Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-09-28
Lady preacher...The Rev. Miss brown.


One of the distinguished features Of the recer
female gathering in New York city was the preach
inc of the Rev Miss Antoinette l.. Brown,
at metropolitan Hall, on Sunday morning the At
inst This lady has been regularly educated to
the ministry, and is the pastor OF an "orthodo
church y somewhere in the N nth. correspon
dent of the Home Journal gives the following ac
count of the preacher and the sermon:
."Of course" begins the write, "the audlenc
was kept waiting The service was ADVERTISE
to begin at balfpast ten: it did begin at fve min
utes to eleven. Miss Brown brought no Bible o
Hymn book with her. and the Bible Society hav
ing overlooked Metropolitan Hall, in its tours o
distribution, she was compelled to send one Ct ne
friends to borrow the indispensable books from tn
audience. Hence, the delay. OF course, too, tn
assembly was very large one. DR.. johnson uset
to say that nothing was easier than to draw
crowded house; let man announce his intention
10 preach standing on his head, and thousands vii
assemble to see him do it. Miss Browns audi
ence, however, was an unusually plain, solid, re
spectacle looking one, with a smaller sPrinkline
Of the towns floating population than might have
been expected. A few people present employ ed
the half hour of delay in reading newspapers, o.
in conversation; but the great majority comportet
themselves with the usual decorum.
1.-The cergywonan entered, at length, followed
by select number of adherents; among whom
was Lucy Stone, in Bloomers Of black Grape oyel
white, Lucretia Mott, in the Quaker attire, and
a Mr. Bureigh, who INDUCES in very long curls
and looks, consequently, like fool. The Rev.
Miss Brown is a tall, well-formed, good looking
woman, with extremely fine auburn hair, and q
graceful carriage. She wore black silk dress,
with loose sleeves, white under sleeves, and a
pointed collar fastened with gold pin in The form
of cross She was further decorated with gold
watch and chain both of which were visible to the
naked eye. Her getting.up generally was taste
full and elegant, and she looked like lady. The
sef-possession of these lady orators is extraordina
ry. The reverend Miss sat in the gaze of that
vast assembly with as perfect an appearance of
composure as though she were entertaining her
own parishoners at her own parsonage. She rose
and politely hoped that clergymen, and any one
else who wished it, would feel free TO take seats
upon the PLATFORM an invitation which was at
once accepted by considerable number. AS soon
IS the bustle of this movement had subsidized, she
again rose and said Let US begin the services OF
the morning by singing the-hymn of the Wes-
leyan Collection She read the hymn with due
emphasis and good discretion; the tune was set
by one of her friends upon the stage, and sung by
the audience sitting. She has clear, musical
voice, and though not superior in power to the
female voice generally, it was heard without much
difficulty in the distant parts of the room. Her
manner of reading is unaffected and elective
The services were continued by her reading the
well known chapter in Corinthians, upon charity,
which she delivered with marked and judicious
emphasis. The prayer which followed was long,
and fervently uttered, and the people listened to
it without kneeling, standing, bending, or in any
way indicating sense Of the fact, that it was not
addressed to them. Another hymn. and she be-
gan her sermon-which was in manuscript. A
little Yankee contrivance enabled her to extempo-
rize convenient desk. She took hat from the
stage, placed it upon the table, covered the hole
where the head is inserted with palmleaf fan,
laid her sermon upon the fan, and proceeded calm
ly and deliberately to read. Could any man, on
his first appearance, have performed SO novel
preliminary with such coolness and success?
"The text was: DO not this abominable thing
which hate ; but the fair and reverend speaker
dwelt particularly upon the mean and despicabte
nature of sin. This was Characteristic Of her as
woman for, women generally are more alive TO
the meanness, than the turpitude. of doing wrong
Nor were the sins selected by Miss Brown for
special annadversion, of that fragrant character
which might have been expected from the strong
language of the text. After enforcing the self
evident and universally known truth, that the
moral quality of an action is not affected by the
opinions of society, she brought all her force tc
bear upon the denunciation of tale-bearing. scan
da, avarice guttony drinking, pride Of caste. and
prejudice against people of color. Drinking, she
declared to be an arstocratic practice, and one
sanctioned by the august example of kings and
presidents Miss Brown is evidently not aware
that the class Of persons who are commonly sneer
ed at as 'the arstocracy, are, as class, more alb
stemious in eating, more temperate in drinking
more regardful of cleanliness, than any other
This fact cannot be considered of any great credit
| to them. Having every thing at their command
they (like confectoners' apprentices) rarely in
dulge in those hurtful luxures, which lose thei
charm as soon as they become perfectly accessible
The latter half of the sermon was devoted to ar
exposition of the beauty of a virtuous character
The fair preacher expressed the opinion, that th'
essential quality of virtue is usefulness. prefer
however, to believe, that the attainment OF disin
terestedness is merely the preliminary step to
career of virtue. The Good lay down self as th'
initiation fee, which simply admits them to the Or
| Der of the Excellent.
"During the first quarter of an hour, Mis-
Brown held the attention of the audience perfect
ly. After that there was some listlessness, and
! few persons kept leaving the house. But occa
sionally, when she recited, in her correct and i'm
pressive way, poetical quotation, or when sh
brought out humorous illustrations, OF exhbite'
touch of feminine vehemence, the silence ant
attention of the house were restored. The ser
mon was remarkable for not being remarkable
There was not grain of instruction in it. It as
serted much, took much for granted, but explain
ed nothing, threw light on nothing. 1t was no
false enough to be Spicy and not true enough t
be beneficial. Miss Brown, forgetful of the chap
ter she had read, was not charitable in speaking
of weak, great, perplexed, glorious, maligned hu
man nature She thinks that most people are Ii
very bad way Perhaps they are. But it hat
been observed, that those have most power i
helping people out Of their bad way, who dwel
most frequently and most fondly upon the goo
and hopeful aspects Of character-who, in shor
keep the little leaven' working, and let the lump
alone. Upon the whole, one would naturally cor
clude from this effort, that the task of enlighter
ing the public by means of public addresses is on
which women may be allowed to 'shirk' wi'hou
nublic detrimept. KENT"
eS- This brief but beautiful passage occurs in
late article in Frazier's Magazine :-Educatio
does not commence with the alphabet. 1t begin
with a mothers looks-with fathers nod Of al
probation or sign of reproof-with sisters ger
tie pressure of the hand, or brothers. noble al
of forbearance-wth handsfal Of flowers in gree
and daisy meadow-with birds nests admired b,
not touched-with creeping ants and almost in
perceptible eminets-with humming bees and glas
bee-hves-with pleasant walks and shady lant
-aud with thoughts directed in sweet and kindl
tones, and words to mature to acts of benevolenc'