The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-01-01
little nor anxious to have our s'ciety
keep ahead Of the Others"

"Jed's bout right in sizin' up the
Wilder Tfllson." was Mr.. Days timid
contribution to the argument. II amt
a readin' man. but from what folks re.
port l should think she was one O.
them critters that set on rocks Devil
derin' an bedevilin' men folks out O.
their senses-syreens. l think they call
'em-a reg'lar syreen is what that wo-
man is, l guess"
There, there. Abel. you wouldn't
know a syreen If you found one in
yOur baked beans. so don't take way
Il wOman's character on hearsay." And
Mrs. Day. having shut up her husband
as was her bounden duty as Il wife
and a Christian. tied her bonnet strings
a little tighter and looked distinctly
pleased with herself.
abel amt Startin' H. new gossip
was Aunt Abby'S opinion. as she
Slrnng to his rescue. Zone or two
more holes in a colander don't make
much Observation-Disclosures. we're
certainly gOin' to be late this mornin':
we're about the last team on the road"
and Aunt Abby glanced %nervously be
hind. "Eldrr Boone amt begun the
"penin' prayer. though. or we should
know it. You can hear him pray IA
mile away, when the winds right. |
do hate to be late to meetin'. The
elder alters takes notice: the folks in
the wing prws alters gapes an Stares.
and the choir peekS through the cur
tain. takin' notes Of everything you've
they'll chord and keep together a little
mite better'n they've done lately. that's
all | can say. If 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 considerable well last Sunday.
They didn't always chord. but there.
they chorded some. We're most there
now, Abby, don't forget! Cephas won't
ring the last bel! till he knows his own
folks is cro>sin' the common!"
Those were days of conscientious
~churchgoing, and every pew in the
house was crowded. The pulpit was
built on pillars that raised it six feet
higher than the floor. The top was
cushioned and covered with red velvet.
surmounted by a huge gilt edged Bible.
There was a window in the tower
through which Cephas Cole could look
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 and close
the door after him. Then Cephas would
give n tremendous pull to warn lott
erers on the steps. a pull that meant.
Parsons in the pulpit"' and was act
ed upon accordingly. Opening the big
Bible, the minister raised his right
hand ~impressively. and. saying. Let
US pray" the whole congregation rose
in their pews with a great rustling and
bowed their heads d~evoutly for the in
vocation.
Next came the hymn, generally at
that day n Of Isaac Watts. The
singers, fifteen or twenty in number.
sat in a raised gallery opposite the pull
pit, and there was a rod in front hung
with red curtains to hide them when
sitting down. Any n 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 well
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 n measure to set the time, and
all Joined in Of fell in. according to
their several abilities. 1t was not al
ways q perfect thing in the way of a
start, but they were we'll together at
the end Of the first line, and when, as
now. the choir numbered a goodly mum
Der Of voices and there were 300 or 400
In the pews nothing nor inspiring in
its peculiar way was ever heard than
the congregational singing Of such
splendid hymns as "Od Hundred"
Duke Street. or Coronation"
Waitstill led the trebles. and Ivor.
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 a lit
tie above. or. perhaps. from its quail
ity. separating itself somehow, ever so
little. from the others. How full of
strength and hope it a her voice:
How steadfast to the pitch! How gold
en- it's color: How moving in it's cres-
cendOs. How the words flowed from
her lips. not rs if they had been writ
ten years ago.. but as if they were the
expression Of her own faith: There
were many in the congregation who