The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-06-24

clare to man didn't think o nothin from
begipnin' to end but ies' Hannibal's odd
boots and odd actions. So little does it
take to keep woman's mind from soar
ing.
After the ceremony We had cake and
coffy passed round, an then, as the bells
was a-ringin' we perceeded TO the church.
It want but few steps, Jest aecrost the
common.
An we walked up the broad aisle to-
gether, Hannibal an me, a-leanin' on
his arm, 'lookin' my best. an he his'n,
with everybod's eyes upon US. 1 tried not
to feel proud, but it was happy moment
for me, tell We. And when we set down
in the old pew where I'd set ever sence 1
was baby, mother on one side, Hanni-
bal on t'other, an me in the middle, it
seemed awful pleasant, somehow seem
ed as if never loved the old church so
veil. Not that there's anything nice or
harnsome about our meetin house in Cra-
ney Holler it's almost barn compared
tel city churches, but it had one recon-
mend. II was surrounded by natur,
whose God we had come to adore. The
great winders was wide open an could
look out on to the common, all green an
wavy with naples, then away off acrost
the medders, and up, up to the woody
hilItops that touched the blue canopy Of
heaven.
Oh, how can anybody that lives in the
country ever lack for religious privileges ?
God is so nigh everywhere in natur',
an he speaks through her SO plain an 50
direek Why, ifI could git the time, if !
hadn't so much housework ter dew an
one thing a mother, I'd make practice
o goin' out every day, as reg'lar as l say
my prayers, to some beautiful sollum
spot, a purpose ter commune with my
Maker through natur. In no other way
can we git so near to God.
As said, it seemed uncommon pleas
ant to me in meetin' that Sunday morn
in. The horses stompin' in the sheds
didn't seem to disturb me as usual, an
the ehirpin' of the birds an the dronin'
of the crickets through the drowsy air
sounded awful nice and soOthin'. Inside,
the house was full of good, old-fashiOned
smells. Patigony mint and boys love
an tanzy an cammomile; for all the old
ladies, and a good many of the young
folks. had bunch O. one or the other.
an perhaps a sprig O green caroway seed
ter MUNICH away on in case they's in
clined to be sleepy.
I looked down to where old Squire
Brown set in his pew in front O. the pull
pit-asleepa an noddin' so quick he was
an l noticed that one hand wisely sup
ported his head in order ter keep on his
red wig O. hair. But he want alters
so careful, for l remembered how
nigh he often come ter losin' ont, an
how, one Sunday, it did actually slip
clear ofTn his bald pate, an how he
jumped an clapped his hands to his
head, an all the young folks laughed, an
some O. the old ones. Even Parson Lam
son les barely saved himself by timely
| sneeze.
Strange that all this should come back
to me on my weddin' mornin', bu. it did,
an good deal more, an I.had hard
tussle bringin myself into a proper frame
O. mind to tend to the service.
Mother alwers had a hymn book to
| herself, on account O seein' better, We
know, so Hannibal an me, we looked on
together, an had the proud pleasure O.
hearin' him sing for the fust time. He's
got a most powerful voice an his expires
sion does beat all. Everybody was look
in at him. Why, he acted it all out so,
as you might say When he struck a
high note he riz up to his full ststur', bal
lanced himself, kinder teeterin' on his
toes, stretched up his neck, rolled his
eyes way inter the back part Of his head
an such tone as he fetched-high-oh
/ terrible high . an on the contrary, when
he sung a low note, he Just scroOched all
/ down inter his stummuck an chest, an
somethin' rumbled way down in his in
sides, low-oh, terrible low an sollum l
think his low was the very lowest
one I ever heard His singin' was sar-
tinly impossin' an know it imposed on
everybody that heerd it. As for me,
/ felt so excited an lifted up by it that l
KEEP awake all through the sermon, didn't
even nod once, an was right on hand
/ ter rouse up mother an Hannibal in
season for the doxology. Then come the
henediction, an We walked out tergether
as we come in, with everybody lookin'
an admirin' an envyin'. And | tried ter
realize that was married, an that this
was my weddin' day, but somehow l
couldn't; it all seemed like a dream