The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1891-09-04
Up in the Cumberlands.

fists, the most primitive branch of tn
known by the names of s'Free Will,
s'Hardshell,' or ssIronside." This ser
vice was held at place called s'Mc
Troglin's meetin'-house, a very re
spectacle structure for the region, bull
of undressed plank, with numerous win
dows, some closed with planks malice
vertically Or horizontally, the others
two or three in number, admitting ligh
and oxygen without obstruction.
The congregation gathered early;
o'clock is frequently the hour appointed
for the beginning of services by this
church. By all methods of travel, these
simple, primitive worshipers came-on
foot, on horseback, single and double
and few families of the more prosper
Gus in rude, antiquated wagons, most OF
them drawn by oxen.
The beauX and the bellies and the dude
in homespun, with perhaps his counter
part of the other sex, were there. The
lovers were plainly distinguishable and
courtship in all degrees, from incipiency
to its last fatal stages, was to be seen.
The Cumberlands afford but few speci-
mems of intellectual or we'll proportioned
physical manhood. The men are a hardy
race, capable of great endurance and
long lived; but their bodies are put to-
gether with no regard for symmetry of
parts, and their faces are not the faces of
the educated or the Intellectual; they
are stolid and rough featured, showing
exceedingly plainly the need of soap,
hot water and a keen razor The women
are not beautiful by nature or by art.
Fine eyes and brows that speak of
thought, charming faces, beautiful COM
plexions and elegant figures are not
found among them. They mature and
decay early, and at least 40 years of
their threescore and ten Ga length of life
which they usually reach, often with
several years additionally are spent with
beauty bereft of its Spring-time bloom
and only its barren stem visible.
The preaching of the occasion was
primitive, almost pagan. Satan was eu-
phemistically referred to as sold Nick, :"
and the well-known suffix "ah!' ended
every rising or falling infection. This
suffix is used because sing-song tone is
desired, and the "ah =" interiected at lib
erty, helps to preserve proper meter
and rhythm. The preachers were as
rustic in their dress and manner as their
congregation. They wore neither col
lars nor cuffs. Rough cowhide shoes
and heavy yarn hose, although it was
the month of June, covered their feet.
Their pantaloons were of plain jeans,
and faded coats and waistcoats of
very cheap grade of goods, which, in
moment of great worldliness and pride,
they had purchased at a store, completed
their attire. The minister of this branch
of the Baptist church is always self sup
porting. Consequently, during the
week, he follows some humble trade,
usually that of carpenter, this being
Christ's occupation; or a small, half
cultivated farm surrounds his house.
All power over his flock is lost at once,
an irremediable breach is made and an
ineradicable stigma is put upon his
character, if he even hints at being paid
for his work. Gospel is not gospel if it
has to be bought. Education is of the
most primitive character. The ability
merely to read, write and ''cipher lit
tle' is all that is deemed of any possible
value. Beyond this, you become ''too
wise'' and are liable to incur the wrath
of the Almighty. Missionary enterprises
are ridiculed and decried. Philanthropy
is spirit never felt in the cosmopolitan
sense, Your neighbor is the man who
lives next door and from whom you bor-
row flour and coffee when company
comes. TO ',jine' the church and be
is the sine qua non of salvation.
There is no falling from grace. The
"Holy Spirit" is relied upon to tell the
minister what he shall say when he rises
for public delivery is condemned. Rise
before your congregation, let the sHoly
Spirit" instruct you what to say, and
then your sermon is from God and is
truth; otherwise, it is from yourself and
false.
The ordinance of the sacrament and
ttfoot-washin' is observed but once a
year-the first Sunday in June. Not
every native is an adherent of the creed
of the Free-Will Baptist church. Minis
tiers of other faiths and orders have
made incursions into this region and left
disciples here and there. In conse-
quence of this difference of belief and
for the strengthening of the weak, the
encouragement of the faithful and the
final admonition of those who seemed
inclined to be led astray by false teach
ers, the sermons of the occasion were
doctrinal. The 18th chapter of John, de-
scriptive of Christ washing his disciples
feet, was read from a small fifteen-cent
Testament; a text from the same chap
ter was taken, and two sermons, in sue
.cession and without intermission, were
preached. Without much manual gyra-
ton, much physical vehemence and
much 'sah !'-ing, the duty of observing
the ordinance OF foot-Washing (there is
no dissension as to the sacrament) was
clearly established, together with the
other great fact that this branch of the
Baptist church is the church emphasis
on sschurch'' not on the and Christ
himself was its founder--it being the
only church which He did found.
The hymns OF the service were doc
trinal also, and, from a poetic stand
point, exceedingly crude. They were
read from small, cheap volume and
the first stanza of the one sung as an in