Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-08-09


that this was fast age, and every
thing was movin' and the church
should move up too. lie told us about
Edison and the flynn machines. and
the Titanic, the Panama canal. and
all the big things he could think of,
and then said we was all away behinp
the times. That we needed a new
church and an organ and new things
all around. l believe if our poor old
pastor hadn't been there he would
have come right out and said we ought
to have new preacher. but he didn't.
The young folks said it was fine dis
course if he hadn't read it, but, all
the same, the young fellow got in his
work. The service was not enjoyed
much by the old folks. We don't like
to be disturbed. When my daughter
came hume from school last June she
made me as mad as fire at first, and
hurt her Mas feelins' without in
tendin' to. We had to change every
thing nearly that we d been wearin'.
| actually had to put on standin'
collar and one of these new ties that
you wrap over your hand a time or
two before tie it, and cut my hair
and black my boots, and believe it or
not bur that gal actually tried to get
me to shave and had to compromise
by Shawn my upper lip, and when
she got hold of her Ma it was a sight
l hardly knew Marthy when she got
through with her. And, truth, she
did look whole lot better. After
she had been in the hands of this girl
a while, new dress made in style, her
hair fixed up, and lace and collars and
all, was clean over my mad fit.
Marthy looked real young, sorter like
she did away back yonder when we
was both young. And so, it went on
clean down the inc, until her sister
and the boy and even the old house
all just shined. Actually had to buy
a piano, and that rubber tired carriage
and new harness you see me have
today | bought to make everything
correspond. | amt mad now. and
bless God, am goin to send that gal
back to school and she will take her
sister long with her, and me and
Marthy and boy will hold things down
the best we can. But, to 60 back to
the church. After the young man had
finished, he called or the old pastor
settin' in the pulpit with him to close
up, and | shall never forget what
happened. He arose slow like, as he
always does. His old face as calm as
sunset you see sometimes, in these
mountains. After adjusting his spec
tacles, he began somethin' like this :
Brethren and Sisters,I feel like old
Simeon of old, who took the infant
Jesus in his arms and said, Now.
Lord, let thy servant depart in peace,
for my eyes have seen thy salvation. ;
l am like him, my day is done. With
these hands | baptized the young man
who preached for you today. l mar
ried his Pa and Ma. l married most
of your fathers and mothers. | built
this old church. | have seen nv day.
My work is done. l pray God this
young man may now take up the sword
which falls from my lifeless hand.
And he went on. / have heard it said
that the swan sings its sweetest note
as it is dying. don't know, but cer-
tainly our old pastor never spoke be.
fore as he did that day. He picked
up the hymn book and announced the
375th hymn, his favorite,
my days are gliding swiftly by,
And Pilgrim stranger,
Would not detain them as they fly"
etc., and asked Lem Sykes to start
the hymn. Lem tried, but got all
choked up and failed, and Ezra Wilk-
ms tried and failed, and finally the
pastor himself closed his eyes, and
threw his head back, and l never
heard that old song sung that way
before. At the close of the hymn he
reached around and put one arm
around the shoulders of the boy prea
cher, and standing there raised the
other land and pronounced the bene-