Book Quotes: To Seats Prepared Above

From A Woman's Civil War by Cornelia Peake McDonald (page 78):

The girls have had some amusing adventures. While boarding in Lynchburg with a party of refugees, they began to perceive that the people were not as kindly disposed to refugees as they were in other places, and even displayed their disapproval when the wanderers ventured to occupy their pews in church.

One Sunday in the Rev. Mr. Kimble's church a party of these girls had seated themselves when the pastor rose and said that the congregation were incommoded by having their seats occupied by strangers, and that for the future the refugees would find seats in the galley. On this they all rose and went to the gallery.

After they were seated the pastor gave out the hymn. His selection proved a very unfortunate one, being "Rise my soul and stretch thy wings," when the two last lines of the first stanza were read.

"Haste my soul; Oh! haste away
To seats prepared above."

There was a titter in the gallery, and the faces of pastor and congregation reddened perceptibly.

The next Sunday a church warden met the refugees at the door and invited them into the pews, but the girls told them they preferred "The seats prepared above."