The daily Alaskan., 1909-09-08
TIE
 MEETING HOUSE,
By M. QUAD.

and Presbyterians had clubbed togeth- CT. and as time went on the three de- nominations had agreed so well that no move had been made for the cree ton of another building.
 From time immemorial 1t has been the privilege of the farmers dog to accompany his master to church and take up his station on the front steps until time to go home again. The question as to whether this had made better dogs of them is not to be de- bated here. It is sufficient to say that on this particular Sabbath day there were seven dogs occupying seven diff ferent wagons and that when Q light ming rod mans dog came along he was looked upon as an intruder and promptly attacked. Seven dogs pitch ing into one must soon confuse things. | In this case after moment 1t be- came a battle royal. and the racket stopped the sermon and was heard to ;he limits of the village. The worship CTS came out of the church to see and to interfere and to take sides, and the affair broke up the services for the morning and left good deal of acrimony floating around. Most of the blame was laid on the man of lightning rods. who was stopping in the town over Sunday. He repudiated 1t and had hot words and on Monday was arrested for using profane lan- guage and fined $7. Up to the mo- ment he was fined he was defiant Then he changed to humility, paid his fine and apologlzed all around.
 There was no one in the town of | Hicksville who really knew lightning rod mans other side or who even sus- pected that he had second side. If there had been. note of warning would have been sounded when this man changed to humility. They ac- cepted his attitude and his expressions, | and some of them even shook hands with him and forgave him for having | such dog. He went away and was absent for three days and then re- turned to say that he felt like doing something for the church people to | show that no hard feelings rankled in | his soul. There was the old meeting house. It needed painting badly. Un- der it's shadow his dog had raised q row and created temporary hard feel ings and he would beg the privilege of paying for two fresh coats. The proposition fell like thunderclap on the town. It beat the coming of circus all hollow. All the church folks had to do, said the donor, was to get together and decide ou the color and he would furnish the paints and the painters-simple as A B c.
 A meeting of the church people was called for certain night, and they were there to the last man and woman. All knew the issue. and all had come prepared. The question to be settled was one of color. and 1t was dead easy one. The minister presided, as was eminenuy proper. and he arose to say that of course there could be but one color for a frame meeting house. That was white, to represent purity. The lightning rod man could be notified to have his painter on hand next day. Was there anything further before the meeting?
 To the good mans surprise, there was. Deacon Tompkins arose to say that while art was in Its infancy in this country a plain white meeting house did very well, but art had ad- vanced. Meeting houses should also advance. Speaking for the Methodist contingent. his choice was chrome yell low for the body of the building, with dark brown for the steeple and the doors and window castings. He would move that those colors be adopted.
 Deacon Williams arose to hope that no one would second the motion. Speaking for the Baptists, he would say that pea green color for the body. with trimmings of darker green, would be more in harmony with the surrounding landscape and prevent strangers from taking the cider mill for the meeting house. He didn't ad- vance pea green as symbolic of the Baptist faith alone, but of all faiths. It even took in the Adventlsts. He would move pea green as an amend ment for chrome yellow. Deacon Jones said that he represented the Presby- terians in the congregation and that the Presbyterians had decided on lead color for the body of the building and dark blue for doors, castings and stee- pie. He would move his colors as an amendment to the last amendment and be hoped that no further time would be wasted over the matter.
 But his hopes were disappointed. The lightning rod man was appealed to, but he replied that 1t was ques- ton to be left entirely to the congre- gation.
 It was left to them. Meeting after meeting was held. but no one gave way-the more meetings the more acrimony, the more acrimony the less