Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-08-08

having found 4 very good seat for hearing the
sermon, at the low price of S1.O0. She de-
scribes the procession:
"At about eleven O'Clock, a procession
formed some place, marched out of the side
door and in at the middle door in 'front.' The
leaders had to stop to have their candles rclit,
and with candles burning, two gold crosses
and one silver one, they all marched up the
middle aisle in solemn silcnce. There were
about sixteen of those pointed caps with split
tops, and such dresses! !-scarlct, gold and en-
broidcry No two of the bishops dresses were
exactly alike; and again Bishop O'Connor had
the advantage. His tall pointed cap was a
glittering white, as if overaid with spun glass,
while most of them were gilt; and as he has a
really intellectual looking head, and we did
not get full length view of him, he was not
so totally disfigured as some of the others
A priest in gown and surplice, in q reading
desk or pulpit, looks very well; but set any
man to striding about in skirts, and he is a
comical sight. The priest who bore the big
gilt cross has a fine military bearing, but some-
thing in his face makes us think we should
not like to live in the country where he was
Czar. Some of the heads in the procession
positively made us shudder with their sinister,
snaky expression, which said no gentle affec-
ton had ever moved the current of their blood.
God help us all if ever there should have any
controlling power over the destinies of our
country. We never have seen as many ugly
heads in our life as were in that one process
sion. We do not remember ever before seeing
any but three positively ugly men, and here
were full dozen or more" She talks in this
wise of John of New York.
His face is not bad but it gives no indica-
ton of great intellectual power. He looks
rather querulous and quarrelsome than any
thing else, and if anybody else could have
made poorer sermon it would be strange
His delivery is exccrable. He kept putting
his fingers mp to his lips as if he were literally
drawing out his sentences, precisely as Signor
BlitZ draws ribbons out of his mouth-''
She thinks her right to indulge in these
criticisms undeniable: .'.When any man puts
himself on exhibition, and admits the public
at so much head, the usage of the press cs-
tablishes the right of any one Of the audience
to criticise his appearance and performance,
no matter whether he be Bishop Hughes or
Barney Williams
The Bishops perspire: The Bishops did
not look as if they could possibly be thinking
of ANYTHING but the streams of pcrspiration
running down their backs under those great
bed spreads, which looked like the trappings
on Mordecai and Ahasueras's horse in the old
plates in Josephus.''
The whole performance strikes her operate
cally: 90 Some of the mantles were quite as
preposterously ugly the patchwork quilts
exhibited at agricultural fairs. The entire al
tar performance appeared to me like very
bad representation of Norma. The principal
prima dona was boxed up in the choir gallery,
and although she sang very well, her voice is
quite inferior to that of Madame de Vries,
whom alone we have seen in that character
She appeared to sing the self-same airs, but
not so we'll and did not act worth cent"
Doesn't she pitch into Bishop Hughes right
and left about 90 substance and form ?''
ssHe told us that these forms were mani
festations of od's saving grace, quoted Scrip
ture to prove that God manifested himself by
forms, and stated that he never manifested
himself in any other way than by forms-neyer
crept into mems hearts, but exhibited himself
to their senses. Christ came in a human form,
and the testimony of the Spirit appeared on
the day of Penticost in the visible form of
cloven tongues. He did not specify the par
ticular text in which they had received the
pattern of the green and white patchwork
quilts worn by several of the Bishops, or where
the revelation was given for the form of the
split-topped cap. Neither did he hint at the
particular spiritual Specification of any one of
all those strange forms. They all signified re-
Iieion; and we concluded such religion was
very piebald affair. 1t occurs to us that the
bisbops. as successors of twelve fishermen
whose honors have descended to them in
straight line, have singular insignia of their
trade. st. Peter would have had good time
catching fish in one of these jackets, and af-
ter the ascension of the Saviour they must
have had sweltering time travelling IN the
land of olives with mules load Of toggery
on their backs and those open-topped, rlmless
fixtures on their heads. 1t was singular at
tire for men who spent their lives travelling
about generally in hot countries. 1t IS won-
der they did not all go blind for want OF some
protection to the eyes, and die of sun stroke
for lack Of covering on the top oftheir head"
And she winds up with the fervent hope that
God may 's save US from the power OF these
men who pretend to represent the Majesty OF
God in their own persons, by donning the tog-
gerry of ball room or buffoon, and permit
their fellow worms, immortal as themselyes,t to
kneel before them as in the presence Of the