Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-04-17
B I o G. R A Ip M Y.
TheOd dOre Parker.
A few miles ou, Of Boston, Just

would attract the eye OF genuine lover
Of Nature and natural beauty. Ii is not
characterized by splendor and ostenta.
ton, ior no pompous cotton merchant
or retired rumseller occupies it. Ii is
plain and yet beautiful, unpretending
and yet spacious. II is surrounded by
shrubs and trees, and flowers Of every
hue, and the most delightful fragrance,
in the summer time. Should you chance,
some early May.morning, TO wander
past this pleasant spot, very likely in the
gaIden you will see a man in plain
smock .fock, hard nt work. He is rather
short in stature, rather slender in frame,
and, if you catch glance Of his eye,
you will at once entertain a serious
doubt if the man be by profession q gar.
dener. Let him lift tho wide straw hat
from his perspiring bro W TO catch cool
breeEc, and you know at once that he is
no Vbmmon cultivator OF tho SOIL
Theodore Parker is before you. The beau.
tiful dwelling is his, and his own hands
have contributed to the lovelincss which
surrounds it.
Theodore Parker is one of the noblest
man this age can boast. No sham ever
yet could find lodgment in his brain
or heart. He abhors the false, and loves
the true and manly. Not particle OF
vul gar gentility, not grain Of arstocrat.
ic feeling was ever in him, or ever can
get into him. He estcems a man just
according to his moral and intellectual
worth--for what he does or aims TO do.
He loves men because they are men +:
not because they are white, or rich, or
or can trace their genealogy back five
hundred years. An outrage upon the
rights of a poor negro in the streets ol
Boston stirs the blood as quickly in his
heart as if it had been committed upon
the person Of the Governor of the Com
monwealth. A wrong perpetra!ed upon
wretched drunkard's wife or child,
awakens the thunder Of his eloquence,
when, if inflicted upon the strong or
rich, he would have kept silent. 1t is
gigantic manhood in Theodore Parker
which forces US TO love and admire him.
In spite Of his infdelity, which SO often
stariles and shocks us, we sit down in
voluntarily at his feet to listen to his
great words, his outrageous utlerance
against the most hearlless and cruel op
preston. We receive not one word o
his inidelity. To US, Christ is not mere
ly tine greatest man that ever lived, bu
is vastly more to us the Bible is not ,
; book crammed with errors--the miracles
exaggerations and yet to many Of thos
who would cruelty Mr.. Parker we in
. dignantly cry: "It is not for you to de
. nounce this man; you who, in you
lives each day trample Jesus Christ ant
the Bible under your feet you wht
J would refuse a cup Of cold water Il
your "Lord and Master" ran there il
. his veins drop of African blood p
| The manliness of Mr.. Parker is ap
. parent in his daily life. A shoemake
, upon his bench, if heart.nobe, is t.
l him richer than Abbot Lawrence, wit
S his acres Of cotton mills country far
. mer, in his fragrant clover.felds, thoug|
( oflimited knowledge if he be possessed Q
a generous heart and firm integrity, is il
/. his eyes Of greater worth than DAME
+ Webster, using his great intellect t
!, perpetuate oppression. No man viii
| deny that Mr.. Parker is one Of the mos
, remarkable men Of our time, and tha
his influence is exceedingly powerful.
y The personal appearance of Theodo'
Parker is not markable, and yet tn
7. observing man will discover indication
IS Of his wonderful genius in his face
d He is slightly under the average his|
1t Of men, rather spare in flesh, has
1. partially bald head, a fine, compa
At brow, and flashing eye. His feature
l. are rather small, and his organization
a, of the finest mould. There is delicat
y in his nervous system, which is indicate
Is by the fiueness OF his hair just tn
: amount Of delicacy which is necessa
le to make nervous and intense writer ar
n, speaker. \ man with the system of
W Tom Hyer cannot become great orato
IN He cannot himself feel intensely, cann
C. understand the subtler methods Of reac
- ing the souls Of man.
er People who have read the sermons
10, Mr.. Parker are usually disappointed
an hearing him preach or lecture. He
er not an accomplished orator; in an Q
Ill dinary discourse is altogether TOO lii
it less, too devoid Of gesture. But he h
voice Of exceeding beauty, and he ca
when he chooses, charm an audience
to his striking and fascinating gestures a
to manner. Occasionally in his sermoI
'e. from the bold and magnificent, from |
'st intensely passionate, he suddenly glic
- into the calmly beautiful. The contr
Ter at such times is almost overpowerir
cs, and the heart Of the listener is touch
'g' as by the voice Of an angel. The p
Dr. lures Of strange and quiet loveline
ST. which nestle among the grand mounta
'g. Of his discourses, are not surpassed
ost poetic beauty in the writings Of any !
he ing clergyman. The fact is, Theod
a Parker is poet. He has the inte
ht. and consuming FIRE he has also
nd gentleness and the love Of true pr
lch He isno rhymer, for the reformer Of tn
in. times has not time for measured sent
'ie. ces, when the land is in danger of RI
ry. A majority Of the sermons Of