The Chorale sings in the original German
Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit,Which the very erudite audience that fills St. Cecilia Chapel today understands as:
Wache, fleh und bete,
Dass dich nicht die böse Zeit
Unverhofft betrete;
Denn es ist
Satans List
Über viele Frommen
Zur Versuchung kommen.
Get thyself, my soul, prepared,Emily Scharf, Mrs. Dowager, one of the tenor ringers and Zack sing the solo parts.
Watching, begging, praying,
Lest thou let the evil day
Unforeseen o'ertake thee.
For in truth
Satan's guile
Often to the righteous
With temptation cometh.
Mr. Bling of the Theology department delivers today's inspirational message. Today's topic: A Vote for Democrats is a Vote for Satan.
After the service, Roderick, Molly, Anna, Megan, Zack, Emily Scharf and Natasha gather and walk across College Road to the Old Ivy Inn for Sunday brunch. Natasha's parents agreed to pick up the check in lieu of visiting.
Roderick sits between Megan and Molly. "Where's Henry?" asks Megan.
"Natasha invited us," Roderick whispers back. "I guess Henry couldn't make it."
"Oh." Roderick notes a slight look of disappointment from Megan which he thinks is...interesting.
With Election Day coming up, conversation necessarily revolves around politics.
"I thought Mr. Blick was a little over the top today", says Emily between bites of omelet.
Everyone stares at her.
As a rule, Beauneville denizens and their campus brethren at Old Ivy do not discuss politics over meals. This is not a matter of etiquette; there is nothing wrong with discussing politics. It's more a matter of disinterest; everyone knows for whom they will vote, and that's that. Bringing up politics at a meal is like standing at the corner of Twelfth and Main and shouting 'Hey, everyone, I don't know how things work around here.' It simply isn't done.
Also, for the record, in the election of 1924 all recorded votes in Beauneville went for Coolidge. Most people in town are still for Coolidge, or for whomever they think Coolidge would endorse.
In the election of 1964, there were no votes recorded for Lyndon Johnson.
Anna is puzzled. "What is this Democrat Mr. Blick speaks about?"
Roderick proceeds to explain to Anna how American politics work, launching into a brief even-handed history about how the Democrat Party favored slavery and killing Indians, started the Civil War, imposed Jim Crow laws in the South and then, under Wilson, fired all African-Americans working for the government and promoted the Ku Klux Klan; and, on the other hand, how the party of Lincoln freed the slaves and promoted free land, the transcontinental railway, high tariffs and the Gold Standard, and how Coolidge kept everything cool. Then Hoover messed up the Republican brand by promoting big government, but Ronald Reagan won the Cold War.
Not surprisingly, Natasha marches to the beat of her own drummer. "I'm going to vote for President Obama because he supports single mothers."
"What do your mom and dad think? The President likes to demonize wealthy people." Roderick normally avoids political discussion, but is feeling Quixotic today.
"They're voting for the President, too."
"They're not concerned about higher taxes?"
"No, they have a good accountant and won't have to pay more. But they think that all the other wealthy people should pay more."
Megan chimes in. "All I care about is gun rights."
Later that evening, Roderick cuddles with Molly. "I think Megan is interested in Henry," he whispers.
Molly turns to face him. "Really?" She ponders. "Yes, I think that might be a good match. But how will you feel about losing your second girlfriend, Mr. 'I-Have-More-Girlfriends-Than-Time'?"
Roderick shrugs. "That's life, I guess. There's still Emily."
