large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb_53
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
English
4813
And so in twos and threes, often the man trudging ahead with his gun and the woman carrying her baby while the smaller children cling to her skirts, sometimes man and woman and a child or two on horseback, no matter how wild the storm, how swollen the streams, how deep the whirling snow  they all come to church: old folk and infants as well as adults and children. The congregation either waits for the minister and his wife outside the door, or stands until he has entered the pulpit. AND SO IN TWOS AND THREES OFTEN THE MAN TRUDGING AHEAD WITH HIS GUN AND THE WOMAN CARRYING HER BABY WHILE THE SMALLER CHILDREN CLING TO HER SKIRTS SOMETIMES MAN AND WOMAN AND A CHILD OR TWO ON HORSEBACK NO MATTER HOW WILD THE STORM HOW SWOLLEN THE STREAMS HOW DEEP THE WHIRLING SNOW THEY ALL COME TO CHURCH OLD FOLK AND INFANTS AS WELL AS ADULTS AND CHILDREN THE CONGREGATION EITHER WAITS FOR THE MINISTER AND HIS WIFE OUTSIDE THE DOOR OR STANDS UNTIL HE HAS ENTERED THE PULPIT
round three sides, but part of the original pulpit remains and a few of the box pews. In 1681 the interior, like the exterior, is sternly bare. No paint, no decorations, no colored windows, no organ, or anything which could even remotely suggest the color, the beauty, the formalism of the churches of England. The unceiled roof shows the rafters whose arched timbers remind one that ships' carpenters have built this house of God. This, then, is the meeting-house of 1681. What of the services conducted there? In the first place, they are well attended. And why not, since in 1635 the General Court decreed that no dwelling should be placed more than half a mile away from the meeting-house of any new "plantation"--thus eliminating the excuse of too great distance? Every one is expected, nay, commanded, to come to church. In fact, after the tolling of the last bell, the houses may all be searched--each ten families is under an inspector--if there is any question of delinquents hiding in them. REE SIDES BUT PART OF THE ORIGINAL PULPIT REMAINS AND A FEW OF THE BOX PEWS IN SIXTEEN EIGHTY ONE THE INTERIOR LIKE THE EXTERIOR IS STERNLY BARE NO PAINT NO DECORATIONS NO COLORED WINDOWS NO ORGAN OR ANYTHING WHICH COULD EVEN REMOTELY SUGGEST THE COLOR THE BEAUTY THE FORMALISM OF THE CHURCHES OF ENGLAND THE UNCEALINGED ROOF SHOWS THE RAFTERS WHOSE ARCHED TIMBERS REMIND ONE THAT SHIP'S CARPENTERS HAVE BUILT THIS HOUSE OF GOD THIS THEN IS THE MEETING HOUSE OF SIXTEEN EIGHTY ONE WHAT OF THE SERVICES CONDUCTED THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE THEY ARE WELL ATTENDED AND WHY NOT SINCE IN SIXTEEN THIRTY FIVE THE GENERAL COURT DECREED THAT NO DWELLING SHOULD BE PLACED MORE THAN HALF A MILE FROM THE MEETING HOUSE OF ANY NEW PLANTATION THUS ELIMINATING THE EXCUSE OF TOO GREAT DISTANCE EVERY ONE IS EXPECTED NAY COMMANDED TO COME TO CHURCH IN FACT AFTER THE TOLLING OF THE LAST BELL THE HOUSES MAY ALL BE SEARCHED EACH TEN FAMILIES IS UNDER AN INSPECTOR IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION OF DELINQUENTS HIDING IN THEM
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