The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-05-30

reserve and extreme quiet; the taking
on Of reverential and subdued tone,
both in action and conversation.
Inside Of our little farmhouse we
usually turned to our books when the
sun began TO get hot, and by opening
all the doors and drawing the shades
on the sunny side of the house, we
were always cool and comfortable. I
wonder If there is any such quiet as
you will find in farmhouse on Sum-
day afternoon. with the clock ticking
out an emphasis of the extreme noise
lessness?
Our yard was full of flowers, mostly
old-fashioned roses, hollyhocks, peo-
MES, tiger-lilies, balsam, sweet peas,
pansies and nasturtiums, and the
fragrance come in through the win
dows with drowsy sweetness that
seemed a natural part of the day. The
birds sang infrequently; perhaps q
chorus of blackbirds in the orchard. or
maybe the challenge of a wandering
flicker, but there was somehow an al
most imperceptible drone in the air
like the sound of invisible surf. The
faint shrilling Of insects in the grass.
the low whisper of moving leaves, the
beat of a passing horses hoofs, the
call of foraging crow, these sounds
came and went, and still the day
dreamed on, a veritable lotus-eating
stagnation of sun-enthralled delight.
Lenore had her time, place and de-
sire for regular afternoon nap on
Sundays, and when the. time came
she could be found in a ham,
mock underneath a couple of naples,
stretched out in peaceful slumber, her
lips parted and her tangled yellow
hair falling over her face. Sometimes
kitten played with the fringes of
the hammock, and at times an inquis-
tive jaybird peered at her from the
naples, but the most part she was un-
disturbed. Some days she omitted
this daily sleep, but on Sundays she
always sought the shelter of the ham,
mock.
Visitors sometimes came from the
town or from the neighboring farms to
we were clustered In an atmo-
sphere of seclusion on these days.
Il was vastly different to look from
windows out on fields and orchards
rather than outward to an expanse of
walls and chimneys. Somehow Sun
day in a city seems to be more of
holiday than day of rest But in the
country everything rests but the
horses.
On certain Sundays, however, there
was considerable excitement In our
neighborhood. This would happen
when some travelling evangelist"
would be heralded as coming to the
county seat to hold services, or when
"camp-meeting" was to be held In
the neighborhood. The travelling
preachers generally drew large crowds
from the surrounding country, and
usually stayed from one to two days
In each town. They made more or less
conversions. and their style Of preach
ing and their personality would be
keenly discussed among their auditors.
They were men who rarely appeared
In the cities, or even the larger towns, |
but confined their efforts to medium |
sized towns, and the smaller cities of |
the second-class sizes.
But when the community received !
word that there was to be "a camp
meeting" In the neighborhood there |
was real wave of excitement mani |
fest in the district There was a
rustling In the feminine ranks, and a
getting ready by young and old with
view Of attending in full force.
Everyone goes to 'camp-meeting," and
not to be seen there night after night |
argues yourself as too entirely blase
for common existence. Even the very
Oldest of the Inhabitants can be seen
there, as well as the younger and
more thoughtless of the rural popula-
ton.
"Camp-meeting" does not really
commence until after nightfall. al.
though some attempts are made to
hold afternoon services. But 1t takes
the accompaniment Of lights, gloom,
fires and the weird influence of sol.
trees to arouse the latent
emotional qualities. And so when
'camp-meeting" time came, there was
much furnishing of harness and curry.
Ing of horses. much driving by of
couples going to "camp-meeting"-
some OF them on pleasure bent, and
others moved by vague anticipations
Of an awakening"
"Camp-meetings" in our neighbor.
hood were always in the open air, and
n some grove of tall trees, and there
was nearly always apparent a latent
current Of emotionality which became
ictive later on, manifesting itself In
intense excitement under the fervid
'ratory of the preachers. Men and
girls and boys flocked to sthe
nourners' bench" and oftentimes old
,rudges were healed and new friend
hips sealed under the influence of the