Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-09-11

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 y" the hardy folk who dwelt on the hills round about called il colloquially. The Hook" It was a quiet village during q weeks of the year. but for one week it was full of life. Its three or four streets were then crowded with people. Then every fam lily kept open house. Then the whole countryside turned out. Then the half dozen stores If The Hook did a rushing business. Then the 10 acre grove that nestled between the village and West mll Was filled with snowy tents. Then the shadows under the trees were driven away by blazing fires at night, and ring. ing words uf eNhurtatiun and shouts of glory and melody of hymns went up to the blue vault through the branches Cv- cry hour of the @4
 That week was camp meeting week. alni if couldn't be member of my Erandfathcr'S family during that week the whole year seemed wasted. The meetings were held hv the Methodists, and the Pr,>hytrrians and Baptists turned ill and helped them enjoy the week. Camp meeting there and then Was the event uf the entire twclvcmonth socially, spiritually and ill business. Camp meeting week always came be tween having and harvest time. when there was q lull ill the hard work of the summer.
 The meetings used to begin on Tues day. Monday was devoted to the pitch ing "f tents. and the repairing uf the
 plank seats, and the getting together of pine knots for the fires that should illu- inmate the evening services, and the fur hi: hing of the preachers stand The tcntrrs woull nut all get moved in be fore Tuesday night. and So the first day of the meeting Was usually not very we'll attended. From that time on the crowd would grow till Sunday, when the at tendance would number 5000 or 1. coo. Families would drive 20 or 30 miles to the sunday services. and to do this they would have to start from their homes
 by ,, 3 and 1 o'clock ill the morning. The sermons were models of fiery zeal. Their fcrvur was beyond description, and they swayed the assemblage as a field of grain k swayrd ill fierce gale. The singing Was "congregational," but it assisted The preacher in controlling the audience. By Thursday night the power" would he present. By Saturday night there would be dozens of cases. All day Sunday men and women would jump into the air shouting "Gloryr" and then fall unconscious to the ground Many who C;lIn,e to scuff would yield to the intlH"ncr "f the spirit and go about til" grounds singing with a strange joy, Weeping tears of pleading with friends wno Wyr""> yet uI.ruuvictrd of sin. By sunday n%ht the number of those still unaffected would be greatly diminished. EN,rN year there We're conversions of som, who hal held out so long that their friends and relatives had lost all hope of their >,'ul>
 The rvclaimiu@ If ''hackslidcrs" was as Important a part If the work done at
 '''" camp meetings at Tine Hook as the INir;j,u and conversion of sinners. and every wears meeting was marked
 hy >'lnr especially notable event of one
 kind or th, other. so that it became d
 sort of landmark in the memory of the
 entire community. Of course some of
 the young folks W Nhnattcud,tl these camp
 meetings used tu cut up" There was | more ur less ''sparkin" going on on the back seats among the shadows. But on | the whole good order was maintained. ! and oftcntImrs sulne of the ''wildest' young men and women wrr, convicted
 and converted. To become powerful allies
 of the preachers among thu>,. who were | still i'll their sins.
 In those days the owner of the grounds charged no rent for their use for camp l meeting purposes. \ few years later