The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-01-18

| the prayer was SAID, the sermon delivered III
the preachers best style. He dwelt par
ticularly on the requirements of the great
precepts of brotherly love; upon the beauty
ofuniyersal benevolence; on the pleasures
which arises not only from clothing the naked
and feeding the hungry, but from attention
TO the minute and graceful courtesies and
charities of life, by which the thorny paths
are sofened and adorned In the language
of the critics in such matters, 'Sthere was not
a dry eye in the place, the appeal had found
its way to every heart"
All Mackay's immediate neighbors were
sensibly affected; he wept with them; the
big tears chased each other down his cheek.
But while every one was busy with their
handkerchief wiping away the water that
| the orator, like a second Moses, had, by the
strokes of his eloquence, caused to gush
] from their finty hearts, Mack held his arms
stiff and strait while half glass suffused his
| face. He riggled, fdgeted, looked confused
and interesting, but raised no hand, search
ed for no handkerchief and seemed TO be in
deep distress. At length young widow
lady, who sat beside him, remarked that he
was i'll at case and Heaven bless the female
heart! il always melts at any mysterious sor-
row., afetr one or two downcast looks and
j futtering pauses, she said, in an under tone,
pray, sir, is there anything the matter with
you? You appear to be unwell.'
.Ah. madam breathed Mackay,in whis-
per, 4 am poor paralysis, and have lost the
use of my arms. Though my tears have
flowed in answer to the touching sentiments
ofthe pastor, have not the power to wipe
them away
In an instant fair hand was thurst into a
reticule and whittier handkerchief, scented
with otto of roses, was applied to Mackay's
eyes. The fair Samaritan, seeming to rejoice
in this first opportunity of practising what
had been. so recently preached, appeared to
polish them with right good will. When
she had done, Mackay looked unutterables
obligations, but whispered that she would,in-
crease them thousand-fosd if she would, as
F, it wanted it very much, condescend to wipe
his nese. The novelty of the request was
thought nothing of: the widow was proud Of
the pfomptitude she had displayed in succor-
ing the distressed and to person who had
done one kind action the second seems all
ways easy. Her white hand and still winter
handkerchief, were raised TO Mackay's cut
water: but the moment it was completely en-
veoped in the folds of the cambria, he
rave such sneaze as made tlseMslsle cae.ss==s'
lring-it was, in fact, more ike aneigh. The
minister paused in giving out the hymn; the
/ deacons put on their spectacles to see what
could be the matter; and in instant, every
eve was turned upon Mackay and the fair
Samaritan, the latter of whom being so intent
upon her object, or so COMPOUNDED by the
general notoriety she had acquired, still con-
yulsvely grasped tie nose.
There were hundreds of persons in that
church who knew Mackay and his propen-
lsites well, and single glance was sufficient
Ito convince them that a successful hoax had
been played for their amusement. A gene
raj litter ran round the place, mods and becks
and wreathed smiles were the order of the
day. Men held down their heads, and laugh
led: and the ladies had to stuff the scented
cambria into their mouths, which had been
so recently applied 10 the sparkling fountain
above.
AT length something like order was res
tored, the hymn sung, the blessing given
amid stifed noises of various kinds, when
the congregation rose 10 depart. The wild
low, up to this point, feelngly strong in the
CONSCIOUSNESS of'having per ormed virtu-
Gus acting upona good-looking face, needed
not the gaze ofthe curious nor the smiles O
the mirthful; but what was her astonishmen
when Mackay arose from bis seat, lifted VI
one of his pasalytic hands, and took his ha
E from peg above his head, and with the 9th
er began searching his coat-pocket for hi:
: gloves. Though the unkindest cut of al
was yet 10 come, for Mackay having drawn
them on, and opened the pew door, tuned
) and put this question: in tone the most insin
uatng, but still loud enough for fifty person
f to hear.
i III is not, madam,a much greaterpleasur
/ to operate upon fine looking Roman nos
r like mine, than upon such queer little snul
: as you haven