The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-07-05
THEODORE PARKER.

FANNY Fern went recently to hear Theodore
| Parker. who entertains an audience every Sab
bath day, at the New Music Hall in Boston,
| Her impre ssions derived from the occasion are
thus stated
DO YOU call this church Well, heard .
great singer here few nights ago and bright
eyes sparkled, and waving ringlets kept time
to moving fai.ss; and opera glasses and ogling
and fashion and folly, reigped for this once
triumphant. lcant get up any devotion here
under these la,,iced balconies with their fash
ionable freight. lfit was good old church,
with cracked bell and unhewn rafters, a pine
pulpit, with the honest sun staring through the
windows, pitch pipe in the gallery, and few
hobnailed rustics scattered around on the un-
cushioned seats, should feel Alright but my
soul IL in letters here---it won't soar-its wings
are uninterrupted. Things are all too fine.
Nobody can come in at the door whose hat ard
coat and bonnet are not fashionably cut. The
poor man (minus Sunday euit) might lean on
his staff in the porch 4 long while before he d
dare venture in, to pick up his crumb Of the
breed u ife. But, thank God the unspoken
prayer Of penitence may wing its way to the
eternal throne though our mocking church
spires point only with aristocra:ic fingers to the
rich mass keacen
That hymn YVES beautifully read, there is
music in the preachers soul. Now he takes his
seat BY the reading desk-now he crosses the
platform and offers his hymn book to a female
who has Just entered. What right has he to
know there 10 woman in the house 1t isn't
clerical Let the bonnets find their own
hymns.
Well, take listening attitude, and try to
believe an, in church. hear great many
original, great many startling things said.
see the gauntlet thrown down at the dear old
orthodox Calvanistic sentiments which l nurs-
ed with my mothers milk, and which (please
Cody I'll cling to till die. see the polished
blade Of satire glittering in the air, followed by
curious, eager, youthful eyes, which gladly
see the searching i" Sword Of the Spirit" par
ried. Meaning chances, smothered smiles,
and approving mods, follow the witty clerical
sally. The orator pauses to mark the effect,
and his face says, that stroke tells and SO it
did, for the IS Athenians" are not all dead, who
sslove TO see and hear some new thing But he
has another arrow in his culver. How his
features sof.en--his voice is low and thrilling,
his imagery beautiful and touching. He
speaks Of human love, touches skillfuly a cord
to which every heart vibrates, and srernman is
struggling with his tears ere his smiles are
chased away.
O, there's intellect there; there's poetry
there there's genius there but remember
Ge,hesemane-l forgot not Calvary! know
" the rocks were rent" and the " heavens dark
cred" and the stone rolled away, and cold
chill strikes to my Heart when heard Jesus OF
Nazareth lightly mentioned
o, y hat are intellect, and poetry, and genius !;
when Jewish voice they cry, Away with
him -
With "Mary" let me battle his feet with my
tears, and wipe them with the hairs of my head
And so went away, sorrowiul that this hu
man preacher, with great intellectual posses.
sions, should yet lack the 'sone thing need
ful