Putnam patriot., 1912-10-11
CHAPTER ".
In Which the Parson Cruises In
 Strange Waters.

In Which the Parson Cruises In
 Strange Waters.
 The Gome-Outer chapel was as bare inside, almost, as il was without Bare wooden walls, a beamed ceiling. raised platform at one end with a table and chairs and the melodeon upon fl, rows of wooden settees for the ongregation-that was all. As the minister entered, the worshipers We're standing up to sing. Three or four sputtering oil lamps but dimly illumined the place and made reeogni- tion 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 a 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 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, patriarehal with its flowing white hair and beard, puritanieal with it's set, smooth-shaven 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 spectables we'll down toward the tip of his nose. Swinging a heavy, stubby finger and singing in high. quavering voice of no particular register, he led off the third verse:
 'oh. who shall weep when the roll Is
 called
 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- shipers 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 heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.'"
 "A-meni"
 The shout came from the second bench from the front, where Ezekiel Bassett. clam digger and feryent re- ligionist, was always 10 be found on meeting nights. Ezekiel was the fa- ther of Susannah B. Bassett, "Sukey B." for short, who played the melo- deon. He had been. by successive seizures, a Seventh Day Baptist, Second Adventist, a Millerite, a Regu- lar, and was now the most energetic of Come-Outers. Later he was to be- come a Spiritualist and preside at table-tipping seances.
 Ezekiels amen was so sudden and emphatic that it startled the reader into looking up. Instead of the faces of his congregation, he found himself treated to a view of their back hair. Nearly every head was turned toward the rear corner of the room, there was a buzz of whispering and, in front, many men and women were standing up to look.
 Ezekiel Bassett stepped forward and whispered in his ear The cap Nf rfu {pI ton changed to one of blank aston ishment. He, too. gazed at the dark corner. Then his lips frightened and he rapped smartly on the table.
 My friends" he said. let us bow in prayer"
 John Ellery could have repeated that prayer, almost word for word, years after that night. The captain prayed for the few here gathered together: Let them be steadfast. Let them be constant in the way. The path they were treading might be narrow and be- set with thorns, but 1t was the path leading to glory.
 "Scoffers may sneer," he declared. his voice rising; they may make mock of us. they may even come into thy presence to laugh at us. but theirs ,s the laugh that turns to groanin.
 And so on. his remarks becoming more personal and ever pointing like a compas- needle to the occupant Of that seat in the corner.
 70 Lord," prayed Captain Hammond. the precipitation in beads on his fore head. thou hast said that the pastors become brutish and have not sought thee and that they shan't prosper. Help us tonight to labor with this one that he may see his error and repent in sackcloth and ashes"
 They sang once more. hymn that prophesied woes to the unbelieyer. Then Ezekiel Bassett rose to testify" The testimony was mainly to the ef- feet that he was happy because he had fed to the ark of safety while there was yet time
 Captain Eben called for more testi- mony. But the testifiers were. to use the old minstrel joke, backward in coming forward that evening. At an ordinary meeting. by this time, the shouts and enthusiasm would have been at their height and half dozen Come-Outers on their feet at once. re lating their experiences and proclaim