The Iola register., 1885-07-17
a VIRGINIA. TOWN.
sunday In the Mountains-Raising Il
Pastors Salary.

sunday In the Mountains-Raising tho
Pastor's Salary.
/ Abingdon, prettily situated on rolling
hills and q couple of thousand feet
above the sea, with views of mountain
peaks to the south, is cheerful and not
too exciting place for brief sojourn,
and hospitable and helpful to the stran-
ger. We had dined-so much, at least,
the public would expect of us-with a
descendant of Pocahontas we had as
sisted on Sunday morning at the dedica-
ton of a new brick Methodist church,
the finest edifice in the region, dedica-
ton that took long time, since the
Bishop would not proceed with it until
money enough was raised in open meet
ing to pay the balance due upon it,-a
religious act. though it did give busi-
ness aspect to the place at the time :;
and we had been the light spots in the
| evening service at the most aristocratic
church of color. The irresponsibility
of this amiable race was exhibited in
the hardness with which they assembled:
at the appointed time nobody was there
except the sexton; it was three quarters
of an hour before the congregation be-
gan to saunter in, and the sermon was
nearly over before the pews were at all
filled. Perhaps the sermon was not
new, but it was fervid, and at times the
able preacher roared SO that articulate
sounds We're lost in the general elect.
1t was precisely these passages of cata-
racts of sound and hard breathing which
excited the liveliest responses: "Yes.
Lord and "Glory to God" Most OF
these responses came from the "Amen
corner" The sermon contained the
usual vivid description of the last judg-
ment-ah, and fancied that the congre-
cation did not get the ordinary salts
faction out of it. Fashion had entered
the fold, and the singing was mostly
executed by a choir in the duskv gal
lery, who thinly and harshly warbled
the emotional hymns. 1t occupied the
minister long time to give out the
an evening or afternoon that had not
its meetings. its literary or social gath
ering. its picnic or fair for the benefit of
the church, its Dorcas society, or some
occasion of religious sociability. The
raising of funds appeared to be the
burden on the preachers mind. Two
collections were taken up. At the first,
the boxes appeared to get no supply eX-
cept from the two white trash present
But the second was more successful.
After the sermon was over, the elder
took his place at table within the
rails, and the real business of the
evening began. Somebody in the Amen
corner struck up tune that had no end,
but mighty power of setting the con-
gregation in motion. The leader had
a voice like the pleasant droning of a
bagpipe, and the faculty of emitting a
continuous note like that instrument,
without stopping to breathe. 1t went
on and on like Bach fugue, winding
and whining its way, turning the cor
ners of the lines of the catch without
break. The effect was soon visible
in the emotional crowd; feet began to
move in a regular cadence and voices
to join in, with spurts of ejaculation;
and soon, with an air of martyrdom,
the members began to leave their seats
and pass before the table and deposit
their contributions. 1t was a cent con-
tribution. and we found it very diff
cult, under the contagious influence of
the hum from the Amen corner, not
to rise and go forward end deposit a
cent If anything could extract the
pennies from reluctant worldling it
would be the buzzing of this tune. 1t
went on and on until the house ap-
peared to be drained dry of its cash;
and we inferred by the stopping of
the melody that the preachers salary
was secure for the time being. On in
quiring we ascertained that the pc
cuniary flood that evening had risen to
the height of dollar and sixty cents.
Charles Dudley Warner, in atlantic
MOntkkY.