The Osceola times., 1881-02-12
ttance. This must have

who wished admittance. This must have
been a little worse than a kuocker.
The uriew bell was rung all over
Egrnuc. NJ s o'clock in the evening. as
the signal for covering mp the fre, as the
word curiew- oycr-fre-indicates Our
New England custom Of ringing the Q
o'clock bell. which, under the old Massa-
chusctts laws, was the hour when every
body was obliged 70 be AT home, is prob
ably copying Of the curfew. What is !
known as "thc passing bell" was almost
ms universal, and is often heard in our
couutrv-the number Of strokes telling
the age of the departed. In Roman
Catholic countries, the passing bell is a
summons TO offer prayer for the liber-
atcd spirit.
Our as o,iations with the tone Of the
bell are determined By the occasion on
which it is rung. The midnight fire.
alarm-how il used to start the boys
from their slumbers and send us, half
dressed. into the street, with our shrill
cries TO make the night more hideous.
And, in the day time, happy was the boy
who was first at the bell rope when the
crv of fire resounded through the town.
The sunrise ringing on the Fourth of
July had somewhat different tone,
more soberly exultant-calling us from
our beds, it. perchance, We were duh
enough to have fingered there till day
light and inspiring us all for the pa
triotic and noisy duties Of the auspicious
day."
| also recall the slow, mufiled toll Of
the funeral bell-especially one that
sounded from afar off with kind Of ial-
tering note, and so often, in the pleasant
summer afternoons, checked our play and
filed us with a momentary sadness. |
wonder if the bells still toll as they did
fifty or sixty years ago? Well, then, they
must have iung the dirge over almost
everybody that knew in the still, old
town.
The Sunday bell was not so dolorous,
but steady, firm, persistent, imperative,
saving to the boys: "Stay at home from
church. morning or afternoon, if you
dare." To be sure, we had not much
! choice about it, 50 that the appeal might
seem superhuous. Once in agreat while,
when the minister was i'll or absent, and
there was no supply to be had, We miss
| ed the familiar notes Of our own partlcu-
lar church bell in the morning, and
! knew that there would be no service on
/ lllAl 'hNs lllE lN0l- ilh'l'li NiNli W MN
we endured this disappointment was
| genuine and true, not because we ex-
| perttd b. stay at home, but for the priv
! ilcge Of going that day TO some strange
place of worship, where, PERHAPS the
music was liyclIer, and the sermon short
er. There was. still farther. something
Of the charm which pertains TO forbidden
| fruit in Going 10 a church called by some
/ l.t tl,rs, IUf il il n
| the depths of the country, when the
notes of the viii bell come floating
over the sweet fields, and mingliug with
the soft music of the pines and the rip
! plr of tie brook. that the sound is most
mclodious. The thunder of the great
| cathedral peal is graud the elaborate
chimes If Antwerp and Brurcs are beau
timl; but the music Of the solitary village
bell,
Falling at intervals upon the car in cadence
sweet,
fills the soul with q calmcr devotion.
The toll Of the fog-hcll, as it comes
palpitating ont Of the darkness, when
nothing can hc seen beyond the deck o
the ship may bee cheering 10 the pilot
who relies upon it, tones TO guide him
through the gloom, but il is anything
| hut culiycuing 10 others.
There is one bell that is rarely heard
with much satistIc,ion-it is that which
| summons the poor student 10 his morn
! ing rcciiatious, and the operative TO hur-
| ry 10 the mill, and the iorlorn house
! keeper % make ready the early meal for
! her hungry hnlrdor-. In my day, the
college bell called us ia winter to the
| chapel and the recitation room and the
! breakfast hHll PRAYER and lesson and our
| food ull ~ DE disposed of by candlc-light
! and it made life q burden. Things are
| ordered better now. \ "a tory lighted
before sunrise is not cheerful sight 1t
| would seem aS If an the work that is
needed might bee done bv sunlight.
But ! hear sound which tells me that
| | must bring these iucuhrltons to a
| speedy end. It is one that is not 10 hc
resisted. IL may come at any hour
| when We are most absorbed in work. or
partakiug of our frugal meal, or resting
| from o1r tolls, or chatting pleasantly
with our friends, Anybody can give
uttemnce 10 that sound the tramp, the
! lighuing-r1d man, the book AGENT, the
| peidicr, or the policeman By our own
act We have furnished facilities for the
! intrusion Of that sound and put the
| temptation in others way. 1t never dis
! turDyd the household until the dcclara-
tIon of Independence was published in
l556. II came in. strangely enough. with
! the era Of freedom. Now that il has
| con in, 1t is in"NOrablc. Need say
| that it is the door bell2