The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-19
!. THE CHURCH BELL.
Written from Village in Kent, BY
LADY HENRY SOMERSET.

e-..7 FEW years ago the curfew
I'LL ~ still rang in our village. till
n somo modern person who
YaFeieS9 liked new ways and despised
(99HEGl the old conslnced the village
| that the practice was absurd. But the
bell though.it no longer rings to tell
US TO cover our lights. rings 90 tell us
more important things.
Every morning the old ringer comes
! from his little red rooted cottage among
the fields, to see II the bell must be
rung; every evening he comes on the
same errand. The village is u small one
| lying high up In the hills. surrounded
by green fields and pine woods, and bathed
In clear fresh air. So the bell is not
often needed, Only about once In tho
month we hear Its loud sonorous voice.
telling us that another soul has gone
home TO God.
| l know nothing more solemn than the
sound OF that bell nothing more beauti-
| ful than the idea that calls for its ring
Ing The modern man who laughed at
| our curfew told us that the passing bell
| was rung originally to scare devils away.
| perhaps like the Chinese custom to scare
the dead mans soul from the village.
Well, why not; why not try to scare all
fhorror and fear from lonely SOUL going
out into the unknown? Why not scare
| the soul away from material things out
| into the great peace beyond?
But even II the modern man were
right, we. too. here In the village. are
right in loving the bell, for II It was once
"a symbol OF our selfish horror OF death,
by and by 1t became a symbol IF our
reverence and pity for the dead.
| The village Is 80 old. SO unspoilt by
! modern notions, that still, as In bygone
days. the sound Of the passing bell brings
the folk to their doors.
Some one has gone; who Is 1t? The
| question is asked In awestruck tones and
answered quietly. Generally 1t Is some
| old body that has died some one who
has seen his three score years and ten.
! and tired now. is glad to rest 1t is OF
him the people think. Poor old soul, he
| has gone
| In watching them. my mind has slip
pei back few hundred years. and In
| imagination ! have seen the for4bears
of these kindly ncighbors. Just the same
sort Of people with the Same interests
and occupations, called to their doors by
cross. and whisper piously. May the
souls Of the. faithful departed through
| the mercy Of God, rest In peace
This was surely the Christian use OF
| the bell 1t sounded through the village
and across the fields, and up the slopes
of the neighboring hills, to tell us that
a soul had gone home to God. A poor
and labored loved and prayed, one who
| had been among us In the harvest fields
or by the Winter fire. but now he had
gone out alone
Perhaps In those years he had done
many things to be ashamed of, many
thing to make him dread his journey
How could he help but fear? SO the bell
rang TO tell us all to stop our work for
moment stop our laughter and play, and
pray for the old nelghbor, gone with
all his faults and failures to stand be-
fore Gods great white throne. How
tragic that bell can be, now good for us
to be reminded of llfe's great tragedy.
The other day, as was going over the
hill, met the little sehvant from farm
on the outskirts OF the parish, running
down to the village with white, scared
face Before got to the top of the hill
! heard what had been her message.
Across fields from the square gray tower
below came the slow, solemn voice of the
bell. 1t seemed TO fill the little valley
and knew, as / stood there that the
village people We're coming to their doors
over there in the farm, behind me. a
woman was sitting desolate by the little
white body Of her dead child.
The bell had new lone that day. It
did not call us to pray, The little child
soul that had gone could have no fear,
The bell was entreatng us to pray for
the mother left behind, who now. at this
moment, While the sky was blue and the
sun shone on green fields, was alone ~
that dark agony when Gods face Is HID
for season When the body has gone
home The bell rings a second time "
marks the day Of the funeral by tolling
early In the morning, and again at flu
neral time
Often as have watched a little fill
neral prove ssiOn going soberly through