Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-11-11
PARSON PLADLEY.

OuhNo IllOi Hills III - uAA' wv a -
fifty or sixty log buildings which made
up the settlement stood silent "a so
many tombs among the black stumps
Of the half-cleared fields, for every
soul in the place, from the old man of
ninety to the Youngest child, was in
the Westinghouse on the hill-every
soul, that is except AbDer True.
Abner True. whose father was dea-
con and tithing man and counted sec
oud only TO the minister himself in
rigid piety, was actually playing tru-
ant from meeting, and this in n village
which looked upon Plymouth and
Weymouth as dangerously worldly
towns, relaxed in morals and manners
by overmuch 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 hoed, the
grass crop got in, and a 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 Il backIess plank
bench all the forenoon, if indeed he
did not find himself forced to sit there
longer, since Parson Pladley, who
rarely preached less than three hours,
sometimes preached four and once or
twice had been known TO exceed five
hours
Abner felt sure that the sermon
would not be short one this day,
even according to the preachers idea
of brevity, and the more he thought
of it the more he dreaded it until he
became willing to incur any punish
ment for the sake Of escaping that
discourse.
So when Deacon Amos, with his
wife and younger children, were ready
for meeting, no Abner could be found.
Hidden in the little haymOw Of the
rough barn, he saw the family depart
his father marching ahead, equip
ped with musket, bandoleer and pow
der horn, for King Philip and his In
dams were at war against the whites,
and no man throughout the colony
went to field or church without his
arms.
Similar groups, similarly accourter-
ed, paced solemnly along toward the
rude sanctuary upon the hill until
Abner, seeing that all Huddersfield
had passed, felt that he was safe-for
the present-aud lay down upon the
soft hay to prepare for the sound nap
he had so longed for.
Below, old Fly, the farm horse,
stamped and munched without the
hens crowed in the sunshine with n
drowsy note that should have been
favorable enough for slumber. But
between his guilty consciousness Of
what he had done and his dread of
what Deacon Amos would do, Abner
could not manage 10 90 10 sl"cp.
He began to wish himself upon that
backless plank bench, even if the ser
mon were to last all day; yet a tardy
arrival would be nearly as great an
ofTense as not TO come at all, and he
had not the courage to meet the pub
lie reproof which Parson Pladley
might administer, or TO hasten the
private chastisement that Deacon
Amos would surely inflict.
The time went on. The Old house
was still now; the hers uttered only
az occasional croak. From the far
distance the preachers voice came
down on the warm breeze in soft
ened murmur. Abner was doing.
What was that He heard a sound
that wakened him quite, and he
sprang up to listen.
Nothing but a slight swishing sound
in the tall grass behind the barn
nothing but that. 1t was probably
some fox or polecat on the watch TO
snatch a chicken. Abner peered out
through crack to see if he could dis
cover the animal, for the swishing
sound seemed drawing nearer.
In the Westinghouse Parson PLAID
ley had turned his big hourglass
twice, and now the sands Of the third
hour were almost spent. Before him
rows of serious men, women and chill
dren looked up in reverent attention,
not once removing their earnest eyes
/ from the minister.
The heavy door was flung open and
shut again with loud bang that
startled every member of the congre-
CATION. y boy, staggering and stream
/ Ing with perspiration, ran up the
/ broad aisle and fell exhausted at the
foot of the pulpit.
Every man stretched out his hand
to the musket that stood beside him
/ but no one rose, no one said word
| or uttered an exclamation.
Whatever the danger was-and they
knew well what it might be-this was
Gods house, and in it none but Gods
servant should raise a voice or ven
ture upon any action unless he per
mitted.
| The minister descended from his
place, leaned over the painting Abner
and caught the few words the boy
had strength to whisper, ''Savages-
/ full fivescore-stealing up-to take US
unaware -
The minister returned to the pull
pit.
"Kindle your matches, brethren,