The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-04-27
A Reminisence..My First Sermon

! INv Dear Brother Reese:-This day forty-
six years ago, in Anne Arundel county, Mary
! land. l preached my first itinerant sermon,
Rev. Daniel S ansbury. with whom l was to
travel. did not meet me according to appoint
ment SO with much fear and trembling at
tempted to preach. The congregation had
sembled in large room in a farm house. The
sleighing was good. The room was crowded,
and the eolorcd people for The want OF seats
all stood up with their backs against the wall,
over to my right and over to nv left. A
corner FIRE place was piled up with a large
amount of half seasoned hickory wood. burn
ing fercely. Our room soon became rather
warm for me- as ! stood back near the front
door, and the ladies near the fire seemed 10
be melting iuto a profound perspration-
Singing and PRAYER over. the text was anoun
ced and the Sermon commenced. | felt great
i ly embarrassed at indications of mirih in my
congregation. At first | supposed all to have
been occaSi, ned by my awkwardness; but
as all eyes glanced towards the colore1 peo-
pie, cast look in that direction and found
them asleep-standing on their feet asiesp,--
Coming in out Of the cold that hot ire had
melted them. Heads to one side. eyes half
closed, mouths halt opened. tongue inclined
to hang out. knees little bent. and parting
asunder and their linsey woolsey clad backs
SCraplnH COWn the wall, lower anu ioWeE tfieE
went. and as they sunk lower, the mirth rose
higher among the young people. Finally,
all caught themselves sinking, and s.raig gtht-
ened up again. looked wildly around as if
scared and then took on them the appearance
of shame. The n,irth which lacked courage
to reprove, soon subsidized, and | went on
with my sermon-who can tell how? Pres
emily the mlrth rose again A slick looking
young.ter. colored waiting man, standing
on his feet was fast asleep, and sinking down
rs before. All the rest of the colored people
were now awake, and with the whites had
their eyes turned on the slsecer, and like them
seemed to be much amused-down, down.
lower and lower he went, until suddenly he
started mp, and blowed like some wild animals
do when badly scared: and then, as before.
he seemed to be ashamed That genteel as
sembly evidently aimed to suppress laughter,
but fsiled-nor had | courage to reprove.-
Presently all was quiet. and proceeded with
my sermon, suppose from bad 10 worse. for
the spirit of the times were against me
Again for the third time. was Interrupted
with bursts Of lsughter-again the waiting
man had gone to sleep. standing on his feet
oo"n ne was sinking. mouth open, ewes half
shut. knees bent and parting asunder. When
he got quite down on his hunkers, and SEEM
ed as II nothing could save from coming To
the floor. he fetched leap-his head wen,
J, nearly 10 the ceiling. and when he came down
again he irhished IKE an ola 5,sck. looked scar.
ed. and amid peals Of laughter away he wen.
! jerking the door to after him with a violence.
: How could proceed with my sermons 1. TOO.
l had to laugh with the rest al wha, had han
pensd SO | was shorn Of my strength; and af-
Ter few feeble efforts to close in an orderly
manner. ! dismissed the congregation
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