Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-05-08
rHINes or CURRENT INTEREST.
a Meeting House in the Tennessee
Mountains.

[From Chas. Egbert Craddocks "Prophet Of the
Great Smoky Mountains" In May Atantic.l
The little log meeting house at the Notch
stood high on a rugged spur OF the Great
Smoky. Dense forests enoompassed It on
every hand, obscuring that familiar picture
of mountain and cloud and cove. From It's
rude, glassless windows one could look out
on no distant vista, save perhaps In the vis-
ionary glories OF heaven or the climatic dis
comforts of hell, according TO the state OF
the conscience, or perchance the liver. The
sky was aloof and limited. The laurel tan
gled the aisles of the woods Sometimes
from the hard benches a weary tow. headed
brat might rejoice to mark in the monotony
the frisking OF a squirrel on a bOugh hard
by, or a woodpecker solemnly tapping. The
acorna would rattle on the roof, II the wind
stirred, az II in punctuation Of the discourse.
The pines, mastering strong among the oaks,
joined their mystic threnOdy to the sad
voiced quiring within. The frs stretched
down long, penduous, darkling bOughs, and
filed the air With their basamic fragrance.
Within the house the dull light fell over
few rude benches and platform with a chair
and table, which was used as pulpit. Shad-
ows OF many deep, rich tones OF brown lurk-
ed among the rafters. Here and there cob
web, woven TO the consistepce OF fabric,
swung in the air. The drOne Of blue. bot
tlo, huttering in and out of the window in a
slant of sunshine, might invade the reverent
silence, as Brother Jake Tobin turned the
leaves TO read the chapter. Sometimes there
would sound, too, commotion among the
horses without, embarrassed from the wag.
ons and hitchtd to the trees; then in more
than one OF the sole mn faces might be de-
scried an anxious perturbation, not fear be-
cause of equine perversities, but because Of
the idiosyncrasies of callow human nature
in the urchins left in charge Of the teams.
No one ventured TO investigate, however,
and with that worldly discomfort contend.
ing with the spiritual .xaltations they sought
to foster, the rows Of reigiouists swayed
backward and forward in rhythm to the read
er's voice, rising and falling in long, billowy
sweeps of sound, like the ground swell OF
ocean waves.
1t was strange, looking upon their faces, and
with a knowledge OF the limited phases OF
their existences, their similarity of expert
ence here, where hundred years might
come and go, working no change save that,
| like the leaves, they huttered awhile in the
| outer air with the spurious animation called
| life, and fell in DEATH and made way for new
| bourgeoIi ings like unto themselves, strange
to mark how they differed. Here was man
| of stern, dafkly religious conviction, who
might either have writhed at the stake or
stopped to kindle the flames; and here was
an accountant soul that knew only those
keen mercantile motives,-the hope Of re-
| ward and the fear of hell and here was an
enthutiast's eye, touched by the love Of God ;
and here was an unfinished, hardly human
| lied face, that it seemed as presumptuoua to
claim as the exponent OF soul AZ the faces
Of the stupid oxen out Of doors. All were
earnest many wore an expression Of excited
interest, as the details Of the chapter waXed
TO a climax, like the tense stiffness OF q met
ropolitan audience before an unimagined
coup de theatre. The men all sat on one side,
chewing their guilds the women on the 9th
er, almost masked by their limp sun bonnots.
The ubiquitous baby of him-waf
there, and more than once babbled aloud and
cried out peevishly. Only one, becoming
uproarious, was made public example be
ing quietly borne out and deposited in the
ox-wagon, at the mercy of the urchins who
presded over the teams, while his mothel
creaked in again on the tips Of deprecating
anxious toes, to hear the Word.