The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1888-02-09
THE OLD TUNE BOOK.

vu fumbling over lot oi cid volumes
,ha, had had been placsrded .for Sale
Cheap" Hiram had passion for qa'in'
old books, and many time Tor mere
uitle he bad bough, literature which 30
sum OF money could have Induced him TO
par, With. And now as be rummsged
among the musty volumes, he heard q
piping voice that startled him strangely
WAL, meow. il it aint hi Atkins 7
But, sakes alive how he has nlied
eout"
This vas ~bst the voice said. aud The
shrill tones took Hiram Atkins away back
over the years. and over the hills, aud over
the rivers. and II seemed TO him ss II he
were boy again "a ruddy little boy IN
prim Vermont village among the rugged
bills
Gee Wilkins r. said Hiram ITS a
Carminy Sacry! Yes. and it's the very
same Carminy l used to sing eout OF when
belonged to the choir T.
SO il wss; the same green backed oh
long book OF church music which Hiram's
grandmother had bought for him when
be was boy aud began going to singing
school. That Was many years ago, and
times we're all different now. Hiram AT
kins was no longer boy; battling in this
great noisy western world bad brought
wrinkles to his face. and the years had
left traces OF their frosts and SHOWS in his
hair. The Carmina Sacra. too, was chang
ed; once it had been bright and fresh and
new, but now il was faded and ragged.
fully one half Of its green pasteboard waS
missing.
Didn't know me at fust. did ye y ask
cd the Carmina. "Waal, times have gone
powerful hard with me. and l gness amt
Of much more account, nohow. Why,
when your gran ma bought me l cost her
q doler'n half, but now 1 am chucked
inter this ere basket with lot O vain,
frivolous, secular trash that's gong at
ninepence apiece"
The old tune.book sighed grievously.
To Hiram Atkins 1t did seem like desecra'
ton. This old tune book was one of the
first books he bad ever held in his hands
with the exception of his New England
primer, his catechism and his Bible,it was
the first
"I'll buy ye; darned il DON'T cried
Hiram. "I'll buy ye, il it takes the last
boss dads got r.
And be did buy that old Carmina Sacra
although 1t cost only two York shillings,
and not spirited Morgan as you might
suppose.
Hiram took the Carmina home with him
and that evening they talked over old
times together; that is to say, as Hiram
turned ever the leaves OF the quaint old
book and saw the old familiar hymns and
psalms and anthems, the tunes seemed to
talk with him and hum to him. and he
could see faces and hear voices be had not
seen nor heard in many years
"You Was a little boy. then, said Brat
tie Street; "your legs wuz chubby and
your cheeks WIZ rosy, an you wore lit
tie cunnin' blue jacket to which your
trousers was buttoned with brass buttons.
Sometimes when it was cold you wore q
tippet and cap that had ear lappets on
it; your yarn mlttens wuz hitched togeth'
er with long tape to keep you from losin
OF 'em. Ough but what all-fred cold
weather We used to have on the west side
OF the mountain, eh 2"
"Waal, meow. had almost forgotten it,
said Hiram. musingly
:'Ye he'd ?" exclaimed Dennis and ye
don't remember the old meetin' house,
nuther, do YET"
"Iudeed. do" said Hiram, "and re-
member the little blue jacket with brass
buttons best Of ell, but had forgotten
whether the winters wuz so very cold or
not"
"Waal, declare fort r. cried Brsttle
Street. That beats all nstur' An ye've
forgot yer poor old gran'ma too, hain't
yer
"Ob, no." said Hiram, solemoly. II
could never forget dear old gran'ma
though she's been dead many many years,
"Jest - like ~ not ye reckolect how
ye used to bring her foot-steve ter meet
in for her ev'ry Sunday nj winter time 7"
"Yes. l reckollect it meow. said Hiram,
smiling. III Was crazy old sfiair-a
zinc box in q wooden frame, punched full
Of holes, with small iron pan inside ]
hated it then cause the Newton boys and
the others made fun OF me fur carryin' 1t
fur gram ma goll darn me I'd carry it
all over creation for her meow. !"
'Ye use ter stop In the vestry and fill
the pan with Goals out 'er the stovs," said
Dennis. ''And then you'd carry it upstairs
and set /. 10 the pew-do you remember
the pew near the pulpit -and 30 gran mas
feet wuz warm sll through meetin', while
you set 10 the other end OF the pew, sbiy
erin like caiyes-foot lelley aud wonderin
why the minister's prayers wuz alters
longer in winter than 10 summer"
II reckollect IL sll, "ssid Hiram "Seems
like / could Tee gran ma nov q settin
10 the old meetin' house; can see the
big. black velvet bag. too-the bag she
carried swnng by broad satin ribbons on
her arm. The bag hez religious flowers
embroidered on it--not roses an sich like,
but lilies an viole.s. aud 10 the bag there
Is cookies. an gran ma eats one nov and
then ter kind o. stay her sppetite. but the
little boy gets none, for 1t you'd be wick
ed Iur lii.ls boys ter eat cookies in meet,
ia time. Gran'ms 10 old -ifs dlferent
nth her