The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-11-01

preacher two or three days to get over
the first sharp humiliation and pang of
defeat, then called ON him for the
hymns. The preacher sat down and
wrote long column of numbers, be-
ginning at and running in regular
progression-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Z, 8, etc.-up
to 1856.
There" he said, with the air of a de-
feated man, "sing them as they come"
The leader bowed as he took the list
with the kindly condescension Of a big
hearted condueror and retired.
The Sunday morning after the treaty
of peace was made the church meeting
house was crowded. In his pew. far up
in front of all others, sat Deacon Robert
Standfast. He was prosperous cattle
man, very Jacob, and had been out on
the prairies with his focks and herds
when all this trouble occurred. Fe
loved his pastor with all the tenderness
of big man. Deacon Standfast fairly
blazed with indignation when he
heard how his pastor had been treat
ed. He declared that it should never
happen so again. He reached town late
Saturday night and had heard only
about the war. He knew nothing of
the declaration of peace, or, rather,
knew nothing of the armistice Of SIX
months.
So, when the first hymn was given
out, the choir made that pause of a
little minute futtering it's wings and
smoothing it's plumage before it broke
into song. The silence smote upon the
heart of Deacon Standfast, still rank
ling with sense of the indignity put
upon his beloved pastor. He arose to
his feet, drew up his muscular figure
until he doomed up like Saul among his
brethren-"from his shoulders and up
ward higher than any of the people,
filled his lungs, and in mighty voice
that had echoed over the surging backs
of many horned herd on the storm
swept prairies, resembling shout Of
far-reaching cadences that was quail
fled to paralyze stampcded steer irto
forgetfulness Of the terror that was
driving him into frenzy, he raised the
tune" Alas, for the service of the sane
tuary, out of that strength came forth
no sweetness, for Deacon Standfast
could not distinguish funeral dirge
from college yell. And he roared off
the first verse of that hymn by himself.
But he was enough. He needed no
reinforcement. With open mouths,
dumb with amazement, that choir
stood in its silent place waiting for him
to reach the end of the Etanza, intend
ing to waylay him and head him off on
the second. Vain hope! They did not
know his powers of endurance. lie
drew but one long, deep bre3th at the
end of the closing line and went right
on with the next verse, developing
cumulative power with the exhilafa-
ton of his work, until he wound up the
long hymn with long-drawn halloo
that sounded like cross between c war
whoop and hallelujah. One by one
the silent choir sat down as that tune
less hymn progressed, but the congre-
CATION, although not venturing ID ''as-
sist," stood by most nobly while Yea
con Standfast Justify sang his first and
last solo in that church. believe he
never sang again; not even in chorus.
After that break, however. all went
fairly well for several weeks, maybe
a month. Then the congregation stool
up at eight o'clock one Sunday night
and sang;
"Once more. my soul. the rising day
salutes thy waking eyes"
And once the morning service opened
with the hymn:
Lord dismiss US with thy blessing"
But a. not more than one singer in a
hundred, perhaps, sings hymn with
any thought Of its meaning, simply con-
sidering the words as rather useless