ous jollification, and the courses of the bullets are left to
chance, so that discreet people keep their noses indoors. Christmas is a
day of license, of general indulgence, it being tacitly assumed that
punishment is remitted for any ordinary sins of the flesh that may be
committed on that day. There is no church festivity, nor are Christmas
trees ever set up. Few mountain children hang up their stockings, and
many have never heard of Santa Claus.

New Year's Day is celebrated with whatever effervescence remains from
Christmas, and in the same manner; but generally it is a feeble
reminder, as the liquid stimulus has run short and there are many sore
heads in the neighborhood.

Most of the mountain preachers nowadays denounce dances and
"play-parties" as sinful diversions, though their real objection seems
to be that such gatherings are counter-attractions that thin out the
religious ones. Be that as it may, they certainly have put a damper on
frolics, so that in very many mountain settlements "goin' to meetin'" is
recognized primarily as a social function and affords almost the only
chance for recreation in which family can join family without restraint.

Meetings are held in the log schoolhouse. The congregation ranges
itself, men on one side, women on the other, on rude benches that
sometimes have no backs. Everybody goes. If one judged from attendance
he would rate our highlanders as the most religious people in America.
This impression is strengthened, in a stranger, by the grave and
astoundingly patient attention that is given an illiterate or nearly
illiterate minister while he holds forth for two or three mortal hours
on the beauties of predestination, free-will, foreordination,
immersion, foot-washing, or on the delinquencies of "them acorn-fed
critters that has gone New Light over in Cope's Cove."

After an _al fresco_ lunch, everybody doggedly returns to hear another
circuit-rider expound and denounce at the top of his voice until late
afternoon--as long as "the spirit lasts" and he has "good wind." When he
warms up, he throws in a gasping _ah_ or _uh_ at short intervals, which
constitutes the "holy tone." Doctor MacClintock gives this example: "Oh,
brethren, repent ye, and repent ye of your sins, ah; fer if ye don't ah,
the Lord, ah, he will grab yer by the seat of yer pants, ah, and held
yer over hell fire till ye holler like a coon!"

During these services there is a good deal of running in and out by