The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-05-06

nun u, guess
There, There. Abel. YOU wouldn't
know q gyreen II YOU found one in
your baked beans. SO don't take away
a woman's character on hearsay." And
Mrs Day. having shut up her husbund
as was her boundeH duty as a wife
and Christian, tied her bonnet strings
a little tighter ,and looked distinctly
pleased with herself.
label amt startin, dny new gossip"
was Aunt Abby's opinion, as she
sprane to his rescue. zone or two
more holes In colander don't make
much dif'rence bartholomew, we're
certainly gon' TO be late this mornin';
we're about the last team on the road"
and Aunt Abby glanced neryously be-
hind. Elder Boone amt begun the
openin' prayer, though, or we should
Know 1t. You can hear him pray a
mile away, when the Winds right. 1
do hate to be late to meetin'. The
elder alters takes notice: the folks in
the wing pews alters gapes an stares.
and the eholf peeks through the cur
tain, takin' notes Of everything you've
got on your back. l hope to the land
they'll chord and keep together little
mite better'n they've done lately, that's
all i can say II the Lord is right in
our midst, as the Bible says, he can't
think much of our singers this sum
mer"
/, They're improvin', now that Pliny
Waterhouse plays his fiddle" Mrs
Day remarked practically. ''There was
times in the anthem when they kept
together consid'able well last Sunday.
They didn't always chord, but there
they ehpIded some! We're most there
now, .Abbrs don't forget. cephas won't
ring the last bell till he knows his own
folks is crossin' the common
Those were days of conscientious
churchgoing, and every pew in the
house was crowded. The pulpit was
built on. pillars That raised 1t six feet
higher than the floor. The top was
cushioned and covered with red velvet,
slirmounted by a huge gilt edged Bible.
There was a window in the tower
through which cephas Cole could look
into the church and while tolling the
bell could keep watch for the minister.
Always exactly on time, he would come
in, walk slowly up the right hand aisle,
mount the pulpit stairs enter ana close
the door after him. Then Cephas would
give one tremendous pull to warn lott
erers on the steps, a pull that meant,
Parsons in the pulpitr and was act
ed upon accordingly. Opening the big
Bible, the minister raised his right
hand irnpressively, and, saying. LET
US pray" the whole congregation rose.
in their pews with great rustting and
bowed their heads devoutly for the in,
vocation.
Next came the hymn, generally at
That day one of Isaac Watts. The
singers, fifteen or twenty in number,
sat in a raised gallery opposite the pul.
pit, and there was a rod in front hung
with red curtains to hide them when
sitting down. Any one was free to
join, which perhaps accounted for Aunt
Abby's structures as to time and tune.
Jed Morrill,, "blasphemious" as he was
considered by that acrimonious lady,
was the leader, and a good one too
There would be a great whispering
and buzzing when Deacon Sumner,
with his big fiddle, and Pliny- Water.
house, with his smaller one, would
try to get in. accord with Humphrey
Baker and his clarionet. All went wen
when Humphrey was there to give the
sure keynote, but in his absence jed
Morrill, would use his tuning fork.
When the key. was finally secured by
all concerned Jed would raise his stick.
beat one measure to set the time, and
all Joined in or fell IN. according to
their several abilities. It was not al.
ways a, perfect thing in the way of
start, but they were well together at
the end of the first line, and when, as
now, the choir numbered a GoodIy num-
Der Of voices and there were 300 or 400
In the pews nothing more inspiring in
Its peculiar way was ever heard than
the congregational singing of such
splendid hymns as "old Hundred"
Duke Street" or Coronation"
Waitstill led the trebles, and Ivory
was at the far end of the choir in the
bases, but each was conscious of the
others presence. This morning he
could hear her noble voice rising lit
tie above, or, perhaps, from Its quail
! ity,, Separating itself somehow, ever so
! IiffTa from fhal nfhare How f,,Yi ~