Trail-Tales of Western CanadaRobinson, F. A. (Frank Alfred)
Religion
Trail-Tales of Western Canada
Robinson, F. A. (Frank Alfred)
Canadian fiction -- 20th century; Missions -- Canada, Western -- Fiction; Short stories, Canadian
It was the acceptance of the challenge to attend the "Hop" at the
Bonanza Camp that popularized the services at the Banner Mines.
[Illustration: 1. A Young Miner before his dark and dingy cabin.
2. A Mine and Bunk-house.
3. "They buried her half a mile from the camp." (see page 48).]
After the open-air meeting a number of men lounged around one of the
shacks discussing the question of religion. When one of the preachers
approached the group to invite them to the meeting in the Hall, "Smut"
Ludlow at once began to air his grievances against the Church, and to
inform the preacher that there were "more ---- rascals in the Church
than in any other organization on earth." Then Frank Stacy contributed
his bit of condemnation: "See here, preacher! The last time I was back
East, I thought I'd see what sort of a show they was still running in
yer House o' God, and so I went in. Just over the archway inside was a
fine piece of writing, something about 'the rich and the poor meeting
together, and going snooks.' I thought it sounded pretty good, so I
made myself as comfortable as I could in one of them soft seats. After
a while some dude started to play the organ, and folks dressed up fit
to kill strutted into their seats and bobbed their heads down and
pretended to say their prayers. Then I watched an old guy trying to
get his overcoat off: I mind how his other coat well-nigh come off with
it; he sure was scared when he saw his shirt sleeve, and he hustled
both his coats on again like he'd been caught stealing. Just then
somebody tapped me on the shoulder, and a coon with a silk tile in his
hand told me to sit at the back where the seats weren't rented. I went
back looking like a fool, but you bet I didn't stop for a back seat: I
decided I'd take an outside berth, and it'll be a few hundred years
before this chicken gets caught again. Rich and poor meet together,
and go snooks! It looked like it, didn't it? See here, preacher,
ain't it about time you fellers stopped talking one thing and serving
up another? The whole thing is tommy-rot, that's what I say."
[Illustration: 1. Company Houses in a Mountain Mining Town.
2. He said he was "The only gentleman in the place" (see page 34).
3. An Open-air Meeting in British Columbia Mining Camp, between shifts.
4. Miners at entrance to a British Columbia Mine.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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