The National tribune., 1891-11-26

The older aud moro confidential members OF
our family were led into a discussion Of this
change one morning by his Informal departure
from the table before be had moro than half
finished his breakfast An Of US agreed az once
that il was 10 business trouble, because Uncle
Ez had not been in business since the close Of
the war, when he retired from a fairly profit
able grocery trade.
Il certainly could not be any coniugal de-
rangement for he had always been a bachelor
and from US received tho most thoughtful con-
sheraton. The more We canvassed the mat
ter the more the mystery deepened. A certain
something seemed missing in our hOme-life
and we soon learned how indispensable were
Uncle Els homely jokes and yarns. But moth
ing could tempt him TO resume his former
cheerful self.
Sister Bess referred 20 his resignation the
week previous from the Methodist Episcopal
choir as leading basSO, an honorary position
which he had filed with satisfaction for "A
quarter Of 4 century. But VIC were unable 10
perceive how the resignation could have any
possible bearing upon his cheerfnness.
Father argued that, il anything. to a man of
his gentle temperament. n separation from such
a set Of wranglcrs aud melee makers as COM
posed the choir would cause Uncle ~ 10 rejoice.
IL was evident that we could never discover the
reason OF his sadness by talking among our
selves aud so IL was proposed that when Uncle
Ez put in an appearance Bess. who was his
fayOrite, should frankly ask him what had gone
wrong
In about an hour he returned taking his
customary cane-bottom chair, which always
stood ia one corner Of the sitting-room between
two windows. Bess possessed the happy faculty
of extracting secrets even from strangers by a
certain naive yet sympathetic method peculiar
to herself
Uncle, we have noticed she began, rs soon
as the old gentleman had placed his cane
self comfortable, " that you have not been So
well, festive, lately, and we are simply dying to
know what has OccIsiOned your depression"
faint wavering smile passed over Uncle
Els lips rs he remarked:
We'll, children, it's only matter Of smitten
conscience. It's little affair between me aud
my Maker. None Of Won could help me
niekel's worth; but yet, don't mind tellin'
you what ails me, since you've spoken about
il. though this corrosive rUmOrse has been eat
/ in my heart these % years. You hain't seen
/ my inner condition, because ! have always
/ forced to the surface ali the fun at my COM
+ mand. But, after all, I'd better not tell it,"
"Oh please do !" entrcated Bess. in her most
captivating way, the rest oil Us Ginning in with
\ the same request.
well then. will" he said rather sheep
/ ishly. twenty-five years ago, when / was in
my prime the Methodist Church was built,
aud John Tate undertook to organize the choir.
/ They called him the percenter,' OF something
a" Oh . b...-' "csvs- y~,N-tirey TnIItvJf 70 laa e
I the position declined.
AT last some one mentioned my name and
John come TO me and asked me 10 jine EN-. At
first stood right out aud said no. not latterin'
myself that | could Oil the bill z all. knowed
one tune from another, and / told him so /; but
on the other hand, my voice was weak and
moro like a supranO than bass; besides at that
/ time. had little touch Of asthma.
EFaFrT 81 L..
Tate. He was killed by the Injuns after he
| went West. but he was the most eOnvincin' man
/ j bout ever see. He got the 10 come 10 church
/ that night and try some Of the tunes | re-
/ member had terrible cold that day; il was
deep sot, and my voice WAS below zero, so to
/ speak. Well, seem rs ! bad promised, went
down TO the mectin'- house, as We called it in
/ them days
Matilda Avery now the Widow Plunkett,
was there, and George Delamater. who was TO
be the tenor, and Rachel Jackson. deceased and
Susan Black, who had GALVANIZED round with
considerable, and had a slinkin' regard for
There was few others don't just Tecolect
this minute. We first attacked that hymn run
niu' There Is a fountain flied with blood
" put my whole soul into IL and all the wind
could muster They was all surprised 10 find
out had such good bass voice and laughed
IN my sleeve, because no one seemed to notice
that had a cold. We tried several pieces and
after hnishin' each one, somebody was sure to
say TO me, Why, IL, / had idee that you
had such a spendid bass voice. and another
would say 10 the one scttin' next, We couldn't
git along without IL. Don't bis voice chord in
nicer
Children, you can believe felt honored.
but what made me feel the best was the kinder
suppressed look of pride on Susan's face For
tho time bein' ! really thought | could sing
like a--a-hlackbird. Yes, that was the COM
parison / made 70 myself. You see i was
thinkin' Of Susan-her rear name was Black
" This was on a Monday night John Tate
instructed ms to meet agin on Saturday evenin'
10 practice, sose 20 be ready 10 make the new
church ring with deyout song on the follOWin'
day.
"On Tuesday my cold was dryin' up and my
normal upgrade voice was comm back. InOw
had chance TO realize that had made a mis-
take in jinin' the choir for when the time
should come for me 10 make public exhi-
biiion OF myself my voice would be pitched en-
tirely too high. Still felt that this OppOrtu-
nifty TO become popular with the church folks
was too good TO 10 lost ! was a young man,
anxious 10 git ahead in business and git some Of
the custom which mostly went TO Andrew
Knapp, who also KEEP a grocery.
And so this desperate and dangerous resolve
made, to wit that IL necessary wonld catch
another cold Oh Saturday rather than either
resign orTun the risk Of singin' in no set voice
on Sunday.
Saturday moTnin' arrived and hadn't even
blowed my nose since Wednesday, Just Rfore |
went 10 bed. So | reeklessly throwed off my
coat and vest and scrambled down cellar, which
was just the place to cit what / wanted. /
hired little boy 10 tend store and / sot for
nearly an hour on n hogshead of molasses,
sneezin' away like you young folks would il
yon took n good dose OfsnuR
when i come up stairs l called out 10 the
boy just 10 see how my vocal organs was fixed,
and they put me in mind Of bass drum That
night i was on hand punctual, and received
more compliments, and went home with Susan
clipper as butterfly. For fear i wouldn't be
hoarse enough the next nOTnin', sOt in the
open window Of my chamber, with my coat
and vest of, gain at the stars and thinkin'
OF Susan, and the next invoice Of soda crackers
was to git the comm week, and so forth.
"On Sunday mOrnn' my voice was in good
trim' and II was one Of the most triumphant
moments OF my life as stood up aud let it
swell out, while all the people down below
looked up and watched me with admiration
and envy. The choir met again on Monday
night, aud nay voice still held its own.
=" Durin' the rest Of the week laid in q stock
OF soothin' strip and camphOr and other medi-
clnes, which used pretty lavishly and with
good results But Saturday come, and 'ound
myself hesitatin' whether to go down cellar
agin or sever my connection with the choir
forever.
Il had observed that trade had picked up
wonderfully within few days, and the minis
hQA a To- Ia