Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1853-01-27

this peculiar ordeal, who inclines to enter
the ministry, and there are no tradition:
in the church more entertaining than those
which tell how the ministers who are now
burning and Shining lights, made theil
first awkward and unpromising exhibit
before Presbytery:.
| The call being made by the presiding
officer, three persons arose to their feet
OF the first and second, it will be unneces.
sary here to speak. The third had stood
partly concealed in dark corner of the
room, while the others were relating the
particulars which induced the Presbytery
to accept them as probationers; but now
he stepped forward and faced the moder-
ator. His appearance excited univer-
sal start of surprise even among that un-
sophisticated audience, accustomed to
great peculiarities of dress and rudencss
OF manner. Let the reader imagine per-
son dressed in what is styled copperaS
cIoth-that is, a cloth home-spun, home
woven, home cut and home-sewed, dyed
in that bilious hue which is formed by
copperas, alum and walnut bark, and
made into coat, vest and breeches.
To this add brogans of home tanned
red leather, tied with a leather thong,
covering immense feet, made (both feet
and brogans) for climbing hills, and you
have the portrait of q n1ot0tain doy.--
Able at full run to scale bluff, to live
upon the proceeds Of his rifle for support
and to whip any low-land fellow in the
State. Such was the person who left his
dark corner and came into the full blaze
Of the pine-knot fire. He was weeping
bitterly, and having no handkerchief, the
primitive arrangement for such cases pro-
vided was necessarily adopted. He stood
silent for moment, every beholder await
ing with intense curiosity the announce
ment Of his business; then clearing his
throat commenced-I'vec come to Presby
-,' but a new food of tears imped-
cd his efforts to speak. The moderator
kindly remarked, and what did you
come to Presbytery for, my good friend ?
Take your own time and tell us all about
it; don't be alarmed; be seated; nobody
will hurt you; come now, tell US what you
come to Presbytery for" The stranger
was emboldened by this to commence a.
gain, even the third and fourth time, but
could never proceed further than I've
come to Presby--,' and the storm of
his soul prevailed.
Here one of tho members suggested
that he had better retire with some one
and communicate his wishes privately, for
as yet no persons imagined his true er
rand, but rather supposed that he was la
boring under some spiritual difficulty,
which he would needs have settled by the
meeting. But to this hint he resolutely
demurred, replying, that he'd get his
voice 'dreckly, please God;' and SO he
did, and he rose up, straighting his gaunt,
awkward form, and then such words as
passed his lips, had never before rung
through that assembly.
| shall not attempt, nor could [ do it,
for want Of report, to quote his own
language; but the oldest minister present
declared, years afterward, that they
sc0rcIted and b1srnt a0lsereUer they teN A
sketch of his subject will be sufficient
here 1t seems that he had lived all his
days in ignorance and sin, without an
hours schooling, without any training,
either for this world or the next, without,
any knowledge of the affairs of humani-
ty, having sprung up like one of the
,edars on his own mountains, and with
as little cultivation. Thus he had passed
more than twenty years, laboring in an
humble way for support, and at times
pursuing the pleasures ana prontS OF the
chase
A few months back, he had accident
ally fallen in with travelling preacher,
who had lost his way among the noun
aims, and, by several miles travel, had
set him in the track.
The minister, interested at the oddity
IF his appearance and his intense igno-
'ance Of everything religious, devoted the
lour to sketch of this worlds condition
buried in sin, his own perilous state, and
he value of his immortal soul, and con-
.luded by kneeling with him, at the root
If tree, and pleading with God for bis
piritual regeneration. They parted, and
net no more, but the influence of that
meeting parted not The spirit which
ictated the mans effort, abode hencefor-