Peeping through my Venetian blind, I spotted Miss Cora Covington, heading my way from Covington Hall with something in her hands.

Opening my door to greet her, I found she had a warm dewberry cobbler and a jar of dewberry “nectar,” the sweet liquid left from cooking the dewberries in sugar water.

We sat down at my tea table and went to work on the cobbler.

I mixed some of the nectar with Sprite, which made a refreshing beverage.

As we ate, we talked.

Once a year the Baraca Class of First Baptist Church, East Three-Notch, gathers for its annual steak supper.

The Baraca Class is made of the oldest men in the congregation. They meet in the chapel each Sunday morning for a Bible lesson, songs, and prayer. Martha Givhan, church organist, plays for them on the Ann Martin Memorial piano.

This year the gentlemen and their guests met Thursday, May 5, at 5:00 p.m. at Hilltop Restaurant.

Herb Carlisle organized the fellowship.

Those present included the following: Herb and Sue Carlisle, Ed and Judy Buck, Charlie Cope, Bill and Donna Ellis, David and Linda Finlin, Daniel and Virginia Frasher, Gillis (the “Combman”) and Laura Ann Jones, Carl Lambert, Bill Law, Tina Moore, Claude and Nan Pike, Kevin Price and his mother, Lucy Martin, Larry Shaw (class president), Cindy Shaw, Joe Wingard, Gordon Vickers (the church’s director of senior-adult activities), Richard Pass (long-time teacher of the class, even into his nineties), and Dr. Fred and Connie Karthaus (preacher at First Baptist).

Mr. Carlisle, on behalf of the class, presented a monetary gift to Mr. Pass for his many years of faithful service. Mr. Pass responded with a short speech of gratitude.

Terry Powell is currently teaching the class on Sunday mornings.

Miss Cora told me that our friend, Mrs. Gotrocks of Greenville, was boiling mad because of the federal government’s intention to allow a sexual mixture in public facilities.

Said she, “The federal government, one day, is going to go one step too far and reach a point where the majority of citizens will not tolerate federal actions that violate the citizens’ ideas of right and wrong, their customs, and heritage; and the citizens will simply disobey en masse, leaving the federal government a scarecrow.”

Colonel Covington at the Andalusia Lyceum spoke of the great, silent breakdown of American “law” because it will no longer be based on the will of the people.

The Colonel added, “The Federal Government sits with its arm about Sin, and Sin leans its head upon the shoulder of the Federal Government.”

I received a get-well card from the “GA”’s of First Baptist. Thank you, girls.

Once again, I ask the citizens of Andalusia to join the Covington Historical Society and pay its annual dues of $25 to help preserve the history of our county, whether you attend meetings or not. Mail to P.O. Box 1582, Andalusia, Alabama 36420.

I mentioned last week that Caroline Picking identified the mysterian, but I did not report the mysterian. She was Miss Pat Seymour.

Genia Dorman identified this week’s mysterian, Byron Vickery. Congratulations!

The new mysterian is the first counselor at Lurleen Burns Wallace Junior College.

Recent birthdays are those of James Matthew Barrie, Scottish writer of sentimental plays, most notably, Peter Pan; Edward Lear, English writer of nonsense verse and limericks; and Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan, English composer.

Sullivan wrote some fourteen operettas with W. S. Gilbert, lyricist, as well as “The Lost Chord” and “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” Three of his operettas are The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, and H. M. S. Pinafore.

Now, Gentle Reader, allow me to join Buffalo Bob Smith in encouraging each of us to be in his place of worship this weekend, Lord willing.

Fare thee well.