, 1885-12-25

~Floodgate is not a large town, but Il prid.s
itself on the excellence of its society. How
ever, the only one OF Its people 1 care TO talk
about at present was never 'in society"
He was known as "Uncle ADAM He had
II surname, but ~ persistently was 1t ignored
that all save IA very few forgot 1t completely.
He was the sexton OF the Church OF the Pur
itans. Besides performing all the regular
duties OF that office with his own bands, he
pumped the organ. He was not required u
do this, but he insisted on it, not for the sake
Of increasing his salary, for he stipulated
particularly that he wanted no extra pay Ia
consequence but because he ndored music
aud had theories in regard TO organ pumping,
The pumper, he said, should be something
OF m artist as we'll as the organist He
should put his soul into the work and it
would be felt in the music. This he surely
did. Such energy and enthusiasm were never
before applied to organ pumping. When tn
music gushed from the tall pipes, rose high
and then softly died away, Uncle Adam, in
the little dim room that concealed him, er
ulted, When he emerged from the orga1
loft, after services, instead of being weary
from his severe e%xertion, his face was invari-
ably bright and bcaming. Often and often
be was In a state of spiritual exaltatipn
quite incomprehensible to the fine people win
poke to him kindly and patronizingly. His
eyes burned with an unaccustomsd light
and his thoughts seemed to DO of thing
sreater and grander than the old church
contained
The music wrought this change, though
ti. F.mr ~, ..tt..a a. o.. -
Adam was dreaming OF things they knew not
of He lived, at such times, in another
world, the world OF the invisible and the
eternal. He believed that that world WI,
shut out from this by the veil of flesh only
and that at times this veil was swept aside
and the spirit in the flesh saw the spirits
who are as the angels OF heaven" without
hesh.
Il know thsre are spirits about us, becau. VI,
l zee them, he said Il know they are the
spirits Of men and women who once lived in
this world, for my own people are among
them-my wife, my children, my mother
snd my friends OF long ago. Iknov tina W.
Ire immortal. for l feel that / shall never die.
am sure my soul can never perish, for
believe 1t 10 he a part Of Cod
The old man always grew eloquent when
talking on this subject His soul was Afiame
and his thoughts eaIne forth In the strong
and simple Language Of inspiration His lis
teners smiled with plying incredulity, or
gave ear out Of curiosity to what they callei
his harmles fanciss. Here and there wns
one who pos~-S-ad n vein OF poetic sentiment
which was kindled by his talk OF the cloud
OF witness continually near. but all were
too unspiritual b understand that this faith
was the strength and support Of the old mani
life, a part Of his honest and earnest soul
Sometimes be- told Of the sights he saw in
the organ loft, the radiant spirits that came
10 him there. The dim little room that shut
him away from the sight OF others was the
very door of heaven 10 him IL was not
strange thai be entered II with delight, rez
lnainsd IA IA as long A. possible, and enlarged
from 1t vita a b~Anshgured face He b.
hsvsd that hs thsrs talked with angela