Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-16


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voices that are features of revivas and
meetings. His name is Garmer-and he is
without doubt one of the finest speci-
mems of American manhood that could
be found in long search.
Twas Some Hot There.
1t was hot in that tent. a circumstance
which no one seemed to mind, but enter
ing the opened sides of the big canvas
seemed like stepping into furnace.
Women with red hot babies sat in
starched and stiff best clothes with serene
and happy faces while rivers of perspira-
ton rolled from their faces Young girls,
awkward and bearing the mark of the
lonely mountain life. sat still on the
plain benches in evident fear of misbe-
having.
They had the bench where the old men
are wont to sit-the old fellows who had
| been shouting Glory and Amen" since
looking, with long brown and grizz ed
boards. for, in spite of very old age. the
men from the hills seem rarely to have
white hair or boards Two aged men
We're especially noticeable. One was
eighty years and the other seventy-six
years, and neither looked to be sixty
years old Their eyes had fierce look
under the heavy brows, and they were
not softened bit by the hawkish noses
of the pair.
Tall and rugged, these two veterans ap-
peared to be, even at their age. strong
as the big oak trees that lined the noun
tains They were uncouth and rough
in bearing, perhaps, with plain manners
and plain clothes. Their boots were
wrinkled and hard-looking and covered
with white powder from the six-ineh
dust of the roads. One of them came
with no coat and displayed an d-fash-
Toned hickory shirt and homemade sus-
penders. The suspenders held up trous-
ers which had once a pattern and color,
but which had long ago abandoned both.
There were plenty of young fellows.
too, with sun-baked faces. Their eyes
had peculiar clearness and they gazed
into those of stranger without waver.
And let it be said that II behooves a
city stranger to return the gaze and
say "Howdy." 1t is nothing but the
plain word of good-fellowship between
good people on the road. but the stiff
necked man who withholds ii will regret
1t in time.
The young men were nearly all fine
looking. and the ..rube" type of farmers
son was in the hopeless minority. The
clothes of the men were plain enough,
and thick enough, and there were prob
ably only half a dozen linen collars In
the whole camp meeting. 1t was a meet
ing of large, shining celluloid collars and
brilliant neckties, hand-painted, so TO
SHOW startling designs of green roses or
blue SunfiOWerS.
TIL, men had quiet and pleasant man
ners and ii was a pleasure to watch
them. Any one of them would give up
his seat to any woman who would be
standing. and the children were object
lessons in politeness.
Children to the Front.
When the preacher suggested that
there would be more room for the grown
folks if the children should go up and
sit on the edge of the platform. the
youngsters arose as one and marched
quickly forward. Not a parent had to
urge. and there was no hanging back.
There was an interval OF two hours for
enough good solid food to feed three
families. and the groups scattered
about the grove of oak trees there was
lot of trading of chicken for cake. or
jelly for honey. The pleasure of eating
sweets was somewhat marred by a large
flock Eyes, that's the right world of
yellow jackets. which perched on the
preserves and lowered about the eaters
mouths. Yellow jackets can sting worse
than bees can.
The river was quite near, yet ii was
spring water or nothing. and the near
est good spring was just about one mile
away. But what is miles walk to
people who go several times as far for
spool of No. cotton and sack of
chicory. There was. large colony of
yellow Jackets in the earth that over
hung the spring. and before many thirsts
were quenched the woods in that section
were filled with raging insects whose
touch was hotter than Iire. So the spring
was abandoned and one two miles from
the meeting ground found.
1t was during this interval that the girls
got together 10 look at one anothers
dresses. or perhaps at the dress of some
fortunate sister who had been down to
Cumberland" The younger farmers and
orchard men took the opportunity to talk
quietly under the trees. and none seemed
aNerse TO making a trade in peaches or
any other produce-although it was Sun
day.
The old men did as old men ever do
snapped yarns and chewed tobacco. Few
of them smoked. but some OF the older
women did One aged inhabitant. with
face like Dom Paufs and a poverty
stricken manner. knocked around. looking
as if he wished he were anywhere else.
He was the richest man there and owned
J. 100 acres of valley farm land.
Uncle Koot, Celebrity.
But the prize in the eighty-year-old
class was old Uncle koot He was unat-
tacLed, drove 10 tine meeting in a dust
covered rattle trap. and pirated around the
place in search of food. He had long
beard and carried hickory stick about
six feet long. The remarkable thing 20
the city man who hailed him and got him
putting stosie was thar his long blue
coat was covered with political badges
and buttons One could read the history
of the United States in Uncle Roots
trinkets. There was the era OF long silk
badges with the candidate for President
printed on them, and among them Abra-
ham Lincoln was conspicuous. There
were dozens of metal buttons and medals
of all sizes with state. county and ma
tional candidates for all Offices from
sheriff to President. and eventually the
eye rested on the Of cellulod cam
paign buttons; and there must have been
a score of them.