ore of than in the hill
country of the South. There are reasons _and_ reasons for the fact. Take a
real, genuine Methodist or Baptist matron, or brother, of fifty, and they
love Christ and His cause, and do not fail to associate their love for Him
and the work with the gathering in His name. If it be possible, they will
be in attendance when "the parson" comes round. The girls love to go; some
because they, too, are learning to love the service of the Master, some
because they have no other so good opportunity to see and be seen, and
others because everybody else goes. Where the girls and young ladies are
sure to be, there the boys and young men are apt to be; and so it comes
that when the meeting, especially the "big meeting," is to be held, the
people throng. And if you want to see a genuine democracy, untainted by
any kind of aristocracy, you could not find it better illustrated than
among the hills, at meeting time, in some log "church-house." No Sir
Wonderful to claim best pew, no usher to give you the place _he_ chooses.
You come with your wife and, following the custom, she goes to the left,
you to the right. I will not describe the service. The singing varies from
a wonderful chorus of praise that lacks nothing in volume in one
neighborhood, to the nasal-twanged hymn which some incompetent leader
sings almost alone in some other community. The old songs predominate, but
any brisk moving song of work of praise or progress easily becomes a
favorite, when once it has been sung long enough so that the words and
movement are mastered by a few.

You will not be long in any big meeting or revival service before you will
hear:

"Mother has a home, sweet home,
Mother has a home, sweet home,
Mother has a home, sweet home.
Lord, I want to join the angels; beautiful home."

This is varied. Now it is Brother, Father, Preacher, or Sister who has a
home.

You may not know the tune or words, but it will not be long before you are
singing with the rest, if you are a participator or worshiper, and not
that horrid and heartless thing, a critical looker-on.

You know of the hand-shaking? If a sinner seeks to enter the Christian
life, he comes, on invitation of the minister, to shake hands at the close
of, or during, the service. And often service closes with an
all-round-hand-shake. There is a song started, like "Say, Brother, will
you meet me?" or some simple devotional hymn, and all rise and shake hands
all around,