The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-06-26

high sweet tenor voice that just es-
capped being q clear soprano, he had
been known to quiet whole herd OF
restless cattle on the verge of mad
stampede. 1t was an art he had
learned when a cowboy on the range.
Yancey acknowledged this sugges-
ton with grateful wave Of the hand.
THAT'S right, Shanghai. Thanks for
speaking up. A good song, though a
little secular for the occasion, per-
haps. But anyway. you all know it.
and that's the main thing. Kindly
favor us with the pitch, will you,
Shanghai? Will the ladies kindly join
in with their sweet soprano voices?
Now, then, all together!"
1t was q we'll known song in the
territory. where, on coming to this new
and wild country, SO many settlers
with checkered-not to say plaid
past had found it convenient to change
their names.
The congregation took 1t up feeling
ly, almost solemnly. Somebody in the
rear suddenly produced an accordion,
and from the crowd perched on the
saloon bar came the sound of jews
harp. The chorus now swelled with
all the fervor Of songs ecstacy. They
might have been singing "Onward,
Christian Soldiers" Through it all,
high and clear, sounded Shanghai
Wiley's piercing tenor. like brasses in
a band, and sustaining it from the
roulette table platform the cello Of
Yancey Cravat's powerful, rich BARI
tone.
Sabra had Joined in the singing, not
first, but later, timidly. 1t had
seemed, somehow, to relieve her. This,
she thought was better. Perhaps,
after all, this new community was
about to make a proper beginning.
She began to feel prim and good and
settled at last.
"Now, them" said Yancey. all aglow.
"the next thing in order is to take up
the collection before the sermon"
"What for?" yelled Pete De Vargas.
Yancey fixed him with a plying
gray eye. Because, you Spanish in
fdel, part of a church service is TAX
ing up collection. Southwest Davis,
I appoint you to work this side of the
house. Ike Bixler, you take that side.
The collection, fellow citizens, ladies
and gentlemen-and you, too, Pete-is
for the new church organ"
''Why, hi, Yancey, we amt got a
church," bawled Pete again, ag-
grieved.
That's all right. Pete. Once we
buy an organ we'll have to build a
church to put it in. Stands to reason.
Members Of the congregation, any
body putting in less than two bits will
be thrown out Of the tent by me. In
dams not included"
The collection was taken up, in two
fve-gallon sombreros, the contents of
which. as they passed from one hairy
sunburned paw to the next, were
watched with eagle eyes by Southwest
Davis and Ike Bixler, and, in fact, by
the entire gathering. The sombreros
were then solemnly and with some
hesitation brought to the roulette
table pulpit for Yancey's inspection.
"Mr. Graf Gotch, being used to
lightning calculations in the matter Of
coins, will kindly count the proceeds
of the collection"
Arkansas Graf, red-faced and per-
spring, elbowed his way to the pulpit
and made his swift and accurate
count. He muttered the result to
Yancey. Yancey announced it pub
licly. "Fellow citizens, the sum of the
first collection for the new church
organ for the Usage church, whose de-
nomination shall be nameless, is the
gratifying total of one hundred and
thirty-nine dollars and fifty-five cents.
Heb, wait a minute, Graf! Fifty-five
did you say fifty-five cents?"
"That's right. Yancey."
Yancey's eye swept his flock.
Some miserable tight-fsted skinflint
of "a But maybe it was Ponca or
an Usage, by mistake"
How about a Cherokee. Yancey ~
came haunting voice from somewhere
In the rear.
mo, not a Cherokee, Sid. Recog-
nized your voice by the squeak. A
Charokee-as you'd know if you knew
anything at all--you and Yountis and
the rest of your outfits too smart to
put anything in the contribution box
of a race that has robbed him of his
birthright" He did not pause for the
litter that went round. He now took
from the rear pocket of the flowing
Prince Albert the small and worn little
Bible. "Friends! We've come to the
sermon. What have to say is going
to take fifteen minutes. The first five
minutes are going to be devoted to a
confession by me to you. and | didn't
expect to make it when I accepted the
job of conducting this church meeting.
Walt Whitman has line that has
stuck in my memory. 1t is: i say
the real and permanent grandeur Of
these states must be their religion
That's what Walt says. And that's the
text intended to use for the subject
of my sermon. though know that the