Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-05-08
Sundays in
the Country

our place Aas tatfts hscip sthn NenAs
and riders going TO tosa. and oeea-
sionaiiy a lone pedestrian could be
seen cutting across the fsids. bound
for the eounty seat. The usual ~oFk
Seni on In the neids. and late In the
afternoon and ON until midnight the
home returning vehicles and horses
ratified or saiiop~d by us- Hut shen
Sunday morning cams there MAS
sharp and clear demaresiion between
work and rest. No longer the men
could be seen following the pio~s. eai-
u,a,ink corn. working With the
thrAsh~rs or reap-r. or -shuekins-
corn with the wagons slowly niiins to-
ssEd the sid.-board-
There vas a vide silence over the
fields An ebb In the tide OF anaifs:
. luil In the round OF rural Industry,
Tho wood had been carried In saiaFs
day nishi. and even the smoke from
the kitchen ehimn-ys seemed TO cfa~i
out si~ai,hiiy and creep a~ay unob'
srusis-iy. as II fearing to stain the
blue vaults of sabbath stiffness
Chores appeared To have been done
before aybr-ak. for you rarely found
~
until the time came for Eoink TO
church.
IL ~as = peculiar sensation 10 really
abide in a community where Sunday
meant something In tho way of old
fashioned peace and quiet. Tn. bells
an top of the smokchousrs, which
were accustomed To clanx out regular
ly at half.past eleven. calling the mon
In To dinner from the hcids. huns mo-
tionicsr now. uni-ss possibly set In
motion by the hands Of some wander.
Ing child. Teams went by with tho
usual cargo OF church. socrs. niicd with
mon. women and children. all dressed
In their best. and all. except III"
horses. enjoying the respite from daily
cares.
II you wen, to farmhouse you
would nearly always find the people
gone. aud almost Invariably to church.
In town. hitchin..racks were lined
with farm wagons. and every hitchin..
post was occupied by either team or
a saddic.horse. Church windows were
open everywhere In the summer time.
and even on into the fall. and echoes
Of old hymns and sweet young child.
ish voices foatcd out on the mild sun.
laden air.
In the earlier part OF the day there
had been long and dangerous pcaiing
GU, over the tops OF tho houses. and
from the country steeplcs the bells
had sent brassy or iron messages to
the farmers dwellings: but later the.
churches had hivcd In their environ.
mcnt the greater part Of the communi.
~. and the dronc of voices or the
sound OF n preachers intonation was
all that could be heard from the out.
side.
Sometimes. along the country roads.
would come u cavalcadc with the toss
ing plumes and mourning cortege
that told of the transformation from
the uncertainties OF life to the endur-
ing peace OF the beyond. A funeral In
the country was in some respects
sharply distinguished from one In the
city. In the country. the women
mostly stayed in the church. together
with the immediate relatives Of the
departed. There they remained
through the services. joining in the
hymns. and listening to the funeral
sermon. But tho friends and neigh
bors of the deceased very often gath
cred under adjacent trees and visit
ed among themselves. talking over
the life and character Of the dead,
and indulging in "reminiscences of old
times in the settlement. Particularly
was this the case II the deceased was
an old settler. or the wife OF an old
settler. In that event the attendance
would be from far-distant points, and
even the editors OF the town papers
would come. Old men would gather
in the shade of oaks and hickories and
tell OF the days when the country was
one unbroken mass Of heavy timber.
and when they rode on horseback 60
miles for salt
Young men and boys would appeal
to these veterans for confirmation in
regard to some legend which had been
part of the life history Of the lost one.
and a general historical survey Of the
past would be the result Of the outside
assemblage.
well, ] reckon Uncle Billy knows
all about It now.'~would remark some
whiskered six-footer.
YES" would be the assent from an
other, biting into red-cheeked apple
and munching away with subdued sat
isfaction. Uncle Billy was right smart
OF man In his day. / rickolect when
he first came over from Big Bend;
ther wuzn't more n dozen people at
the Bend. an Billy said they wuz too
thick ther fer him: he clard that forty
wher the ole log house stood that he
uz married in. an he fenced her 'ith
walnut rails. reckon they hain't no
walnut now fer fence rails"
"rhe fust railroad they put through
here had walnut ties, and Billy split
a.many tie fer EN-. But after awhile