Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-12-03

HtOSU Ci we uLis dlAo.f ne WIS u PUN lOol
to 60 off an git shot by a Yank."
1t was afternoon when we reached the
valley and entered the settlement, which
consisted of log cabins with Il little log
church in the center. A pack Of yellow
ours and Q swarm Of very brown and
scantily clad children hailed our ap-
proach with much barking and shouting.
Some lank, barefooted women, nearly all
of whom carried babies astride their
hips, and most Of whom held between
their lips the dipping swab," came to
the doors to wonder who the strangers
could be- There were fields OF corn.
sweet potatoes and patches of peanuts or
ssgoobersa along the valley, and masses
of hollyhocks and sunfowers here and
there that gave an air Of comfort and
thrift to the place that was in striking
contrast with the wretched cabins we
had seen since leaving Gainesville.
.'Old Man Sleigh, as every one called
our friend, Sims father, was 1he patri-
arch of the settlement. He lived in a
large double cabin, and preached in the
little church on Saturdays, for he was a
Seventh Day Baptist, with q great deal
Of contempt for education ana firm be-
lief in the power Of personal inspiration.
He heard our story, and when Mr.. Bow
man offered to take us to his house Old
Man Sleigh clasped his hands and closed
his eyes in the attitude Of prayer, and
said, with an accent that no combination
of letters could reproduce:
"Bill Bowman-ab, these var strangers
--ah, hez come har from my son-ah,
and the Lor gave, and the Lor he took
eth away--ah, SO shall they tarry under
my roof-ah, 50 long ez they need the
Samaritan's heIp-ah.n
Old Man Sleigh was evidently shalzy
in his Scriptural quotations, but there
could be no nistaking the warmth Of his
welcome and the kindness of his heart.
His family consisted Of his wife, two
daughters of over twenty and boy Of
seventeen, who was an idiot who had no
kin, but whom the old man ''wuz a
keerin foh foh de good Lor's sake"
The two cabins We're connected by q
foored covered way, which was also the
sitting room when the weather per-
mitted. One cabin had in it the usual
two high poster beds and the trundle
beds beneath them. The other had a
huge fireplace at one end, table covered
with oilelOth, q dresser with the usual
heavy bluestone ware and straps to hold
the tin spoons along the edge Of the
shelving. The chairs were homemade
and comfortable, and the chickens
scratching about the door and the SOW
with her litter of black "roasters' under
the main apartment all told Of unusual
prosperity.
Mrs. Sleigh and her daughters dipped,
and they swore and used expressions
that would not be thought polite in a
camp Of rough soldiers, yet it seemed 50
natural to them that the vulgarity was
forgotten iii their entire unconscious
ness Of harm. Mr.. Bowman remained
to dinner, for which number Of chick
ems had been killed, and the meal was
preceded by very long blessing and a
drink Of new corn whisky, all taking it
as freely and easily as if it were milk,
except the idiot boy, Old Man Sleigh
eMi1lai4iaz fsgrE1ssi szisSttaenees ofztha
latter by saying, Il don t think no ons
should partake of them blessin's ez hO
amt got the brains to preciate, which
was certainly q novel kind Of temper
ance argument.
AS the sun was sinking out Of sight
behind the Blue Ridge, men and women,
the latter barefoot, though many Of
them carried shoes in their hands, came
in from the hills and gathered about the
little log church. On my expressing sur
prise, for this was Friday, Mother Sleigh
explained that the folks was a-coning
down to meetin." She firmly believed
that all those who were not Seventh Day
Baptists were hurrying along the broad
road to eternal ruin. She said III effect:
'We uns' Sabbath begins at sundown to-
night and lasts till sundown tomorrer.
That's cordin to the Scriptures. Them
that works the seventh day and lies off
Sunday is pore, ignorant critters, and hits
most surprisin to me that the Good Lor
amt done lost patience with en- long
since. D-n all sich, say IT
The shutters were taken down from
the glassless windows just as the golden
glare of the sun vanished from the high
er crests Of the Blue Ridge, and the peo-
pie flocked into the meeting house, the
women first putting on their shoes. Old
Man Sleigh carried in bucket Of water
covered with sheet, which he laid very
solennly on little raised platform at
the other end "a few tin sconces filed
with lard We're lighted and fastened to
the walls On rough benches the men
and women sat facing each other, all
with their eyes fixed on their clasped
hands. ! should add that the outer
walls of The little meeting house were
lined with long rifles, from which hung
\ powder horns and bullet pouches.
In front Of the building u huge fire
+ had been built, and about this the chill
+ dren gathered, all silent and unnaturally
I solemn looking. There was d weirdness
about the situation that impressed me
i greatly, and Bell, to whom this was no
novelty, looked as if he We're meditating
4 u speech or u prayer that would make q
i hit. shall not attempt to reprodGce
4 the long prayer Of Old Man Sleigh. AS
4 his ferYor increased, 50 did the number
Of 'ahs. which lie shot out like man
short Of breath. Stirred by his zeal the
men shoutcd A.GloryI' ''Amen.H HAL
leluiahv' ..Lor bless Old Man Sleighr'
and fetch we uns with thy sperrit
LORI wh.le the women groaned and
swayed their bodies till the wonder was
how those 1T the end Of the benches kept
from falling.
After the prayer two young men
passed around corn bread and water, OF
I which all partoql1 aparingly. Then the
men took of their shoes, and Old Man
Sleigh, with the bucket, passed down
the line, going through the motions Of
washing their feet and drying them on
the towel After this ceremony was
over the men kissed each other, and the
women did the same. This was followed
by a silence that was becoming posi-
lively painful when. to my great sur
prise, Bell rose and walked back to the
little platform, where the old man EN-
braceil him. 70 this day | cannot tell
whether it was religious zeal or the de
sire to make good impression ON oul
mountain friends that prompted Bells
conduct, bnt | am willing to give him
tho beneiit o. the doubt
He began 50 quietly and hesitated SO
long and SO often that I feared he had
made a mistake. but gradually ht
warmed up, and he began to sway his