The Washington herald., 1907-04-21

think It was mighty feeble and squeaky.
But it sounded fine enough to us in them
days, and, little as it was, it raised a
disturbance for miles around.
When it come down from Louisville,
Abram went to town with his two-horse
wagon and brought it out and set it up
in our parloT- Ny Jane mad been takin'
lessons in town all winter, SOS 10 be able
to play on it,
We had a right good choir for them
days, the only trouble was that every
body wanted TO be leader. That's "a com
mon failin with church choirs. I've no.
ttced Milly Amos sung soprano. and my
Jane was the alto; John Petty sung bass,
and young Sam Crawford. tenor; and as
for Uncle Jim Matthews. he sung ev-
erything. and a plenty of it. too Milly
Amos used TO say he was worse'n flea
He'd start out on the bass, and first
thing you knew he'd be singin tenor with
Sam Crawford and by TIE time sam was
good and mad. he d be of onto the alto
or the soprano. He was one o. these
meddlesome old creeturs that thinks the
world never moved till they got into H.
and they've got 10 help verybOdy out
with whatever they happen to be doin
You've heard O. children bein' bur
kickin Well, Uncle Jim must a. been
born singin'. I've seen people that said
they didn't like the idea o. goln' to heav-
en- and standin' around a throne and
singin hymns for ever and ever; but you
couldn't "a pleased Uncle Jim better
than to set him down in Jest that sort o.
heaven, Wherever there was a chance 70
get In some singin, there you'd be sure
10 find Uncle Jim. Folks used to say he
enjoyed "a funeral a heap better than he
did a weddin. cause he could sing al
the funeral, and he couldn't at the
weddin;' and sam Crawford said he be-
lieved If Gabriel was TO come down and
blow his trumpet, Uncle Jim would git
up and begin TO sing.
1T wouldn't "a been so bad if he'd had
any sort Of voice but he'd been singin
all his life and hollerin al protracted
meetins ever since he got religion till
he'd sung and hOlleTed all the music out
of his voice, and there wasn't much left
but the old Creaky machinery. It used
10 make me think Of an old rickety
house with the blinds happin in the
wind, 1t mortified US terrible to have
any Of the Methodists or Babtists come
to our church. We was sort o. used 10
the old mans Capers. but people that
wasn't couldn't keep a straight face when
the singin begun, and it took more grace
mad when we seen people from another
church laughin' at our choir
The Babtists had a powerful protract-
ed meeun' one winter Uncle Jim was
there to help with the singin', as a matter
OF course. and he begun TO git nightly
interested in Babtist doctrines. Used TO
go home with 'em after church and talk
about Greek and Hebrew words till the
clock struck twelve And one commu-
Mon Sunday he got up solemn as a owl
and marched out o. church Jest before
the bread and wine was passed. Made
out like he warnt sure he'd been rightly
habtiZed. The choir was nightly tickled
at the idea O. gittin' shed o. the old pest.
and Sam Crawford went to him and told
him he was on the right track and 20 go
ahead, for the Babtists was undoubtedly
correct. and if It wasn't for displeasin'
his father and mother he'd line EN- him
self. And Jhen-Sam never could let well
enough alOne-then ne went 90 Bush FL
rod, the Babtist tenor. and says he, ]
hear you're gOin 10 have a new member
in your choir And Bush says. Well
II the old idiot ever tines this church
well hold his head under the water so
long that he won't be able 10 Spite good
music agin'. And then he give Uncle
Jim hint O. how things was; and when
Uncle Jim heard that the Presbyterians
was anxious to git shed of him, he found
out right away that all them Greek and
Hebrew words meant sprinkln and infant
babttsm. So he settled down to stay
where he was. and hollered louder'n ever
the next Sunday.
THE old man was a good enough
Christian, 1 reckon. but when Il come
10 singin', he was a stumbHn block and
rock of offense TO the whole church. and
especially TO the choir. The first thing
Sally Ann said when she looked at the
new organ was. Well. Jane. how do you
reckon it's goiH' TO sound with Uncle
JIM s voice" and I laughed till ] had to
set down in a cheer.
Wen. when the men folks found out
that our organ had come. they begun TO
wake UP. Abram had brought it out
Tuesday. and Wednesday night. as soon
as prayer-meetin' broke, Parson Page
says. says he; Brethren, there IS a little
business to be transacted. Please re
main a few minutes longer And then.
when we had set down agin, ne went on
TO say that the sisters had raised money
and bought an organ. and there was some
division of opinion among the brethren
about usin' 1t. so he would like 10 have
the matter discussed. He used a lot o.
big words and talked mighty smooth, and
l knew there was trouble ahead for US
women
Uncle Jim was the first one TO speak. /
He was so anxious 10 begin, he could (
hardly wait for Parsou Page to stop, and I
anybody would "a thought thar he'd
been up to heaven and talked with the
Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. /
and all the angels, to hear him tell about /
the sort o. music there was in heaven. /
and the sort there ought to be ON earth. I
Why brethren says he, when John saw
the heavens opened there wasn't no or
gans up there. God don't keer noth!n'' /
says he, about such new-fangled. worldly /
Instruments. But when a lot o. sweet Z
human voices git to praisin him. why /
the very angels stop singin' to listen
'Milly Amos was right behind me. and 4
She leaned over and says, Well. if the /
lngels'd rather hear Uncle Jim's singIn' /
than our organ, they've got mighty pore
taste: that's ali I've got TO say
'Silas Petty was the next one to git 1
Up, and says he; 4 never was I'm favor o. /
dom things halfway. brethren; and if I
we've got TO have the organ. why. we
might as we'll have a monkey. too and
be done with IL. For my part says he. I /
want TO worship in the good old way nv
fathers and grandfathers worshiped in
and, unless my feelin's change very CON
siderable. 1 shall have TO withdraw from
his church if any such Satan's music
box is set up In this holy place
And Sally Ann turned around and
whispered TO me- We ought 10 "a got
hat organ long ago. Jane. Ike 20 "a
aughed right out. and ! leaned over. and
says l. Why don't you git up and talk for
IS, Sally Ann? and she says The spirit
init moved me, Jane. I reckon it's too
busy movin Uncle Jim and Silas Petty
jest then | looked around, and there
vas Abram standin' up. Well, you could