The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-10-02
Calling one of his sons-for contra

bdh6 Our uOIboS, buo bucu, lcduluS
the way, we quickly found ourselves in
large room which, opening into 9TH
ers, contained the rustic congregation,
constituting camp.faeeting on small
scale--for the Squire had undertaken
the charge of finding quarters on his
own premises for as many as chose to
stay through the several days the meet
ing was to be held.
On glancing around upon the COM
pany found, not little to my annoy
ance, for 1 hated to be picked out, as It
were, from the crowd, that, excepting
the presiding elder, I was the only
marked outsider-1narked as such by
suit Of store clothes" (broadeloth), in
stead Of wearing the inevitable Ken
lucky jeans. The first pronounced re-
suit to ms was that, when the tin horn
was sounded for dinner, I, although
comparatively a youngster, was pitched
upon to dine at the first table along
with what might be called the General
and his staff, viz, the elder, two or three
preachers and their wives, and several
others, old people, distinguished by
their standing in society or in the
church.
Taking position or being assigned to
a place about midway at the long table,
my first blunder was a funny miscon-
ception Of Kentucky " hospitality" for
when the 'Squire's wife sent down to me
plate containing several slices of
boiled ham, although good deal con-
founded at the bountiful supply, I was
a good deal worse confounded when the
good lady called out to me from the
end of the table, as I was accepting
plate and all, Strangerl I intended
that to go roundl" Bashful and con-
fused before at my rather novel sur
rounding, it took just that to-as the
expression is" obfuscate me complete
ly." However, got over that sort of
thing-hter.
But-while on this part of my story
Il must relate how I sought to mend
on the 'Squire's determination to make
me dine with the magnates of the occa-
sion. Deliberately absenting myself ct
meal-time by saunter into the woods
near by, although carefully hunted for, I
couldn't be found when the horn was
blown. Timing my walk, however, I
drifted in to the table with the advance
of about the second or third platoon of
! youngsters, and then found-to my dis
may-that in the scarcity Of plates, of
hot water, or something else, or rbecause
it was only crowd of boys" was
expected to dine from my predecessors
unwashed plate. The reader may be-
ieve that was on hand at meal-time
for the two days after that, after con-
fining myself for thai meal to dry bread,
and one or two other articles not requir-
ing plate at all, my actions-fortu-
nately, for what they might have con-
sidered fastidiousness-not being OBJ
served
The camping out" as 1t might be
termed, when bedtime came didn't
dismay the Squire and his hospitable
family at all. The huge double log
house suficed to accommodate four
preachers and their wives somewhere,
the floor. above stairs, besides, being
paved with long series of straw beds,
answering for, perhaps, twenty of the
frank and file" of the occasion, the
young men. OF perhaps fifty more I
could take no account, but as it was
summer, or rather early fall, and the
average Kentuckian is what some one
terms shifty specimen of humanity,
all managed well enough pretty GER
tainly.
And the sermonsl They were fair
specimens of much thai we hear upon
such occasions; but what must the
reader think of a fervent and exhaust
i've appeal against the abuse of "jew-
elry," making the half dozen or SO OF
pretty girls in the congregation who
had managed to bedeck themselves with
copper brooches and other specimens Of
washed" bijouterie hang their heads
sorrowfully at the thought of SO much
sin committed in the innocence of theil
untutored hearts. Surely the reverend
brother must have been hard up" fol
subject when he could make the
limited chance presented for the acqui
sition and display of SO few pretties
the occasion of arraigning and pro-
nouncing severe Judgment in such 6
quarter.
But, leaving the quarterly meeting
proceedings, which had afforded me 6
chance to study some new phases o.
Kentucky life in that regard, I mus
not forget a study of some of the pc
culiarities of the old Squire himself, too
remarkable to pass over, as illustrating
some new features of primitive life il
Kentucky. He had been-as his buili
and appearance indicated-indeed, h
had been the "bully" and terror of hi
own and several counties adjoining
Converted" fortunately, before b,
had broken all the available heads ant
noses within forty or fifty miles, he. TO
a long time afterwards, like Jobs wa
horse snuffed the battle afar off.
Compelled by his religious " profession
to resign all ideas of fighting any NOR
himself; perhaps, too, admonished b.
some stiffness in the back and limbs, ye
he could not bear the idea of the "sceI
ter departing" from his house claw
giver"-@ rough and tumble" law-fror
,, abetween his feet" .
Thinking it over in the intervals be
; tween meetings" and unable thus ia
,, to get up any religious change" i
either of his four "boys the oldes
!, , was near 30-he became morbidly cur
GUS, and somewhat anxious to ascertai
; which of them was to sustain in hi
: own person the pugiistic honors b
: had himself so hardly won. The young
l est, the bullet-headed and slightly parel
thetical-legged image of himself. was ju.
- getting beard upon his lips, while th
: other three had nothing marked abor
them as "bullies;" indeed, the oldel
: was meek, rather lantern-jawed and c.
5 daverous looking, giving no prospe'
y whatever of fighting, hardly in sci
defense.
: Puzzled then, and anxious, tt
!, = Squire hit upon anotable and ingenior
5 test of manhood, one which seems
J have been original with himself, fo
> somehow, he had come to think that
"strong stomach meant a plucky an
:, strong man; and he could only satisi
himself in one way on that scor
= "Hog-killing time" having come,
one day set his four sons down to
4 many pounds of raw, fat pork apiec
!, determined that he no could gorge IL
u ..I ok - ,,,,,3 -, / o,s4 ~ y L o,,ox. ~ Il