Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-01-03
A QUARTER DAY IN GEORGIA,
How the Pastor at Big Lick Received COntri-
buttons from His Pdrlshionecrs


could boast hardly II dozen hous es
along its borders all the way from Ce-
Iar Rock Spring to Dodson's fork, and
the Big Lick church was log cabin
with clapboard roof and puncAeon
floor. | was employed by client liv-
ing in Augusta to look after land
claim lying on Broad river, few
miles above its junction with the Big
Lick. | was entertained at the house
of Capt. Joel Starke, one of the lead
ing men of the settlement The day
after my arrival being Sunday, l ac-
companied the family to church.
Capt. Starke lived twelve miles from
the meeting house. Our departure
was somewhat delayed by the prepar-
alton of various hampers and bundles,
which my host explained by saying it
was quarter day, and he was getting
ready his truck" for the preacher.
The full meaning of quarter day did
not occur to me, however, till our ar
rival at the meeting house, where the
captain had his goods unioaded from
the green-painted family wagon and
placed upon the shoulders of two
stout negroes, who marched up the
aisle and deposited them amid n col
lection OF similar offerings that lay in
a csrner on one side of the rude wood
en- pulpit. The services had already
begun. and the preacher, broad
shouldered, club-iooted man in his
shirt sleever, was lining out hymn
when the captain aud his men APP
peared.
Here's three hams an side o.
bacon an a bushel O peas for you
Brother Quicker, cried my worthy
host, advancing up the aisle, IAN
Jake, thar" pointing to the foremost
darby, has got the apple butter an
the blackberry wine an SIX yards o
brown jeans what Betsy had wove for
you"
The preacher stopped short in the
middle or n line. A celestial smile
Oyerspread his features us the bearers
deposited their burden. "God bless
YOU, Brother Starke!" he cried with a
fervor proportional to the liberality of
the offering. THE Lord loveth u
cheerful giver, an eff you want Him
to prosper you, my brotherin, you must
give to the gospel. Yes, brotherin,
give to the gospel! Let us sing.
Here's yer carcass, Brother Duck
en-" interrupted stentorian voice
from the doorway, before the preacher
could resume his reading. Somewhat
at loss how to understand how
Brother Ducker's carcass could APP
pear at one end of the church aud his
living presence at the other at the same
moment l turned toward the speaker
and saw, striding up the aisle. Il rustic
ia his shirt sleeves, with the body OF q
dressed lamb slung across his shout
ders
The preacher eyed the carcass a mo-
ment, critically, and, finding it toer-
ably fat and well conditioned, accept
ed the donation with mild condescen-
sion. THAT does tolerably well fur
you, Abe Kindrlck. Put it over yon-
der with the balance of the truck, au'
then SO to yer seat" he said waving
the brother aside with q patronizing
gesture.
He then went on with his hymn. The
singing continued for some time with
out interruption, when there suddenly
arose Il tremendous cackling and flut-
tering at the door that almost drowned
the muslcand wOmanin a brown home
spun dress and green calico bonnet,
with figure rs flat us a paper doll,
advanced toward the preacher, holding
in each hand a lot OF poultry tied to-
gether by the feet. Brother Ducker
eyed the petty Offering severely. Put
your critters yonder with tothers,
Sister Hopkins" he said, waving her
aside without ceremony; that is, if
they amt got the pip nor the sore
head. Them last chickens what you
brought here had the sore head, and
give it to my wife's hens when we tuck
EN- home"
The woman deposited her gift with
n derrecaring air, and shrank into the
seat. The congregation had
nearly all assembled by this time. and
the heterogeneous mass in the corner
received no further contributions ex-
cept n bag of wool, jug of apple
brandy, and four large pumpkins.
The singing ended. the parson
launched forth into his first prayer.
Candor compels me to confess that my
thoughts had begun to wander by this
time, and was mentally calculating
Brother Ducker's probable yearly
revenue in tallow candles, rawhides,
sides of bacon, jugs of cider, and the
like when my profane musings were
suddenly arrested by a startling petit
ton for an afflicted sister, sufferer
from white swelling, for whom the
prayers of the church had been re-
questeI.
80, Lord, grant a, ANA h'oh granta
n that Sister Polly Iohnsnu'S core lo,.