Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1855-12-13
Ratcs of AdYerfii.nm
The Harp Of a Thousand s;trings .


We hear frequent illusions to the sermon
preached by Hard Shell Baptist somewhere in
Mississippi (on the river,) few months ago. II
lis so intensely funny that it has had great run,
and now may be said to possess "nasional rep
utssion" For the benefit of all those whohave
not had the ood luck TO meet with exercise"
We publish it:
Andhe played on the Hgrp 40 Thousand Strings
TIE Sperts Of Just Men made PeTfeck
Delivered ut Brandon, Mississippi, by Rev,
Captain OF Mississippi fiatboat:
II may say to you, my breetherng, that / am
not All edicated man, am not one of them that
beseeNes edieatlon is necessary fura gospel min
lister, for bceeve the Lord edicates his presah-r
egs jest as he wants 'em to be edicated, and al
though say il that oughn't TO say it, yet in the
; ATE of Indiana, W hsr live, thar's no man as
gifts bigger congregation nor what gits.
Thar may be some here to-day. my breetherS-
ing n don't know what persuasion I'm wv
Vel. may say toyou, my breethering that I'm
Lafd-shel, Baptis. Thar's some folks as denis
like the hard-shel Baptis, but I'd ruther hev
h3T4 Shell rs no she'll at all You see mo here to-
day, nay breetierng, dressed up in fine close; you
mout ;hiuk was proud, my breetherng, and al
though I've been a preacher of the gospel fov
twenGy Years, and although I'm capting NV that
hatbeat that lies at your landing, IA not proud
my BTeetnering
Ia not gwine TO tell YOU a9zas!y whar my ten
may be found; suffice il tn say its in the eds of
the Bible, and you Ii lind il somewhat tween the
first chapter OF the book of Generation and the
last chnpter of the book OF Revolutions, and ef
you'll go and saTch the Scripturs, as l Asye.
you'l not cn.y find nag tex thar. but q great
many CHER teTeS rs VIII do you good to road,an'
my tex when yo0 shi!i find it, you Shill find il
to read IN Us:
"lld he played harp tlog sand s;rings-sperts
NV just uIel asdc perfect"
Ay tex, breetherug, leads me TO speak ofsper-
its. now thsg's great many kinds of sperits in
the world--in the fust place, thars the sperts az
some folks calls ghosts; then ihar's the sperts of
turpen:ime; then thar's the sperits rs some folks
calls liquor, and I've got rs good art;kei of them
kind NV sperits my tlatboat as ever was fetcs~
ed down the Mississippi river; but thar's great
many other kinds OF spcrts for the tex SEE; He
played on harp of Thousand s;rings-sperits
of Just men made perfeck.'
But I'll tell you the kind of sperits is ment IN
the lex; it's ire That's the kind ofsperits 10
ment i'll the tex, nay breefherng. Now thar's q
great many kinds of fire in the world In the
fust place, thars the common sort NV fire You lite
a seSar or pipe WITH and then thar's camtro and
fox-iire, fire before you're reddy to fall back, and
ire away Faangan and many other kinds NV
tire, for the tex seq: lie played on harp of -
t'.0u-saad strings-sperits OF just men made per-
iccS.'
But III tell You the kind OF fire as is ment in
the tex, my hfeethying-fl rs hod fire an that's
the kind Nv fire rs a great many OF you'll como
to;efyou don't do better nor what you have bin
doin'--tor he played on aharp NV a thousand
stringa-spcrits NV JUST men made perfeck.' "a.
Now, the different sorts NV hre in the world
may be iikeued unto the different perbuasions in
The word. In the fust plaes We have the Pts
copaianS, AID they are hi sailin' and hi-falutin
set anu they may be likened unto u tn key bug
card that flies into the air, and he goes up and up
t.l he looks no bigger than your finger mai, and
'hc iHst hing you know, he cams down and
down and is finn hlsScif Tie harkisS of dead
hoss by the side of the road land lie played on
harp NV ttJa-saHd strings-sperils .v just
men made perieck
And then thar's the Methedis and they may
be Ekenel unto Squirrel, runnin' up into q
tree, ior the Methedis believes IL gwine from one
degree NV grace TIL another, aud finally on tn
perteckshum, and the squirrel goes up and up,
and he jGinps from linn ia linn, and the fust
thing you know he falls, and down lie Gums kerr
tiummux, and that's like the Methods, for they
is alters taliin' from grace all and-'He played
on harp OF ho"-.and s.rings--sPerits NV just
men made perteek.-'
And then, my brcsthcg.ng, thar's this Bsptis,
All! and thay hev been lkened unto possum on
n 'smDon tree, and the thunders may roll, and
the airth may quake, but the possum cngs
there still, ali An you may shake one foot
loose a2d the others thar, and YOU may shake
all feet loose and he laps his tail around the lim'
and he ciipgs fuTeyer, tor--'He played on harp
of q th2H-sa strin5s-sperits vi Just men made
peffeck -"
Here the reporter could no longer contain
himself, and his notes became entirely umntel-
gibIe.