= ruptcd by the facial catastrophe before men
= toned. While he watched bleak and bitter
q ceremony OF baptism which took place one
. winter day in the little pool at the head Of tn,
; village the only water in the vicinity which
= presented tho requisite doctrinal conditions OF
depth, he muttercd to himself in an cbscnt way
4 Reminds me. One of those hollow -hcied par
Z sons lost nigger's wife that way. Niger said
= 1t was AL ID foolishnoss-and 40 it was
q Why can't they be sprinklcd or wait TIL spring.
5 Without the lame but stately and imposing
A presence Of the Governor Thermopylm would
have been -horn Of one of its talest plumes o
n dignity. In the midst OF the loose abundanc,
a. Of nattering but illusory titles which prevail
a among generous but ineXaet communities lik,
4 that OF Thcrmopyln. his own was u gouuin,
l. one He h~i fcld authentic scrolls Of gubernH
= toral authority. and like Juno at the Nativity
5 Of Hercules. sat cross logged in the curul,
= chair oi highest state mag Istra'y. Now he wa'