Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-01-26

y ~ f~hiOii'pSi ehc pew near INC pulplb
an so gran mas 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 could see gran'ma now
settin' in the oil meetin' house; an
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 one 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-it's
different with her,
Eye don't remember, do YEP" asked
Antioch, with what feelin' NV re-
lief We used ter hear the last hymn
given outp The congregation used ter
stand up an turn round an face the
choir in the gallry. And everybody
sung, too, fur in them days folks didn't
hev ter get musical eddicashuns afore
they cud praise God"
"Singp Why, should say SOP
cried Coronation. "They want no
great folks, an there never wuz much
airs on the wes' side O. the mountain,
nohow, but in a meetin' house on Sun
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 folksr All,
Hiram Atkins, that wuz sacred music
we had in them days!"
II don't understand it, nuther, :"
said China, in quavering voice, "un-
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
like 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 vegy, very
often the thought on 'em brings inter
our lives somethin' that makes us
purer an stronger an better"
"Waal, hope So" sighed Hamburg,
"leastwise Pm glad to hear we say so,
Hiram, fur We wuz wild boy-yes, we
wuz dre'ful coltish Men."
"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; i was very sedate boy, as
remember distinctly"
"Waal, now, did you ever! ex
claimed the tunes in chorus; and ther
they all laughed-ay, and Old Hundred
lau yhed loudest of all.
ats powerful curious how mar
tries ter forgit he ever wuz boy, '
} said Refuge. "You use ter cut VI
, worse'n any other boy in Wind'an
County, Hiram Atkins, an you know
it! Why, all on us know how you use
ter carry on at choir meetin', and OF
Sundays, too-yes, stree, on Sundays
too!'
: "Yes, / wuz member o. the choir,
said Hiram, sullenly.
90 course we wuz." said Stat
Street; "an' We sung an alfred homes
book, too, as | well remember. An
, don't We recollect Mirandy PerkinsP"
Miranda Perkins? Of course he did
= Hiram had waited on her for two year
before he went West. She had re,
cheeks and glossy black curls, and he
Q eyes were full of mischief-seemed t
) Hiram he could see her now, in he
bright delaine gown and quaint shake
S bonnet. 1t was pleasant picture
a Miranda used to sing alto in the choir
There were eight of them in the choi
1 the two Morse girls, Susan Baxter
e Lew Higgins, Hepsy Burdette, Mirand
Perkins and himself, Hiram Atkin;
a He remembered them all. and by tn
o dear light the old tune-book three
: around him he could see them now
too.
h Miranda Perkins! He wondered wha
d had become of her; she must be
:, wrinkled and gray-haired woman no
G yet, somehow. he could think of he
r only as the rcd-cheeked, black-eye
e girl who had sung alto to his bass i
n the Newfane choir.
r "Mirandy married Sam Baxter,
n said Lenox. 1--WE wuz all at the wet
din, an pulitzer couple never sot o,
d together. S'pose We don't remembt
y Sam, do YEP Lived with the oil foil
IL on the farm near the Townsend toll
h gate; use ter sing tenor in the cho
IS when you wuz there"
IL $50 Mirandy TUX up with Sam, di
1t sheP" muttered Hiram. "Humph, 81
t. mighter done better!"
< Hiram had never liked Sam Baxte
A. now he hated him. Yet it was twent
n five years since he had seen Sam
IF Miranda either, for that matter. I
remembered Sam as a loutish felloN
IN with tow hair and habit of singir
very much out of tune, and when
re thought of Miranda Perkins all
e, Hiram's recollections of Sam Baxter
unpleasant characteristics were revive
l with intensity.
tn "But they moved down Ter Pom
r vile the mex spring after they w
rv M, arr;ad :, cold Mirdol ssan, ve hair