Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-05-10
miscellaneous.
Public Rebuke.
ArrcDorE OF JUDGE WHITE.

On a certnln uny hummer OF lawyers anu
literary men were together in the town of
Knoxville, and conversation turned upon
preachers aud preaching. One and another
had expressed his opinion of this aud that
pulpit orator, aud when they had done
Judge White spoke up
well, gentlemen, on this subject, each
man is of course entitled to his own opin-
ion; and l must confess that Father Axley
brought me TO n sense ofsevil deeds, at least
n portion of them, more efIectually than any
other preacher l ever heard
AT this, every eye aud ear was turned, for
Judge White was never known TO speak
lightly on religious subjects, aud moreover
was babitualy cautious and respectful in
his remarks upon religious men. The com
pany now expressed the most urgent de sire
that the Judge should give the particulars,
and expectation stood on tip-toe.
Il went up one evening" said the Judge,
10 the Methodist church. A sermon was
preached by clergyman with whom ] was
not acquainted, but Father Axley was in tho
pulpit. AT the close of the sermon he arose
aud said to the congregation :-'I an not
going To detain you by delivering nm exhor-
tation--I have risen merely to administer re-
buke for improper conduct, which have OBJ
served here Tonight This of course Wink
ed up the entire assembly, aud the stiffness
wos profound, while Axley stood and looked
for several seconds over the congregation
Then stretching out his large long arm, and
pointing with his fingers steadily in one di-
reoiion, he said, Now l calculate that those
two young men who were talking in that
corner of the house, while the brother was
preaching, think that ] an going to talk
about them Well, IL is true 1t looks bad
when well dressed young men, who you sup.
pose to belong TO respectable families, come
10 the house Of God, aud instead of rever-
encng the majesty Of Him that dwelleih
therein, or attending TO the message of his
everlasting love, get together in one corner
of the house, ibis finger at all times point
ing steady and straight rs the aim of rifle
man,) and there through the whole solemn
service keep talking, tittering, laughing, and
giggling, thus annoying the minister, and
disturbing the congregation, aud shining
against God. am sorry for The young men.
an sorry for their parents. i am sorry
they have done so to night. hope they
will never do SO again. But however, thut's
not the thing was going TO talk about. Ii
is another matter, SO important that thought
il would be wrong to suffer the congrega-
ton to depart without administering suita-
bic rebuke. Now s0id he, stretching his
arm aud pointing in another direction, per-
haps that man, who was asleep on the bench
out there while the brother was preaching,
thinks that aln going TO talk about him.
must confess that il looks very bad for man
TO come into worshipping assembly, aud
instead of taking q seat and listening TO the
blessed gospel, carelessly stretching himself
out Oh a bench and going to sleep. 1t is not
only proof of great insensibllhy with re-
gard to the obligations which we owe to our
Creator and Redeemer, hut il shows want
of general breeding. IL shows that the poor
man has been so unfortunate in his bringing
np as not to have been tqught good man
pers. He don't know what is polite and re-
speciful in worshipping assembly, IL
which he Genes TO nlingle. am sorry fol
the family to which he belongs. Pm sorry
he did not know better. nope lac vii
never do SO again. But, however, this is no
what was going to talk about Thus Faith
or Axley went on for some time, 'boXing hh
compass,' hitting u number of persons an'
practices that he was not going to talk about
and hitting hard, Till the attention and curl
osi,y Of the audience was raised to the high
est pitch, when finally he remurked:-
'Iho thing of which ! was going TO talk
was ehe,cing tobacco, Now | do hope whel
any gentleman comes TO church, who can
keep from using tobacco during the hours o
worship, that he will just take his hat aud uS
it for a spit-box! You all know we ar
Methodists. You all know that our custom
is TO kneel when we pray. Now any gentle
man may SEQ in moment how exceedingl.
inconvenieni il must be for well dressed
Methodist lady to be compelled to knee
down in puddle of tobacco-spit'
Now, said Judge White, at this time
had in my mouth au uncommon large quiz
of tobacco. Axley's singular manner an
train of remarks strongly arrested my al
tention. While he was stirring to the rigl
and leit, hitting those things that he was nc
going TO talk about, my curiosity was busy I
find out what he could be aiming ut. wa
chewing my large quid and splitting wit
much rapidiiy, aud looking up AT the preach
or to catch every word aud gesture--whe
at last he pounced upon tobacco, behold
there had great puddle OF tobacco spit
quietly slipped the quid from my mout
aud dashed il as far as / could under til
seats, and resolved never again TO be f0un
chewing tobacco in a Methodist church.