The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-07-19
UNDER THE
PULPIT FLOOR
s111QSSSS'.N~p@ @~
lES5rSCC @SHIS(SeN

Inc pulpit In the old Methodist
Cnapei at n Jrthway was set back into a
iean-to and elevated three and a half
feet az, I'VE the main floor. Within the
al'ar fail two short flights Of five steps
e"IA, one on either side of the pulpit,
I'd up to the pulpit floor.
There was NO basement or cellar un-
der the Westinghouse, but between
the underpinning stones beneath the
aills gap of three feet had been left
open on the outer side, so as to venti-
late the low, dark space under the
moor and prevent the cross-sills and
nooSing from rotting away.
1 8y creeping in at this hole ana
crawling along beneath the floor the
boys-that is to say, the bad boys"
could reach the space under the pull
pit dOor, where there was room to
stand up and move about. To get in
% II. however, they had to creep
through another narrow gap between
Two underpining stones, for the lean
% had been an afterthought on the
part Of the builders, and the split
granite stones extended quite around
the far end OF the main house. This
latter gap was only about two feet
Wide.
the cuddy beneath the pulpit floor
Wa twelve feet long by eight feet
Wide, and sufficient light came in
through the chinks beneath the sill
Sof boys eyes to read print. We
called 1t the "Calaboo." without attach
ing any special meaning to the word;
u was probably corruption OF the
coloquial word calaboose.
= II was fine pace to gather before
meeting or at permission, and GER
tain of the bold spirits would stay
there during the sermon time.
There were BIZ ks of old timber on
tne ground where they could sit, eat
apples and make merry, or, if so dis
posed, listen to the sermon; for (the
narrator was then a boy and knew
the place welD the minister was stand
ing overhead. We could hear every
word he said with great distinctness,
ana when he grew more fervent in his
DISCOURSE and began to move up and
uown the pulpit. his boots made a
considerable squeaking. We could
tnen whisper. and even talk in low
ZONES, without being heard.
This cuddy, as will be seen, was a
great convenience; for as a boy can
not be in two places at once, his alb
sence from the pews during service
Nas often noticed; and when he reach
ca home his father would ask, Where
we're you during sermon timer"
II was most useful then to be able
70 reply, "Oh, | was there. sir, sitting
near the pulpit. The text was from
Ecclesiastes 2: "a: This also 1 saw,
tnas 1t was from the hand of Cod"
As this was sometimes as much as
tne father of the family himself could
lemember of the sermon, it passed
muster very well for a long time
auring the entire three years, in fact,
tnat Elder Hosea Creecy was on that
circuit.
A time went on quite a miscellan-
eops collection of things was carried
lnso the cuddy; picture papers,
pumpkin Jack-o'-lantern, an old gun
oeio0ging to the Batchelder boys, and
. 10Y cannon made of lead pipe made
sneir appearance there, to say nothing
Wapples, hazelnuts and other eatables.
Boys naturally like to have such a
pace In which to gather. The chief
oOlection to our Calaboo. from a moral
polnt OF view, was it's location and the
lscs that it led to deception and dis
orderly conduct.
ruth to say, Elder Creecy was not
= interesting preacher, although
vefy prolix one, and he did not DOS
sess the faculty of looking after the
social and moral welfare of his charge
~ On ehicient and wholesome manner
During his last year there the Gala
o was full every Sunday, but l am
Ftaln that he never had an inkling
y tne gibes and unhallowed glee going
on right under his feet.
FINALLY Elder Creecy was removed
g another circuit, and much younger
minister, the Rev. Adelbert Gibson. an
'atsd IN bis place.