Year: 1872

1T does beat ALL Susan, how them
folks that sings on the gallery do act !"
said Aunt Keziah one Monday morning,
(Aunt Keziah never made criticisms on
Sunday; if any thing lay hard on her
mind it had to stay there until Monday
(f all were as considerate, the Sabbath
would be spent more proftable,) "Yes,
it beats all. You know our seat was
full yesterday, and l sot in the second
seat right at the parsons left elbow !;
Wall, [ was lookin arnest at the parson.
and he was in the beautifulest part of
his sermon, when | heard something
crackle, crackle, and looked up gale
ry and there sat two boys, young men [
spose they think they be,) on the side
seat. and their laws WAS aeoin. and they
kept putin their hands up to their
mouths, and l believe they was crackin
and eatin nuts. Then there was them
Brown gals, every time anybody come
in they would hist clear up out of their
seats, and lean clar over the front of the
gallery to see who it was [ think it's
shame We didn't have no such car
ryin's on when l was gal and sung. and
good old Deacon Smith pitched the
tunes we didn't giggle, and nod, and
whisper, and crack peanuts. Sich cut
tins up I never did sec, right in the
meetin house too p and Aunt Keziah
gave the fire tremendous poke, as
though she would punish all offenders
were they at the poker's end.


"Well, Aunt" said l, Il do not know
what is to be done | am sure | keep
still and try my best to hear the sermon"
That was all l could say, for could not
deny what Aunt Keziah had said. l
might have told her how those same
Brown girls and one or two others, wrote
notes and handed them back and forth :;
and how the "head bass" drew picture
of a sleepy, bloated drunkard, with a
pipe in his mouth, right on the blank
leaf of a hymn book, and handed it
around to make us laugh, saying that
that was the man who voted for Labor
Reform-but | would not for the good
old soul had seen enough to seriously
disturb her peace of mind.


As | said, | don't know what is to be
done; have been in good many choirs
during the past ten years, and have come
to the conclusion that country choirs and
city choirs and choirs in general, are not
near as orderly as they should be-. In
one choir some Of the singers were in the
habit of sitting down on the stairs dur
ing sermon time, and whispering One
Sunday when they were whispering pref
ty loud, the minister stopped short in
the middle of his sermon and said, 1.-The
choir will please sing" Up hoped the
singers from their various easy positions,
selected piece and sang, after which
he resumed his sermon. But it would
not be pleasant for the minister to re-
mind the singers where they were in this
manner very often. Those who ''sing on
the gallery as Aunt Keziah terms it,
are old enough to know that they ought
to keep still, instead of keeping up such
buzz and Rutter, that they cannot hear
the sermon, or allow any one else too.-
Those who wish to see the people who
come late, should remember that it does
not look well to peep over the gallery
front and curb their curiosity.


Boys-they never will be men until
they get rid of number of bad habits
who do not sing, can sit down in the
body of the church, and wait until after
church for nuts. Finally, if you do not
want to hear the sermon yourself, have
respect enough for yourself and others, to
keep still and let others hear it. By
all means, let us have peace. SUSAN.