Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-12-08
OLD SERIES VOL. 10, NO. n.
FUNNY ANEcDorE OF LORENZO DOW.

FUNNY ANECDOTE OF LORENZO DOW.
Dow was very exact in the appointments
he made TO preach, and sometimes arranged
them long way ahead. He once preached
near one of the small towns of Upper Geor
gia, and told his congregation, on that day
one year he would preach to them again!
The next season, on a Saturday afternoon,
preceding the Sabbath of the appointed time
the old man was jogging along the main
road in the direction OF his congregation. He
noticed before him stout little negro boy, OF
peculiarly active step and manner who car
ried in his hand a small tin horn, such a. are
used 10 call the people TO their meals.
The custom among many in the South is TO
| allow married men TO go TO their wifes'
houses, and children TO visit their parents on
Saturday evening, 10 stay with them on Sun
days, and as the negros are musically inclined
they carry fife or horn, or a banjo, TO
give notice of their approach, and to beguile
the way. In other cases they whistle, sing
or shout. A healthy, cheerfulnegro, of honest
intentions, uses generally some means of as
sociation, even if he is obliged 10 talk 10 him
self.
Dow, accordingly TO his usual manner, en-
tered into conversation with the boy, and
found he was about to visit the congregation
he had appointed to meet. If the truth must
be told, Lorenzo had an idea that the charac-
ter of his flock was that of a reckless froic-
some kind, careless people, upon whom it
was necessary to make very decided i'm
preston, or his time would be thrown away
among them.
"What is your name, my lad ~ asked
Dow.
"Gabrel, sir" replied the boy, lifting new
straw hat, and showing his ivory, while he
actively stepped along TO keep pace with
the preachers horse.
Can you blow upon that hornN
ooh, yes, master can toot little.'
well, let me hear you
So the negro inflated his velvet cheeks,
and made the woods resound.
'Do you know tall pine tree near the
stand of Sharon?' said Dow.
yes, that does, very well, master.'
Lorenzo then put his hand in his pocket,
and pulling out silver dollar, showed it to
the boy, and told him if he would climb up
in the pine tree before the people met at the
meeting, and keep quiet there until the
preacher called out his name, and then blow
loudly on his horn, as he had just done, he
would give him the silver dollar, if he did
not tell any body about it. The negro ex'
pressed himself highly delighted at such ar
offer, and promised punctually with secresy
On the Sabbath, a large meeting assembled
at Sharon to hear the famous Lorenzo Dow
Serious old men and their wives, wild boy
and their swee,hearts, almost all on horse
back, sometimes by twos and threes, beside
negroes from great distance, on foot, being
readily captivated by the eccentric preacher
for they love anything that has laugh at
tached TO it, for they knew that Lorenzo wa
good for joke, even if he did hit hard Dow
selected rather birthstone text, and mad
the application 10 suit, but he forced hi
way slowly among the mercnrial, heal,hiul
honest hearted people, who were hard Il
frighten. He enumerated the enormity o
the vices he thought 10 prevail, but the
they were so used to them that words sill
over them like water over 4 ducks back
At length he boldly described, in the calmes
kind of language, the appearance and charac
ter of the last great day. and what wonld b
their condition when that day came. Sup
pose,' exclaimed the preacher suddenly, am
then paused-that this were the day' h
saw that some of the women became littl
fidgety, and nudged the fellows into silenc
and attention. Suppose repeated he, eleva
ting his voice "that this day Gabriel shoul
blow his TRIUMPH
AT this moment the negro showed he wa
"a trump and from the top of the lofty pint
loud and clamorous blast overwhelmed tn
audience. The women shrieked, the me
rose in great surprise, the horses, tied rom
the camp, neighed, reared and kicked, viii
the terrified negroes changed their complies
sion to dull purple color Never was alarl
surprise and astonishment, more promptly e.
hibited.
Lorenzo Dow looked with grave but please
attention upon the successful result of his e,
pertinent, until the first clamor has subside
and some began 10 estimate the character
the artificial angel, and were about to app
little hickory after the pine B ut this su
gestion was arrested by the loud and solem
tones of the preacher, who looking very firm
ly into the faces Of his disturbed audienc
as he leaned over them to continue his di
course, impressively gemarked-'And now,
a little negro boy, with tin horn, on the tc
of a pine bush can make you feel so, no
} will you feel when the day does comeP
: Spirit Of the Times,
A lad named Charles Forster, was vel
seriously injured in Muncy, Pa, ON Tuesda
,ast by being caught by the strap of a thres
| china