The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-01-08

Besides. when Manda N / stood up
in the best room, way back on the old
Kennebec farm, twas he that tied the
knot. To us he seemed an old man
then. His folks lived way up New
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 woye; 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 DR. HoIlman'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, m 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.
We'd git up all the old hymns m
songs n pennyrials, from Flow Gen
tly, Sweet Alton, N ''Old Folks at
Home, clear up to Like Mighty Wa
ters ROLL an / Jest wish yer could
hev heard us! We was oId-fashioned,
ter be sure, but then we made a noise,
md 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 log in the
yard, listenin' with all the ears he had,
was a 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 l told We. the second Sun
day found DR.. Holman pOoty low, an
the prospect of his preachin' again
slim
There wus a good many hard feelin ;
among US then, an some of the unreal
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 rawback, rs 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 tremblin', came in nd went slowly
up to the pulpit steps. Here he rested
awhile, then tried to 90 up.
He started twice, then with a quiet
well! well!' sank down upon the
bottom step.
In a minute q dozen of us Wus round
him. but he said little rest would
make him right, as he wus only a 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. l 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
misunderstood, we wus sure, and what
| to do under the circumstances we
| hardly knew. / 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
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. l saw him see him
now, as he partly rose, started m
! stopped, then almost ran towards the
| totterin form as it settled back again
/ onto the steps.
| couldn't move. Manda crowded
| bv me an in a moment Wus by his
| side AS the faint wore off, the minis
| ter whispered somethin' to Blackwell,
| who turned nd asked us to be quiet, as
Dr. Holman wished to speak.
In a second you could have heard 9
pin drop. He rose up slowly, still
| leaning on Blakewell's arm. Then be
! spoke, but his voice was dreadfully
weak and uncertain.
The spirit is willin'," he began
''but the flesh is weak, very weak.
tried hard to be here to-day, for you
have waited patiently, an l couldn't
! bear TO diSappOint you; but | find L an
| not as strong-as | thought-an' now
| may / ask one favor of yOu-OnlY one:
| I'm afraid you Il think it childish; but
! I've preached so many times in the ole
| place, nd never felt as | do to-day
that it seems to me if / were only there
again l should be as strong as ever
Would YOU let me go back there once
! mOre-iust once more?"
Tears were tricklin' down the ole
| man face when he finished, an Their,
| wasn't dry eye in the house Tha
was all twas needed. Everybody
started at the same time, an we lef
the church by the old path leadin
through the trees to the old place
Blackwell held DR.. Holman up, hi
arms around him, almost carryin' him
The whole congregation followed TIN
| feeble, tOtterin' steps as they led us on
When we reached the low steps W.
found 'em covered with nutshells IN
bright colOred leaves. On one of tn
south sills a squirrel was sInnin him
self, an another was chipperin' alOn!
the ridgc-pole. The leaves on tn
4 naples was every color you cOui'
imagine. an the old paths were coveret
with 'em, N the needles from tn
pines. The sun shOne brightly, an
twas still n warm rs a day in June
Openin' the door we helped the poo
old man into the plain pine desk, Will
the people quietly fled in till ever,
| saat was fnlL m, Eli the standin' room