The morning times., 1897-01-02
EBENEzER'S WATCH SERVICES.
Congregation Excited Over Love-
Making and Razors and Left
Before the Collection.

In an hour Of .inadyertence the editor
overlooked the report OF the watch-night
love feast OF Ebenezer Doxology Church,
and the history Of the momentous event
came dangerously nighto wasting Its sweet
ness in the waste basket.
The bon ton Of Herrin Hill, the elite Of
Meridian Rocks, the four hundred OF
kfriclet were there. DoNology Church is
not large.
Its fame rests more upon the cinch 1t has
OF swelldom. Rev. Jehu Lea has been the
pastor OF the congregation since the cor
ner stone of the church was laid. The CEN
gregatiun honors, respects, but does not
obey him.
.I want & say" began the pastor at
exactly g. 80 o'clock, when the audience
had been fairly seated by the -four ushers
in frocE coats and plaid trousers; dat dis
hyah meetin' amt gwine T. be no sermon
spell we'seg got togeder, bredurn andsistern,
TO de pupose Of praisin' de Lawd in prayer
an song. We'se gwin' { hab lub feast
10 push out dis oil year an L yank in &c
new one
The announcement was followed with a
chorus OF hearty amens from every corner
OF the house. one of the ushers in frcck
coat and plaid trousers took brief Va
cation from his ordinary duties and
slipped around the right aisle to the stove
and thrust another half grown log into the
fire that had already reached white heat.
AS if to emphasize the possibilities of
one OF the hereafters another of the ushers
pushed up all the windows on the wind
wardside of the house, and the temperature
OF the room was N fifteen minutes but lit
tleIower thanthatin the stove
DE organist viii play an de congeration
II sing day twenty y-second hymn an
nounced Mr.. Lea, at the same time pull
ing his glasses over his nose preparatory
70 reading il.
But the organist and the congregation
did not wait, and the next instant the
over heated atm osphere was vibrating
with a thousand sounds.
At the end of the next hour and hall
the popular enthusiasm had increased in
Eeometric proportion Nntil it threatened,
with the aid Of the hot air, to lift the cell
inE and roof off Member after member
Offered up a prayer and song after song
caused the very windows TO shake.
The pastor walked TO the front of the
platform
Il jes' want Z add a few mo- wurds
now he said, ''bein' dat de New Year is
CROWN mighty close { hand. ] want
yo all { look back ober de sins yo' hal
committed de past year an" here tho
pastor paused. He looked into the gallery at
the back Of the church and every eye in
the congregation instinctively followed his
gaze
''Mstah Mordica CORVALLIS, viii yo'
be kind enough & put up dat raZur," said
he, while not a sign Of emotion or feaI
was discernible in his voice.
.'Mordica" ceased whetting the steel OF
the leg of his boot and silently closed the
weapon and placed it in his pocket.
But il was evidently not because Of thg
words Of the pastor, but because Jeremiah
Washington, WHO had been hUgging M )r
dica 81 own sweetheart, seized the oppor
tunity to make his escape while the pastor
chided the Unoffending and snned-agdihs
CORVALLIS
''Brudder Smythe, will yo' lead il
praya," asked the pastor, who had con
tinued his remarks TO conclusion without
other incident than the falling over tn,
banister Of the gallery onto the heads d