The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-03-25
LETTER FROM TEXAS.
Correspondence Of the Democrat Star.
YoAKus, TEXAS, March 81, isee,

AT CHURCH IN TEXAS.
All writers thai ! have ever read
describing scenes in the State OF Tex
as, have confined their efforts to a de-
scription OF some booming town or
city. but II Is OF the people and theft
customs and habits Of life that | wish
To write, and In order to see the peo-
pie at their best, / attended church In
the country, so that l could catch up
here and there the shadows Of life
that the world has left tangled by the
wayside OF time, and weave them out
into those soft and perfect tissues
that will make the world appear less
rough. The day was an ideal one and
singing birds made every grove a
temple, as they sat on the bending
boughs, and with songs Of JOY, paid
homeage to the morning sun. 1t is
spring-beautiful spring, between
tears and smiles the year, like the
child, struggles into the warmth OF
life, for winter no longer woes the
warmth OF spring; the beautiful flow.
ers have come, and strewn the pail
OF glory upon his tomb and all ami
mated life chants his requiem.
1t is the season OF the year when
WI. nvNae,pc mich ht, tsrp1arp
hand, works his wonders as c0yly
and lovingly as u bride steps to the
altar.
After a drive Of seven miles we ar.
rived at the house OF worship it was
Il square old building of wood, without
paint or decoration, and Of a genuine
pioneer style, which is now fast Civ.
ing way to modern vestibules and
lofty steeples. The church stands
upon a natural elevation, with a
church yard in the rear, where a few
cottonwood trees keep watch and
ward over those sleeping in a window.
less tomb below. The many flowers
are extravagant In their growth, which
indicates that they are nourished by
the bodies below. The Texas archi.
tectural pallet has not been %innOculat.
ed with the taste OF beauty, even the
door step to the church is d hewn sill,
and on which the deep soaring of the
woOdman's Ak is left. The implanted
peHs are so high that but few bald
heads show above their backs, the
ministers desk or pulpit is lofty, re-
qniring three or four steps in the
ascent. / was invited by Squire
O'Mallery to his pew, which was up
h0lstered with cloth that must date
back to the commencement Of the
christian era in this country. The
squire held in his hand a well-worn
copy OF DR.. DwightS' version OF the
Psalms of David. The parson was old
and thin, with IL Lin Uln face. His
voice had a strange nasal tone and the
habit OF drawing in his breath with
great force, cutting his words in two
parts when half uttered. About /
o'clock he entered upon his fOurthly,
when l gave up in dfspair, but finally
he gave out, and the singing com
menced. A l0ng-faced man, with an
enormous head OF red hair, and who
carried Il tuning fork in his pocket.
lead the choir. his position being in
the front rank of the gallery benches
facing the pulpit. The old parson
read the Psalm, the chorister turns
to his groupe Of aids and announces
the tune. This being done in an au-
thorltative manner then he opens his
music book at the right page, glances
over the sun-baked congregation.
throws a loving glance at the young
woman in the pink hat, thumps the
rall with his fork, listens keenly, gives
a loud ahem, falls into cadence, swells
into strong cre>cendO, catches at the
first word, and with Il fearful jerk of
the head scars away with the ladies
struggling on his wake) into that
grand old melody on "Jordan's Stormy
Banks"
After services were over | was in
troduced to everybody, and received
much attention from the spinistcrs.
One fat old lady mortified me excess
sively, by addressing me as "Uncle
Billy" and at that very moment Miss
Tinny b., was giving me a pressing in
vitatiOn to dinner. The wagons were
drawn up before the door, and one or
two young men with red wagons and
flaming bright yellow wheels made a
great effort tn drive of in the IA re-
CARELESS Of the people that were stand.
ing in the way. Under the influence
of this old weather-stained temple are
perhaps young men growing up pos
sessed OF energy and intellect that
may some day guide the ship of State,
but the greatest majority Of them will
pass their lives in the storm center of
ignorance, where their little cup will
be easily filed. They know that they
live in the garden OF the gods and a
bOuntiful crop Is more to them than
the deep blue OF the Southern sky.
Still these people are not altogether
Indifferent to the beauties OF nature,
for the grandeur of Texas Is not that
OF %desOlatiOn; its beauties are not
those which thrill the heart with awe.
There Is no dark and dreary noun
tains riven By the bolts of angry flame:
1t Is a sun-kisSed valley of A%vilion,
where queens nurse the hero back to
life. OMEGA.
Because that Minnesota widow
wants $4,000 from the man who hug.
uo1 hoc H. yU..l