The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-12-21

J
sample of the last named | venture
to repeat: The speaker, warning
his hearers of the coming of the
Lord, waxed eloquent beyond his
wont. In trembling voice he be-
gan, "The Lord will come like a
thief in the night" Then gradual
ly increasing in strength: "The
Lord will come like a thief in the
night" Once more, and louder ::
"The Lord will come like thief in
the night" Still increasing in eff
fort, the preachers voice rose to
fortissimo closing: "The Lord
will come like thief in the night
Yes, in his stocking feet!"
That preacher had vivid ina
gination, for what could better pic
ture the silent approach of a spirit
than to endow it with stockinged
feet. I cannot tell how it affected
others, but l was suitably impress
ed.
There was never large attend
ance at these services, and those
who came strayed in at any hour,
stayed as long as suited them, and
then left. All hymns were given
out line by line which, taken toge-
Their with the uncertainty of keep
ing the pitch and remembering the
words, complicated their rendering.
The only hym-books were the two !
owned by the choir, and believe
those were not alike.
The door into the kitchen, in line
with the choir seats and close at
hand, always stood open during the
meetings, and those who were with
in 1.-THE owner of the building
and any other men he CHANGED to
have with him-engaged in their
regular duties or amusements, in
no way deferred by what was go
ing on in the larger room. The
dogs and cats, of which there were
many, wandered back and forth
from one room to the other, and
were disposed to be quite friendly
with the church goers, especially
the choir members. One cat and
our tenor became fast friends.
Pussy helped the latter to while
away the time between hymns.
The master of the dogs and cats
did not regularly attend the meet
ings, but he was not without Gu
riosity as to what went on there.
At intervals he came to the door,
and leaning carelessly against the
wall, looked the audience over,
and leaning carelessly against the
wall, looked the audience over, list !,
ened to few words of the sermon,
then lazily drew himself erect and
sauntered back to his work or a
game of cards. He always had a /
oipe in his mouth, and the air was /,
Tiled with the tobacco fumes.
Like eastern church goers, those Z
n Bannack wore their best clothes /
which, so far as the men were con-
,erned, bore a striking resemblance
o what they wore on week days. +
some of the buckskin garments r
we're harnsome when new, being
trimmed lavishly with fringe, and I
he collar and cuffs of beaver or
liter fur. Wool coats, shirts and
rousers were rarely new, as was t
vident from their liberal display :
f buckskin patches. These last
aried in shape and size from the
trips that strengthened hens and
he long rectangular pieces at the
nees, to the large heart-shaped Y
atches that reinforced the seats.
Not long after the first minister
rrived in Bannack, another came.
lie was a young man fresh from
'rinceton College, and of course a
Presbyterian. Like his predecessor
e was an earnest worker in the
ineyard, and the two men wasted
0 time in sectarian arguments, but
-ere co-laborers and friends. They =
ook turns in holding services and
ven, it was said, in asking the
lessing at their boarding house.
The Princeton man was the bet
n educated in a literary way, but
e knew little of men. In this his
Iethodist brother had the advan-
lge; he had larger experience of
fe, and the miners liked his Billy
unday talks better, perhaps, than
lie more choicely worded sermons
the other man, who gained more
ON his western experience than
= gave. i
Miners working hard day in and
ay out, were not inclined to be