Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-07-23


voluntary resignation was solicited.
He was to preach his farewell sermon,
and there was no sentimental snifhlng
or sobbing about it, but he took the
opportunity to give them piece OF
his mind. His text was, aye are the
salt of the earth" and he thereupon
launched forth in a description OF
what the saving element in religious
society should be and more especially
the elders and deacons, the leaders o.
the church. 1t was the custom then
for these worthless to line themselves
in the front row just under the min
lister. When the reverend doctor had
painted his picture of the beatihed
apostles and saints, then for contrast
he looked down at the row of old rus
tic German farmers. and raising his
hands over them said deprecatinglY {:
"Great God, what poor salt p
But when their time came to speak
out in council they pepperad him
spicily enough.
The bell which sounded so quantity
from the small belfry is now at Elm
wood Cemetery. At that time the old
town did not luxuriate in 80 many
ine.t toned bells that now hallow the
air of Sabbath morning. But at
that time our practical friends, the
Methodist, not being able to compass
bell, had al immense triangle
mounted at the gate by the old church
that burned about the middle Of last
century. Old Brother Gonter, as an
example of muscular christianity, used
to twang that triangle with a small
sledge, to sound forth the note of
alarm that the brethren must come to
the tabernacle and warm up. His
whacking that not mute instrument
gave fine example Of Jael driving
the nail into the head of Sisera, but if
Sisera had given out such yelp, she
had no doubt desisted. 1t may be
asserted that the use of a triangle for
such purpose is perfectly Legitimate if
not orthodox-it sometimes takes the
place of the dinner bell.
In this old Lutheran Church, the
choir had perch in the gallery, and
for long time had motley combine
of instruments to help them praise
the Lord, as DR.. Andrews said, "clar-
met, bombadonn, sackbuts and what
not; but alike the triangle Of our
Methodist brethren, they became OBJ
solete and out Of date, not to say out
of tune. Then, there being for a long
time no organ, the choir had to take
their text from tuning fork. For
time John Feaman, with his 6ue tenor
voice, pitched the time, and once
upon tune his pitchfork pitched him
much too high. 1t was very anus.
ing to hear his attempts to get down
from the loft, but the fork was re-
morseless and unrelenting, so he had
to keep it up at the shrieking strain.
1t was comic enough in a church SER
vice and can only be described justly
by that Wall Street anecdote of the
old white.hatted broker, who, having
played his deal, was at a loss for
some occupation and strolled into tbe
little Westinghouse then on Wall
Street which, like restaurant, hangs
out the sign, Prayers at all Hours"
Here he found prayer meeting going
on, and the minister had given out
the hymn,
my soul, be on thy guard,
Ten thousand foes arise"
which was duly hoisted to the tune
cleped Laban-a patriarchal, not a
gospel hymn, which begins very low
and leaps up almost a full octave at
the second line The antique sister
who hoisted it did not realize this
octave leap, and started it in too lof.
ty a plane, 80 when she would jump
into the second line, it was out Of
reach. She made several attempts to
sing out, "Ten thousand" when the
old broker suggested in deep bass
"Start her at FIVE thousand, old lady,
and I'll go in"
When We look back on the many
rude occurrences in the old-tims tab
ernacles, we may reasonably infer that
reverence for religion has improved
along with church architecture.
There is curious old lock-a fine
piece of workmanship-made for the
6rst church by German locksmith,
a member of the congregation. 1t il
much priced as an antique mementO
1t is now on the door Of the lecture