124 HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL SKETCH OF 



that parish ; but as this is foreign to the history of 

 Craven County, we shall not notice it here. 



After a service of about ten years Mr. Snowden 

 retired from the rectorship of the church, and was 

 succeeded by the Rev. D. J. Campbell, who died at 

 his post in 1840. The churches were then vacant 

 for nearly three years, until, in 1842, they were filled 

 by the present worthy and efficient rector, Mr. W. 

 Dehon, who is assisted by the Rev. C. P. Gadsden.' 



In the olden time a sermon was preached every 

 Sunday morning. In the afternoon the congrega- 

 tion re-assembled, and evening prayers were read. 

 No sermon followed ; none was expected ; I may 

 add, none was desired. 



In most country churches there is some difficulty 

 about singing. Many, who can sing, shrink from 

 the notoriety of assuming the functions of chorister, 

 and very often the office is discharged by one who 

 has no merit beyond his zeal to recommend his per- 

 formance. This difficulty was generally experienced 

 in Pineville, and the whole service was frequently 

 performed without music. Old Capt. Palmer, the 

 patriarch of the village, certainly possessed no mu- 

 sical talents, but he had zeal, and fancied that he 

 could accomplish the hundredth psalm. This was, 

 accordingly, the standing psalm of the morning ; 

 and the old chorister, taking courage from his suc- 

 cess, would, at times, boldly undertake other pieces 



' Mr. Gadsden is now Assistant Rector of St, Philip's Church, Charleston. 



