The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-01-26

Sharon way, but Manda n met 'em
on the boat from Boston once, an from
that on we wus always friends. After
we came West. he used ter be ter our
place often.
In them days Manda used ter have
turns of bein' homesick. In fact, all
the women-folks wus homesick, more
or less, for a time, an used ter talk
about things way back in Maine-the
quiltin's, n the apple-parin's, an how
the girls spun an wove; then tell how
they longed ter see old Granthur SUCH
a-one's folks, N old Square some
body-else's girls, n all that. But
when DIR. Hollman's folks had come
over. nd the Colemans- they're from
the East, too-why, we'd fix things up
till we'd almost forget we'd left Maine
at all.
Manda'd have Injun puddin's. N
brown-bread, n baked beans, an all
the Down-East fixin's. An then when
evenin'd come, we'd git round the fire
n have a regular old-time sing. An
such singin'! If DR.. HOLMAN couldn't
put in the bass, then I'd jes' like ter
hear some one t could.
Wed git up all the old hymns n
songs n pennyrials, from Flow Gen
tly, Sweet Alton" n "Old Folks at
Home" clear up to Like Mighty Wa
tiers Roll" an l jest wish yer could
hev heard u.s. We was old-fashioned,
ter be sure, but then we made a noise.
nd not such a bad-soundin' one yer
might imagine, either.
Why, one night the deacon went to
the door to see if the moon wus up, n
sure's you live, there, on a log in the
yard, listenin' with all the ears he had,
was good-sized bear.
We wanted to catch that bear, of
course, but the doctor said 'twouldn't
do at all, when he'd come there jest
ter hear us sing; an lettin' alone the
good it might do him, who knew but
he's from down East, too? So we let
him be, and when the boys went out to
hitch up the deacon's oxen they said
he'd gone.
Well, as I told we, the second Sum-
day found DR.. Holman pooty low, an
the prospect of his preachin' again
slim.
There wus a good many hard feelin's
among us then, an some of the unres-
sonablest ones said they b'lieved the
minister wus wOrkin' in our favor.
The wust one among 'em-Steve
Blakewell-said he'd no doubt we old
folks were glad of the drawback, as it
KEEP the meetin' house shut.
Of course, we paid no 'tention to
this, n tried hard to keep it from the
minister; but somehow it got to him.
an he felt dreadful about il. just
what We feared came of it-Dr. Holman
decided to be there the next Sunday-if
he was alive.
Well, when Sunday came, sure
enough, after the buildin' was crowded
full, our poor, sick old minister, bowed
n trenholm, came in nd went slowly
up to the pulpit steps. Here he rested
awhile, then tried to 90 up.
He started twice, then with quiet
We'll! wellr' sank down upon the
bottom step.
In q minute dozen of US wus round
him. but he said little rest would
make him right, as he wus only little
faint. Manda feared he wouldn't be;
for every wrinkle in the old mans face
was familiar TO US, an twas plain he
was very low.
"Ephraim," / remember she whis-
pered to me, "Ephraim, he can never
stand it. Try to have him let US take
him home"
He had only come from fear of being
we wus sure, and what
to do under the circumstances we
hardly knew. l was about to try
once more to have him put off preach
in, when the old man began feebly TO
rise.
Slowly, very slowly, he Strengthened
himself up, an as he turned the kind,
faded eyes once more upon his people
twas still as the grave.
Every eye wus strained, n tears
wus in most of 'em. Steve Blackwell
moved n fidgeted in his seat, an his
pale cheeks told what an impression
the scene was maxim on him.
Proud n headstrong, he had, durin'
the summer, led the young members in
every attack. / saw him-I see him
now, as he partly rose, started n
stopped, then almost ran towards the
totterin' form as it settled back again
onto the steps.
/ couldn't move. Manda crowded
by me an in a moment wus by his
side. As the faint wore off, the minis
ter whispered somethin' TO Blackwell.
who turned md asked us to be quiet, as
DIR. HOLMAN wished to speak.
In second you could have heard .
pin drop. He rose up slowly. still
leaning on Blakewelrs arm. Then he
spoke, but his voice was dreadfully
weak and uncertain.
''The spirit is within" he began,
''but the flesh is weak, very weak. 1
tried hard to be here to-day, for you
have waited patiently, an 1 couldn't
bear to disappoint you; but I find I am
not as strong-as / thought-an' now
may ask one favor of you--only onef
I'm afraid you'll think it childish; but
I've preached so many times in the old
place, md never felt as / do to-day,
that it seems TO me III were only there