MEMORIES OF THE 



line of the gallery seats next to the chorister, and she was looked 

 upon with envy, not to say jealousy and malice, by all the other 

 ladies in the gallery and very many in the congregation below. 

 Bitter personal feuds that lasted for a lifetime came from the 

 fierce competition for these positions. 



Sometimes there would spring up rival factions, and each 

 one would have its choice for chorister. These disputes were 

 generally settled before the rupture was open and disgraceful, 

 but occasionally the trouble resulted in an open split in the 

 choir and the election of two choristers. Then there was 

 trouble indeed, and it was not confined to the choir alone, but 

 was taken up and participated in by the whole congregation. 



I remember one occasion when two choristers jumped for the 

 head of the line at the opening of the services, like two rival 

 chairmen at a political convention, and came to a clinch in the 

 gallery, just over the minister's head. One was Mr. William 

 Fassett, a well-known, popular gentleman of the town, and the 

 other Mr. John Waite, a man of standing and character, but 

 having just enough John Bull in his make-up to allow nobody to 

 usurp what he thought to be his rights. Fassett was the stronger 

 of the two, and in the clinch was about to drop Waite over the 

 gallery railing onto the head of the minister in the pulpit below. 

 Waite was not prepared for this, and rather give up his place in 

 the gallery than to be landed in the pulpit with the preacher, so 

 cried out, " Be'ave ! Mr. Fassett, be'ave ! " Mr. Fassett did 

 " be'ave," but Brother Waite had to take a back seat thereafter. 



The donation was an occurrence to which all looked forward 

 with pleasure. It was the one gathering of the whole winter 

 that brought all the good people together. The attendance was 

 not confined to the members and patrons of the church presided 



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