The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-03-19
ably commenced the proceedings BY singing
Justify, marking time the while with his feet,

Press onW ard. press ouwnru-
The prize ~ In view
crown of bright glory
Is Waiting fo-or yo-ou
Aud taking up the refrain
Ii waiting for vou,
Is waiting for vou-
would give an extra-loud stamp, pointing with
his forehnger to one or the other OF the oIu
word you After that no would break forth
something after this style: SWELL, old fr'en's,
we's gotten another week on troad is med
my journies vance agen to Sent Orves an
Spabno an Milton, and, bless rLoro, hes
taen ,are on me, an here is to meet We all
vance mair An moo trust Yves gaen to get q
good lift on t'journey oopwards. Bless fgood
Lord ives gotten better place 70 travel 70
nor Sent Olives, an when ives landed there We
SAINT have to COON back. That's DOR yam!
Bless His nsme!' And Ills rising foelnes woulu
find vent in shouting:
Ibelieve shall he there,
believe shall be there,
In yon bright world OF light!
And, leaving his chair, he would grasp the
hand OF each in turn, saying as he did 30,
~Tnou'll be there, mithery and thou, old
brither?n while TO his wife he would say, II
1 know thou'l lie there, old oOmanw And then
they wou altogether finish the fine old re-
vival hymn, HezekiaA's voice sounding above
them all:
thousands are already there,
Ranging through those regions fair;
Robes of righteousness they wear
In yon bright world OF light!
sSure" Hez would cry, as a hint how to word
the chorus, and they would sing:
| am sure shall be there,
! am sure I shall be there,
And walk with Him in white!
ooh, praise tLord! what time Yves havin'!"
Hez could never refrain from remarking:
snow, brothers and sisters, ives all gaen to
pray; tell tdear Lord all your wants; deant
1 L. cl,t A.1 han fnv hal m
hour, an outlooker might have seen sight to
do him good Just few simple cottagers pour
| ing forth their prayers and praises in the
quaint but interesting Yorkshire dialect.
Surely there would DO JOY among the angels
at such a sight! Aud scholarly critics, who
| would scorn TO call this Christian worship
think YOU that God is like yourselves to despise
such homely but genuine devotiong The time
may come when you shall discover that not al
ways in grand cathedrals or richly-furnished
chapels and churches, with their cushioned
seats and pulpits lined with crimson velvet;
and not in athens set to classic music and sung
to the rolling notes of the organ-but more
I often in cottage gatherings similar to these at
Hezekiah Bogg's, aud in rough melodies, sung
from the heart, is God worshiped in spirit and
in truth.
After all those who wished to do 80 had
opened their hearts in prayer, Hez usually read
a chapter from the Scriptures, interspersing
the verses with his quaint explanations and
comments, and then, in accordance with the
custom of many years, before parting, these
aged pilgrims, 18th tremulous voices, but happy
and confident withal, sang together, the sisters
| first
Say, you brothers, will you meet ms
} On Canaans peaceful shore.
To which the brothers would reply
BY the grace of God we'll meet you
Where partings are no more.
And then the same verse. slightly altered,
| kxrt I,a l,vot iata
singing the reply; and for the finale, all to-
gether sang:
Glory, glory. hallelujah
Forever-evermore!
Hez bringing down his fist with tremendous
force on the elores."
Hey, mon!" the old fellow would say when
speaking of the prayer meetings, but they be
glorious times-I wadn't miss EN- on no &C
| count. I'd as soon think to miss taking t'wagon
to Sen, Olives! Why, / s'ould lose my reck' min
o. tweek after, aud s'ouldn't remember what
| to be singing when rs all alone driving my
team over twolds Glory, they's lartle heavens
brought doom tWellbry, they is"
| On Sunday afternoons Hez regularly attend
ed the parish church, for, Notwithstanding that
he was staunch Methodist, and could hold h !.
own in an argument with the church parson,
no loved the little whitewashed church, and he
respected the venerable gray-haired rector,
whom he remembered coming to the parish,
fifty years since, smart young fellow, fresh
from college. Hez had strong affections and
memories twined around the tiny old church.
He WAS married there long years ago-his boys
and girls, when they grew up, hal been welded
there; one of them lay slumbering in the quiet
graveyard and in the same Gods acre" lay
his father and mother, and his brothers and
esters-indeed, there was hardly name en-
graved on headstone but Hez had known its
owner. And 30 what wonder that he loved the
chuIcn of his fathers and considered himself
still one Of the rector's flocky The aged pastor
himself would have been surprised, and would
have felt grieved, had he seen Hezekiah Bogg's
seat vacant, though he knew him to be an out
and-out Methodist, and, according to the literal
laws OF the church, herotic
SO HeZ always put in good Sunday-always
made the most OF II; for as soon as his supper
was ended he had to prepare for the cottage
service.
Aud surely such house, so thoroughly dedi-
Gated to the service of the Lord, Was worthy
the divine blessing, and little wonder thar, with
each week 20 well begun, Hezekiah Bogg went
through his daily task with cheerfulness and
vigor. Hez was not the man TO put OH religion
with his Sunday clothes His was religion
that accompanied him the week through, and,
find him when you would, he was ever in the
same happy frame OF mind, humming snatches
of his favorite tunes when alone las he was
dailysfor hours together), and never az loss for
smile and pleasant word or kind action for
all with whom he came in contact. Hez
was not exactly a poor man. All his life he
had done good carrying business, and, being
simple and frugal in his style of living, he was
ena oled to De LIBERAL in directions where men
| with larger incomes were compelled to with
hold their hands. He always had spare SOW
ereign for every cause that needed assistance,
and, although he seldom participated ia the
service at Milton, he was regular contributor
to every fund i'll connection with me society
there