Evening star., 1897-02-27

higher bodies. and tedious. complex, ex-
hausting contest. ending in defeat for the
opposing minority. which thereupon with
drew from the church in a body and or
gan1Zed a new society.
And this is the origin of what is since
known In OSceola as the New Church, the
church which in recent years has been SO
marvelously blessed. But it had a hard
struggle in the beginning. 1t began to pros
per only after Rev. Mr.. Holiwell took
charge. He is natural pulpit orator.
man thoroughly abreast with the times. He
began by prefacing his sermons with
familiar talk on current topics and every
three months he preached a sermon eX-
clusively for men, and another exclusively
for women, and one for the young people,
and by these and other novelties he soon
awakened an interest, which has continued
until now the New Church congregation is
much the largest and wealthiest In the
town. Then Andrew Jarboe, rich old
bachelor farmer, died and left the church
$4,000. and that was great help to it. In
life Andrew had not been notable sup
porter of churches but Mr.. Holt had once
rebuked him sharply for failing to supply
due weight of butter, and it is supposed
that this had somewhat to do with deter
mining his surprising bequest to the New
Church.
Poor Mr.. Holt. after the New Church be-
gan to come up so conspicuously, suffered
certain decline in the regard of his con-
6IC6dtiOH ne iutInDeTS were sui Tree IN
expressions of devotion to him, but it be-
came evident that in their feelings they
had a little cooled, and Mr.. Holt finally
sought another charge And his departure
is not the least important item in general
change which has now made Osceola into
wholly different town from what it was
at the time when Hamlin Wampler disin-
TERED Mrs. Luther Gears holly-sprig spoon
from the turkey stuffing. Winter at its
visitations is still profuse, but the house
holder and shopkeeper now sweep and
shovel the snow from their walks down al
most to the last flake, and but slight
moisture under foot deters the ablest-bodied
men from going abroad without their rub
ber shoes.
Even the revivals are rot what they were.
So much have they suffered in their old
time fervor that to the cne church in which
they still maintain their former lustthood
people now resort in crowds out Of mere
curiosity to view the spectacle Here as
regularly as winter comes the best known
reprobates of the town are brought under
tumultuous conviction. But when come
the spring thaws. little by little their new
virtue relaxes, and as the year advances
and all nature grows jocund and vouptu-
oUs. they slip back for the most part into
their old wild ways. Thus one winter opens
with no less occasion than another for q
stentorian evangel. Last winter however,
among the converts of this hardened type
appeared one noted character who had nev
er been brought to the penitent's posture
before, for however brief a season.
This was a woman known Gypsy Ann:
a keen-eyed,- -disheveled. shrill-voiced, half
Had creature held. as her name betokened,
In a certain suspicion and fear, and often
a word In the mouths of iner. mothers to
intimdate wilfu children. She dwelt alone
In a remote. ramshackle cabin. living MAIN
ly on charity, but earning a little money
now and then by helping in the rough work
of the kitchens. She had always some spe-
cal patrons. They changed, however, from
time to time. for in her moods she was apt
to quarrel with her benefactors. Among the
most devoted of them had heap Mrs
Wampler and Mrs. Gears: but on some
fancied proyocation both were abruptly dis
missed from her regard a number of
others had been dismissed and neither had
had aught to do with her now for many
years. OF all her disikes the bitterest hith-
erto had been of the churches At the name
wont was to cry out, with wild gesture:
my hands lily beside his black heart"
When. therefore, word went abroad that
Glpsy Ann had presented herself at the
mourners BENCH" Osceola quivered with
interest through all it's members. The high
and the low, the full-robed and the ragged
were alike excited: and at the next meeting
the swift runners after sensations thronged
the church.
The object and hope Of these intruders
were OF the vaguest, but the entertain
ment they sought they found. In the con-
fidence that new life had begun for her,
Ann seized the occasion to renounce her
past Item by item, in the presence of the
congregation. The remuneration lacked
characterizes such performances; but,
aside from this. 1t proceeded quite prosai-
cally. and would have yielded no particu-
lar relish to the curious, but that toward
the end she dfsclosed-altogether Incl
dentally and as a matter of no more I'M
portance than any other she had touched
upon-that she was the demon behind the
mystery of the holly-spring spoon. For not
| few Of her auditors even this passage
had no pungency, since the incident Of the
holly-sprig spoon had befallen SO long ago
as to be far back of their knowledge but
with the larger number 1t was still well
| In memory, and distinct murmur passed
| through the house Ann related how,
In revenge of an injury which she thought
had been done her by Mrs. Gears, she
stole the spoon, and then in revenge of
| her by Mrs Wampler, "tucked it away"
| as she said. In Mrs. Wampler's' turkey.
| "And ! mind me to this day." said She
what a time I had-the oven was SO hot,
and Mrs. Wampler gone from the kitchen
only for minute, and the. spoon such
| an onhandy shape. But, somehow, Satan
| let me succeed-as he always let's us, il
thought Of all the trouble 1t would make!
But, maybe, it's done some good. too. On
account Of It, we might say. there's two
| churches now where there was only one
before. 80. perhaps. it'n be somewise for
given me-
/ The Ice In the mill pond was thicker
| last winter than It had been for years,
but It cracked again and again under the
| weight Of the crowd that gathered the
| next Sunday 10 zee 0ipsy Ann baptized.
! Dangerous.
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