The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-29
THE OLD CHURCH PEW.

THE OLD CHURCH PEW.
Yes. I am a white owl, or barn owl. or
screech owl: call me which OF these you
like. so long MS you do not cling to your
heathenish superstition and call me a
bird OF III omen.
am al owl of venerable age and may
reasonably expect that II you pay at
tcntion 10 my within. Moreover, the whole
OF my life has ben passed here. In the
precincts OF this antique. picturesque
tumble-down church-whlch, alas! the
new recotr seems determined must soon
be what he calls restored. These dear old
ratters will have to give place to some
HiSh Art invention In way OF a ceiling:
and the h~iSh-backed. dark-oakcn pewS
so endeared TO US through sacred memo,
rtes. will be supplanted by new ones OF
pale yellow wood. heard them discus
sing Il in the vestry the other day. and !
Missed and snapped at them for more
than an hour, until l nearly choked with
ia5C dlu WOTllllCaIlOU.
could tell you 4 story concerning each
OF these quaint old pew5. only I dnresay
you'll n one enough. So. as twilight Ia
coming on. III fly down beside you and
perch upon the reading desk: then you
need not strain your ears 10 listen.
II the same TO yoG. : would rather
choose the pew with the ragged red has
socks, about half way down the middle
aisle. There are three shabby looking
prayer books. with brown leather backs,
lying on the ledge, one q little smaller
than the othcrs-ah. you see IL now. We'll
l had just come into the world when the
owners of the two large prayer books
first made their appearance In that pew.
My poor, dear parents. nov dead and
gone, have described them to me with
much mlnutencss. little guessing what
the sad sequel would be.
They were n young couple OF most
prepossesslng Gxterlor-or, at any rate,
the happiness which shone In the eyes
OF both gave n that impression. lie
was the village carpenter, and Just
married to the girl he had always
loved. pretty little Rose. the innkeep-
er's daughter.
My father and mnthcr brought me up
to take a friendly interest in every In
dividual belonging to our congregation;
but more especially did they watch
With pleasure the weekly dcvotIons %
these two young creatures. For they
were regular church-goers and every
Sunday saw them In their accustomed
seats. until an event happened to add
new sweetness to the peaceful same
ness of their days.
] was already a promising young
owlet. n sufficiently Intelligent to I'M
npFSfln1 Enr1nfhf1 .sNf a.
when they brought their infant to be
baptized, down there. over the old
stone font. A fine little fellow, and
how he screamed when the rector-a
splendid type OF the regular out-and-
out gentleman he was, and quite DIFF
ferent TO our Inst importatiOn-took
him In his arms and sprinkled the holy
water on his miniature rosy vIsage.
How proud the young mother looked
as she tried TO hush his shrill cries, Ny
parents were SO highly edited by the
spectacle that they took me out on a
glorious housing expedition that very
>:ht In the farmyard which lies to the
right OF the village pond. and which has
since been n of my favorite hauuts.
All, we'll, time crept on, and the little
babe whom | had last seen and heard
In his christening robe no longer de-
tained his mother ut home, but grew
old enough to accompany her and his
father 10 church.
AT the beginning we entertained ev-
cry hope that the boy would prove n
blessing to the fond parents, 10 whom
he was evidently all In all. But, alas,
| was the first TO note that as the child
ishp recocity quickeneI and developed
with him the evil instinct seemed 10
predominant. and was ever ready 10
extinguish the good.
He used TO turn round during the
services and make faces at the school
children, then he would take his mar
bles out of his pocket and count them
over when his parents wer not looking,
The dear old hymns. that my owls al
ways delighted to hear, possessed for
him not an atom of attraction. Not
wlthStandlnG that he had learned To
read at the village school. he did not
even trouble to follow the words, though
constantly hearing them some of the
lines must have entered and perhops
unconsclously, become. engraven on
his brain.
After Il few years thus elapsed, his
parents came on Sunday alone, and |
a"scertaincd that the boy, developing a
taste for book learning, had been an
prentlccd TO n bookseller In the neigh
boring town. Occasionally he returned
home for q short holiday and accom-.
panied his parents as usual to The old
pew on Sunday morning. But. alas,
his behavior was even less cXcusable
than OF yorc. He would either slccp
through the sermon, or, on the sly, dip
into n book which he held concealed,
with n dirty yellow cover.
Alter this, owing to many sad family
losses. my mind was too much distract
ed by personal sorrow to occupy itself
with the mIsfortuncs OF others. First,
my father died OF asthma; and my
poor mother. br0kcn-hcarted at his
loss. did not long survive him. Then
my only brother was unfortunately
caught In n trap, placed in the church,
believe, by some rural naturalist I'M
bic to release the poor fellow. who
screamed most %p!tcously, I had In ST.
icnce TO behold q strengthening man
come and carry him away. and have
Y succeeded in obtaining the small
est tldlugs OF him since.
sun n aOlitary bachelor, having been
always too diillcult TO please N nv