The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-04-16
Aunt Abby on Sects.
FINDS GOOD IN ALL.
From "Aunt Abby's Neighbors." Annie
Trumbu1l Slosson.

ives, I believe they do call ne
mite box in religious matters
church matters, would say. Only
last week Miss Butler told me to my
face I was time-serving and all things
to all men. And Deacon Walker.
! my! he gave me- up long spell back
as lukewarm and unGenominational.
That's dreadful souading word, isn't
lit?
Well, mebbe / don't know myself,
but it seems to me amt time. serving
and ali things to all men, though /
dare say may be sort OF the other
thing -undenoninational. I'm Con-
gregational mysalf-a Congo, as we
call itahout here, you know, for short.
But that's nothing to my credit or dis
credit. My folks were Congregation
ais, and so I was born one. At any
rate I was raised one by pa and ma.
Well, as long as I am one am going
to be good one, strong one, but ]
am not going to think that folks of
every other denomination are deluded,
not to say wicked, creatures. If that's
what they call undenominational
why, I'm it.
But believe in sects or denomina-
tions, whichever you may call them.
The way we're made, we human crea-
lures, they're really necessary, seems to
me. There's SO many kinds of us, you
see, with so many sorts of ways and
tempers and natures, we've just got to
go different ways, different roads.
| But, deary me! as long as all these
roads bring up to the same place at
the end, what kind Of matter is it
which folks take?
As said before, I was born Congo.
Now, when was young, I really
thought that was the only right and
Christian sect, and all others were mis-
taken, deceiyed beings. You know
how it is With young folks. To them
there's one straight linee@anine along !;
one side of it-that's their side and
their folks-is the right side, and the
other-that's other people's-is the
wrong, and to them there's nothing
'twixt or between.
There was little girl that went to
school with me, great crony of mine,
Fannie Mary Shaw. Now, her folks
were Baptists, and every night when l
said my prayers used to put in re-
quest about Fannie Mary and ask that
she might be converted, meaning be-
come Congregational. Poor Fannie
Mary! She's been dead forty years,
and I'd be satisfied to be received into
the same mansion her Master prepared
for her. And so twas with other sects !;
didn't wish them any harm, but I
pitied them dreadfully, aud prayed and
hoped they might reform. had most
hopes for the Presbyterians, but still l
thought they were running a terrible
risk.
The first lesson got was In hard
time, and twas one OF the hardest to
learn. For it was about the Episco-
pals. Now, from the way I'd been
brought up they had always seemed to
| me the most mistaken of any of them.
Pa was one of the strict old fashion
sort, and he was dreadful Get against
the Episcopals. lie thought they were
all for form and not much for the
Spirit; said they didn't make up their
prayers but read them out of book !;
that they wore strange, popish kind OF
clothes, and Oh, lot of things !;
and I'd sorter taken it all in and never
looked into the subject myself.
Well, there came great sorrow into
my life. My mother lay dying. Twas
in the summer, and our minister was
off on his vacation. So was the Bap-
tist, and there were only those two
churches in the village. But there
was a boarder at Mrs. Lamson's that
time-a minister, an Episcopal. I'd
seen him time and again go by the
house in his queer, straight up and
down coat and Romish- looking vest
and collar, and every drop Of pas
Protestant blood in me had risen up
against him.
But what was ! going to do now?
couldn't let ma die without minis
ter to pray with her, / just couldn't.
Mrs. Lamson came over to see me !;
she was Congo herself, and knew Just
how I felt. "But,: says she, "he's .
real good man, If he Is an Episcopal.
Mebbe he's only been that way little
spell, and isn't = very strong one yet.
anyway, he's good / know that from
lots ok litsle things and ha's q minister
land there ain : smother ono handy. I"
"BntehY + Ays, "anppose he-should
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