Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-06-23

in the middle Of his church.
CHURCH PEws OR "PUEs.
These were granted to the elect few
Of eminence and we're square boxes.
SAYS the author " PcrmissiOns 10 build
were often given with modifying re-
strictions to the aspiring pew-builders-
as for instance, is recorded Of the
Haverhill church, provided they would
not build so high rs to damnily and
hinder the light Of them windows; or
Of the Waterbury church, If the pues
will not progodish the bous. The doors
Of the pews were usually cut down some
what lower than tho pow-walls,
and frequently had no top rails.
Thew sometimes bore the name
Of the ueW-owner painted in large
white letters. They were secured
when closed by clumsy wooden buttons.
In many country congregations the
elderly men-stfi old farmers-had
fashion, OF standing up the middle OF the
sermon to stretch their cramped limbs,
and they would lean against and hang
over the pew door and stare mp and down
the aisle. In Andoyer, Vt, Old Deacon
Pufler never let summer Sunday pass
without thus resting and diverting him
SELF One day, having Unsecured the
wooden button at the door OF the
pew. the leaniug-place gave way under
his weight. and ont he Fprawled on all
fours with a loud clatter, into the
middle of the aisle, TO the amusement
of the children and the modification OF
ms wife. Thus It may he seen, as an
old autobiography prases II, diversions
were frequent m meeting, and the more
dali the sermon, the more likely 1t was
that some accident or mischief woald he
done TO help to pass the time.
Usually on one side OF the pulpit
was q square pew Tor the minister's fam
iv. Wnea there were twenty-six chill
Iron in the family, as ut least one New
England parson could boast, and when
ministers families Of twelve or fourteen
children were far from unusual, It 10 no
wonder that We find frequent notes to
'enlaree the ministers wives pews the
breadth Of the alley, or to fake IN the
next pew to the ministers wives pew
into her pew.
"In some old church orders for seat
in9 boys were classcd with negroes, and
seated with them but in nearly ali towns
the pcqrOrs h0i sc1fs Oy themselves.
The black women were all seated on
long bench or 10 an enclosed pew Ia
bellod 'B. w. and the negro men II
one labelled -. NJ One Nunan
Mills, a testing soul, being asked by ID
pompOus Stranger where he could sii ia
meeting. told the visitor that he was vel
come to sit in Bill Mills's pew, and that
II was marked 3. NJ. The man, VINO
Glanced to be ignorant of the local Gus
tom OF marking the negro seats. accepted
the kind invitation and seated himself
in the black mems pew, 10 the delight OF
/ Bill Mills. the amusement of the boys,
the scandal of the elders, and his own
disgust" The author is lankee.)
THE rrrHisG-siAN AND TIE sLEsPERs.
"The most grotesquo, the most extra
ordinary. the most highly-colored figure
in the dull New England church-ife was
the tithimg-man. This absurd and
distorted type of tho English church
| beadle. this colonial sleep-hanisher, was
equipped with long staff, heavily
! knobbod at one end, with which he
severely and pitilessly raped the heads
Of the too sleepy men and the too wide
awake boys. From the other end OF
this wand OF Office depended long fox
tail, or hare's foot, which BIO softly
thrust in the faces Of the spleeping Pris
elias, Cha-itys, and Hopestills, and
which gently brushed and tickled then
into reyerent but startled wakefulness.
AWAKENING A sLEEPER.
"Obadiah Turner, Of Lynn, gives IL
his journal sad, sad disclosure of tota
depravity which was exposed by one o.
these sudden church-awakenings. anc
the story is best told in the journalists
own vivid words:
June 3, l6i6. Allen Bridges hail
bin chess to wake ye sleepers in meeting
And being much proude of his place
must needs have fox-taile fixed to y
ende of long staff, wherewith he may
brush ye faces of them vt will have
napps in time of discourse, likewise |
sharpe thorne whereby he may prick'
such as he most sound. On ye last Lore
His day. az hee strutted abou
ye Westinghouse, he did spy Mr.. Tom
Inns sleeping with much comfort, by