Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-01-12

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affair-a zinc box in a wooden frame,
punched full O. holes. with small iron
pan inside. hated it then, cause the
Newton boys an the others made fun
o me fur carryin' it fur gran 'ma-soll
darn me! I'd carry it all over creation
fur her neoUr'
Eye used ter stop in the vestry an
fill the pan with Goals out er the stove"
said Dennis. IAN then you'd carry it
upstairs an set it under the pew-do
you remember the pew near the pulpit
an SO gran'ma's feet wuz warm all
through meetin'. while you set in the
other corner Nv the pew. shiverin' like
calves-foot jelly, an wonderin' why the
minister's prayers wuz alters longer in
winter than in summer.
Il reekollect it ALL" said Hiram.
Seems like l could see gran'ma now
settin' in the OF meetin' house; an 1
can see the big, black velvet bag, too
the bag she carried swung by broad
satin ribbons on her arm. The bag
hez religious flowers embroidered on
it-not roses an such like. but lilies
an violets; an in the bag there is
cookies. an gran'ma eats enc now an
then to kind o stay her appetite. but
the little boy gets none, for it would
be wicked fur little boys to eat cookies
in meetin' time. Gran'ma is old-is' 5
different with her"
Eye don't remember, do YEP" asked
Antioch, with what a feelin' NV re-
lief We used ter hear the last hymn
given out? The congregation used ter
stand up an turn round an face the
choir in the galrry. And everybody
sung, too, fur in them days folks didn't
hev ter get musical eddicashuns aforc
they cud praise Cod
Sing? Why, should say SOL"
cried Coronation. ''They WANT no
great folks, an there never wuz much
airs on the wes' side O. the mountain.
nohOw, but in meetin' house on Sum
day they jest lifted up their voices ez
much ez to say: If Gods ears is open
to-day there amt nobody goin' to get
the start Nv the Newfane folks!' All.
Hiram Atkins, that wuz sacred music
we had in them days!''
81 don't understand it, nuther."
said China, in a quavering voice, sun
less 'twaz cause in them days we had
plain meetin' houses instead O.
churches. an plain ministers ter
preach plain gospel instead O eminent
divines ter deliver eloquent discourses
ike they hev in these hifalutin' days.
Leastwise, it's all sort O. different an
changed like now, an with the change
we OF tunes is forgotten. -
"Oh, no, not forgotten" cried
Hiram. ''Some of us, perhaps, are
ashamed. in these different days, Of
the quaint old tunes our gran'mas use
ter sing, but we hain't forgot 'em-oh,
no. we hain't forgot 'em. They haunt
us like sweet memories, an very. very
often the thought on 'em brings inter
our lives somethin' that makes us
purer an stronger an better"
"Waal. l hope So" sighed Hamburg.
''leastwiSe I'm glad to hear We say SO,
Hiram. fur We wuz Il wild boy-yes. We
wuz DIRE full coltish then"
Hush. don't speak so loud, the
children might hear ye," said Hiram.
starting up and gazing apprehensively
around him. you're wrong, old
friend; l was very sedate boy. as l
remember distinctly
"Waal. now. did you everr' cx-
claimed the tunes in chorus; and then
they all laughed-ay. and Old Hundred
l;.u ,hcd loudest of all.
''It's powerful curious how man
tries ter forgit he ever wuz boy"
said Refuge. You use ter cut up
worse'n any other boy in Wind'am
County. Hiram Atkins. an you know
it! Why, all on us know how you use
ter carry on ut choir meetin', and on
Sundays. too-yes. stree, on Sundays.
tool
Yes, WIZ a member O the choir"
said Hiram, sullenly.
20 course We wuz" said State
Street; IAN We sung an alfred honest
book, too, as l well remember. An
don't We Iecollect Mirandy Perkins,"
Miranda Perkins? OF course he did.
Hiram had waited on her for two years
before he went West. She had red
cheeks and glossy black curls. and her
eyes were full of mischief seemed to
Hiram he could see her now, in her
bright delaine gown and quaint shaker
bonnet. 1t was pleasant picture.
Miranda used to sing alto il the choir.
There were eight of them in the choir
the two Morse girls. Susan Baxter.
Lew Higgins, Hepsy Burdette. Miranda
Perkins and himself. Hiram Atkins.
He remembered them all. and by the
dear light the old tune-book threw
around him he could see them now,
too.
Miranda Perkins! He wondered what
had become of her; she must be a
wrinkled and gray-h:.ired woman now
yet. somehow. he could think of her
only as the red-cheeked, black-eyed