I carried Toby's
fiddle, and he played pretty much as he chose all against the organ
and the singing. He was the only one they let do it, for they was a
simple-minded folk. They used to wash each other's feet up in the
attic to keep 'emselves humble: which Lord knows they didn't need.'
'How very queer!' said Una.
Pharaoh's eyes twinkled. 'I've met many and seen much,' he
said; 'but I haven't yet found any better or quieter or forbearinger
people than the Brethren and Sistern of the Moravian Church in
Philadelphia. Nor will I ever forget my first Sunday - the service
was in English that week - with the smell of the flowers coming in
from Pastor Meder's garden where the big peach tree is, and me
looking at all the clean strangeness and thinking of 'tween decks
on the Embuscade only six days ago. Being a boy, it seemed to me
it had lasted for ever, and was going on for ever. But I didn't
know Toby then. As soon as the dancing clock struck midnight
that Sunday - I was lying under the spinet - I heard Toby's fiddle.
He'd just done his supper, which he always took late and heavy.
"Gert," says he, "get the horses. Liberty and Independence for
Ever! The flowers appear upon the earth, and the time of the
singing of birds is come.
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