Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1912-11-14
CHAPTER w.
In Which tho Parson Cruises In
Strange Waters.

| IN Whlch the ParSon cruises IN
Strange Waters.
The Come-Outer chapel was as bare
inside, almost, as 1t was without. Bare
wooden walls, a beamed ceiling, a
raised platform at one end with a
table and chairs and the melodeon
upon II, rows of wooden settees for
the congregation-that was all, AS
the minister entered, the worshipers
were standing up TO sing. Three or
four sputtering oil lamps but dimly
illumined the place and made recogni-
| ton uncertain.
The second verse of the hymn was
just beginning as Ellery came in Most
| of the forty or more grown people in
the chapel were too busy wrestling
with the tune to turn and look at him
A child here and there in the back
| row twisted curious neck but twist
ed back again as parental fingers
tugged at its ear. The minister tip
toed to a dark corner and took his
stand in front of a vacant settee.
The man whom Ellery had decided
must be Captain Eben Hammond was
standing on the low platform beside
the table. A quaint figure. patriarchal
with its flowing White half and beard,
puritanical with its set, smooth shaver
lips and tufted brows. Captain Eben
held an open hymn book back in one
hand and beat time with the other.
He wore brass-bowed spectacles well
down toward the tip of his nose.
Swinging a heavy, stubby finger and
singing in a high. quayering voice of
no particular register, he led off the
third verse:
ooh, who shall weep when the roll is
And who shall shout for joy?"
The singing over, the worshipers
sat down. Captain Eben took a fig-
ured handkerchief from his pocket
and wiped his forehead. The thin,
near.sighted young woman who had
been bumped over the keyboard of the
melodeon, Strengthened up The wor-
shippers relaxed little and began to
look about.
Then the captain adjusted his spec
tacles and opened a Bible, which he
took from the table beside him. Clear
ing his throat, he announced that he
would read from the Word, tenth
chapter Of jeremiah:
"'Thus saith the Lord. Learn not
the way Of the heather, and be not
dismayed at the signs of heaven; for
the heather are dsmayed at them
"A-men!"
The shout came from the second
bench from the front, where Ezekiel
Bassett, clam digger and fervent re
ligionist, was always to be found or
meeting nights, Ezekiel was the IA
Their Of Susannah b. Bassett, "Sukey
b." for short, who played the melo
deon. He had been, by successive
seizures, a Seventh Day Baptist. 6
Second Adventist, Millerite. a Regu
lar and was now the most energetic
of Come-Outers. Later he was 10 be
come Spiritualist and preside a
table-tipplng eeances.
Ezekiel's amen was so sudden anC
emphatic that 1t startled the reader
into looking up. Instead Of the face,
of his congregation, he found himsel
treated to view of their back hair
Nearly every head was turned TOWARD
the rear corner Of the room, there wa,
a buzz Of whispering and, in front
, many men and women were standin,
up to look.
Ezekiel Bassett stepped forwart
and whispered in his ear. The can
taIn's expression of righteous indigna
ton changed to one OF blank aston
/ ishment. He, too, gazed at the darl
corner. Then his lips frightened an,
he raped smartly on the table.
: MY friends" he said, "let us bow
in prayer"
John Ellery could have repeated tina
} prayer, almost word for word, year
after that night. The captain praye
, for the few here gathered together
Let them be steadfast. Let them b
constant in the way. The path the
lwers treading might be narrow and bt