. Life and reminiscences from birth to manhood of Wm. G. Johnston . s a large uncovered woodenplatform with steps on three sides leading up to of about five stone steps each led to the doors ofthe side aisles. These were boxed in and roofed only thing approaching ornamentation I have re-served for my final description. Looking up to the far-away ceiling, I yet see at each corner of a quadranglewhere were located air vents, circles a yard or more indiameter. These were painted in semblance of the vaultof heaven, blue, and studded with gilded stars; so as Igazed, my child fan
. Life and reminiscences from birth to manhood of Wm. G. Johnston . s a large uncovered woodenplatform with steps on three sides leading up to of about five stone steps each led to the doors ofthe side aisles. These were boxed in and roofed only thing approaching ornamentation I have re-served for my final description. Looking up to the far-away ceiling, I yet see at each corner of a quadranglewhere were located air vents, circles a yard or more indiameter. These were painted in semblance of the vaultof heaven, blue, and studded with gilded stars; so as Igazed, my child fancy was often enraptured. From ,acentral circle, thrice as large, and similarly adorned, hungan immense glass chandelier, the present of GeneralJames OHara. This was indeed elegant, rather too muchso to be in keeping with the extreme plainness of all elsesurrounding. At night, when its double row of tallsperm candles were lighted, there was a dazzling bril-liance from its myriad of crystals; and at a later daywhen gas was introduced, the effect was yet more strik-. The Great Chandelier. 173 ing. I was not alone in my admiration, for, judging fromremarks sometimes heard, it was accounted as among theseven wonders of the world,—more astonishing than any-thing seen by the Queen of Sheba when she visitedSolomon. For further lighting, besides two oil lamps on the pul-pit, at frequent intervals along the aisles, close to theends of pews and reaching a few feet above them, wereturned cherry posts on the tops of which were glassglobes shaped like the hand lanterns which were com-monly carried on the streets at night, and in these for in-tended illumination were candles. Eyesight must havebeen better then than now, else, with such dim lights,how was it possible to read hymns, when both printingand paper were so greatly inferior to that in books nowin use? But the people, and not the venerable pile of brickand mortar, constituted the church; and drawing uponthe stores of my remembrance,
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