Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-07-01
THE NEW JERUSALEM.

SOPHIE SWEET, IN GOOD COMPANY.
est does beat all how that half-wittei
cretur, DR.. Peleg, can lead folks round by
the nose! Even Enus Sinkley. that's as
sot as the side of the house, does jest as hi
says. If DR.. Peleg should tell him thai
the world wa mt coming to an end mex
Sunday. L ain t,sure but he'd give up thu
idee, disappintin' as 'twould be-"
1t was "Mis' Pel'tiah Sanders" The
storekeeper's wife, who said that to hel
crony, "Mis' Deacon Spettigue," as they
leaned over th cir mutual back yard fence
in the cool of the evening.
II hain't got no patience with then
Millerites, with their everlastin' dawdlin
round, leavin' their work all undone be.
cause they're agcin' up next Sunday.
sKeepin' their lights Albumin. they call it
but call it clear, sheer shiftlessness, and
it amt nothin' else. Look at Enus Sink
ley, now; there amt no such sile as thai
farm of his nowhere round, and not sc
much as potato or mite of garden sass
planted, and him with his store clothes
and Miss Sinkley with her best ruffied
night gown all laid out, ready to slip on al
minutes warnin', when they git notice
to 90 up. Folks used to think Enus Sink.
lev was consid able of man, and his
heart was so sot on worldly prosperity
that he wouldn't let his daughter marry 8
good, stiddy, likely young man because he
was poor"
sit Want altogether that" replied
Mis- Deacon Spettigue, a meager, worried
little woman, who spoke always in a mys
FERROUS half whisper, which gave great eff
feet to her words, "Pritchards is Pritch
ards; they don't amount to but dredfu
little, rich or poor. Judith Sinkley had
ought to do better than to have Frank
Pritchard."
s'It'll end in that poor infatuated father
of hern tryin' to make her marry DR.. Pc
Leg" said Mis- Sanders. But when any
body makes Judith Sinkley do that. III
give in that the world is comm to an end
She's kerried her head too high, and some
how or mother she's got to get her come
upance, folks always does; but it won't be
that way"
"She's terrible smart, Judith is, and
she's got takin' way with her. Our min
lister says that half the Millerite excite.
ment here in Saltwater is OWN to Judith
Sinkleys singin' in the meetin'. They
say she don't have no sympathy with the
kerrying on, but she sings to please hel
father, and her voice is terrible kind OF
movin'. There it is now, and if it dom
sound like the Day of Judgment never
heerd nothin' that did,"
On the still night air comes floating a
full clear soprano voice, with an indescri-
baly wild and mournful cadence,
SIN the last watch of the night
You'll hear the trumpet blow
Then keep your lamps aburning
And be ready for to go.''
A multitude of voices took up the re-
frain:
"Then keep your lamps abHrning
And be ready for to go''
Then the strong, thrilling voice burst
forth again:
1.-THE Lord his wrath has loosened,
The wicked are undone
o sinners you'll be Wailing,
Your sinful race is rum
Shouts and groans mingled with the
voices, as they dwelt lingeringIy, on the
fate of sinners
This hymn was the effort of a poet il
their own congregation, and was the prime
favorlte of the Saltwater Millerites.
s'Now amt that enough to make any
body feel kinder creepy?" said Mis- Dea-
con Spettigue. "I'm free to confess it has
regularly took hold of me. The Deacon he
complains because wake him up every
night sayin' that It would be kinder Gu
rus if the world did come to an end next
Sunday. He says it amt accordin' to
Scripter, and he won't NEEDLE with it,
And Scripter does say, plain enough, that
the Last Day is acomin', unbeknownst,
but, for all that, when set my soft soap
l couldn't help thinkin' that mebbe soft
oU1p WOuIuh v OO IO uOO w LILO NY oAO
time it was ready and have put off git
tin my summer bunnit thinkin' 'twouid
be savin' not to hev one if twas to wear
only one or two sundays
"Sakes alive, Mis- Spett1gue, you be
most upset, hain't you? It's my belief
that it's the doin' of the Enemy and l
should send for the minister, if I was you.
For my part I expect to set under the
droppin's of the sanctuary next Sunday.
and help Elviry Ann do up the washin'
next Monday, jest as usual. and | hope
when the Day of Judgment does come l
shant be found a lofing and dawdlin'; for
there amt no religion in that. Enus
Sinkley thinks it's pious to let the Lords
good s'ile run to waste
''That's Judith acomin', noW," inter
rupted Mis- Deacon Spettigue, as light
springing step, accompanied by a loose
and uncertain one, sounded along a side
street, very near to the rendezvous OF the
gossips. ''The meetin' amt half done
and DR.. Peleg has left to keep her compa