Quincy Adams Sawyer and Masons Corner Folks | Page 9

the best dressmaker in Cottonton.
As she took her place at the piano and ran her fingers over the keys, she,
too, came in for a liberal round of applause. Professor Strout bowed to
the audience, then turning his back upon them, he stood with baton
uplifted facing the chorus and waiting the advent of the town
committee. Every eye in the audience was fixed upon the programme.
It contained the information that the first number was an opening
chorus entitled, "Welcome to the Town Committee," written and
composed by Professor Obadiah Strout and sung for the first time with
great success at the last annual concert.
The door at the rear of the platform was opened again and Deacon
Abraham Mason, the Rev. Caleb Howe, and Mr. Benoni Hill, the
members of the town committee on singing school, entered. Deacon
Mason was accompanied by Quincy Adams Sawyer, and all eyes were
fastened on the couple as they took their seats at the right of the

platform, the Rev. Mr. Howe and Mr. Hill being seated on the left.
Quincy Adams Sawyer in appearance and dress was a marked contrast
to the stout, hardy, and rugged young farmers of Eastborough. He had
dark hair, dark eyes, and a small black mustache curled at the ends. His
face was pallid, but there was a look of determination in the firmly set
jaw, resolute mouth, and sharp eye. He wore a dark suit with Prince
Albert coat. Upon one arm hung an overcoat of light-colored cloth. He
wore light-brown kid gloves and in one hand carried a light-colored
Kossuth hat.
As soon as the committee and their guest had taken their seats,
Professor Strout tapped upon his music stand with his baton and the
members of the Eastborough Singing Society arose to their feet with
that total disregard of uniformity and unanimity of motion that always
characterizes a body of undrilled performers. Each girl was obliged to
look at her own dress and that of her neighbor to see if they were all
right, while each fellow felt it absolutely necessary to shuffle his feet,
pull down his cuffs, pull up his collar, and arrange his necktie. Despite
the confusion and individual preparations the chorus took the opening
note promptly and sang the "Welcome to the Town Committee" with a
spirit and precision which well merited the applause it received. The
words were not printed on the programme, but they conveyed the idea
that the members of the singing class were very much obliged to the
town committee for hiring a singing-master and paying his salary. Also
that the members of the chorus had studied hard to learn to sing and
would do their best that evening as a return for the favors-bestowed
upon them by the town.
Professor Strout then advanced to the edge of the platform and called
the attention of the audience to the second number upon the programme
which read, "Address by Abraham Mason, Esq." Prof. Strout added that
by special request Deacon Mason's remarks would relate to the subject
of "Education." The Deacon drew a large red bandanna handkerchief
from his pocket, wiped the perspiration from his forehead, blew his
nose vigorously, and then advanced to the centre of the platform near
the music stand.

"I dote on eddikation," he began; "it makes the taxes high; I've lived in
this town man and boy more'n fifty year and I never saw them anythin'
but high." A general laugh greeted this remark. "But when I'm in town
meetin' I allus votes an aye to make our schools as good as those found
in neighborin' towns, and none of them are any too good. For my
political actions I'm proud to give my grounds, for I never cast a vote
that I was ashamed to give my reasons for." A burst of applause
followed this declaration.
"Years back when I was young, we had no modern notions. We had to
be satisfied with the three R's, Readin', 'Ritin', and 'Rithmetic, and
larnin' was dealt out in rather meagre potions, 'bout three months in the
winter after the wood was cut, sawed and split, and piled up in the
wood-shed. We allus had to work in the summer, make hay and fill the
barn in, and not till winter come could get a speck of larnin,' and then it
took most of our time to pile wood into the stove and settle our
personal accounts with the teacher." An audible titter ran through the
audience at this sally. "And yet when I was young, though this
community was rather behind in letters, no people in the land could say
they were our betters. But now the world is changed, we live without
such grubbin', learn Latin, French, and Greek, how to walk