The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-10-14

@S stumps of tho half.
cleared fields, !or every soul in the place
from tho old man Of ninety to the youn :.
est child, was in the meeting house on
the hill-every soul, that is, except
Abner True.
Abncr True, whose father was a
deacon and tithing man, and counted
second only TO the minister himself in
rigid piety, was actually playing truant
from meeting; and this in village
which locked upon Plymouth and Wey.
mouth as dangerously worldly towns,
relaxed in morals and manners by over
much prosperity.
But Abner had worked from sun to
sun every day Of the last week, and
knew he must do the same every day of
the next week and the week after that;
for the corn was to be hocd, the grass
crops got in, and n score of other tasks
to be done.
1t seemed to him too hard that, on
this one day of rest, he should be Obliged
to sit upon backlcss plank bench all
the forenoon, if, indeed, he did not find
himself forced to sit there longer; since
ParsOn Pladey, who rarely preached less
than three hours, sometimes preached
four, and once or twice had been known
to exceed five hours
Abncr felt sure that the sermon would
not be short one this day, even accord
ing to the preachers ideas of brevity:
and the more he thought of it the more
he dreaded it, until he became willipu
to incur any punishment for the sake OF
escaping that discourse.
So when Deacon Amnc ,,.;,l, L.,
and younger children, were ready
Tor meeting, no Abncr could be found
Hidden i'll the little hay NOV of the
rough barn, he saw the family dcpnrt
his father marching ahead, equipped
with muskct, bandolcer and powder
horn; for King Philip and his Indians
were at war against the whites, and no
man throughout the colony went to fell
or church without his arms
Similar groups, similarly accoutrcd,
paced solcmnly along toward the ru le
sanctuary upon the hill, until Abncr.
seeing that all liuddcrsicld hal passed,
felt that he was safe-for the present
and lay down upon the soft hay to pre.
pare for the sound nap ne had so lonuel
for.
Below old Fly, the farm horse, stampe.
and munchcd; without, the hens crowcd
IN the sunshine, with drowsy note TINT
should have been favorable enough for
Siumbcr. But between his guilty con.
>cjousness OF what he had done and his
dread OF Deacon Amos would do, Abncr
conId not manage to 90 to sleep
He began to wish himself upon that
backlcss plank bench, even if the scrmop
were 10 last all day; yet tarly arrival
would be nearly as great offence as not to
come at all and he had not the cnuvan,
to meet the public reproof which Parsou
Pladley might administer, or to hasten
the private cnastisement that Deacon
Amos would surely innict.
The time went on. The old house
Nas still now; the hens uttered only al
occasional croak. From the far distance
The preachers voice came down on the
warm breeze in softencd murmur.
Abner was doing.
What was that! He hcari o sound
that Wakcnci him quite, and he sprany
up IL sUTH1 rOX
or polccat on the watch to snatch
chicken. Abncr pccrcd out through
crack to see if lie could discover thu
- imal, for the swishing sound seemed
drawing near.
In the meeting house Parson Pladlcy
had turned his big hourglass twice, and
now the sands Cf the third holr wcrg
almost spent. Before him rows Of serious
men, women and children in rcvcrcnt
attention, not once removing their earn
est eyes from the minister.
The heavy door was flung open an
shut again with loud bang that startled
every member OF the congregation. 4
boy, staggering and streaming with per
spiratiou, ran up the broad aisle and
fc:l exhausted at the foot OF the pulpit.
Every man stretched out his hand tc
the musket that stood beside him; bui
no one rose, no one said wor or vt
tered an exclamation.
Whatever the danger was-and they
knew well what it might be-this was
Gol's house, and in it none but Goi
servant should raise voice or vcntur
upon any action unless he permitted.
Tie minister descended from
p.ace, leaned over the painting AoLi
and caught the few words the boy ha,
strength to whisper: Savage fv
score-stealing up-to take Is unaware J!