Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-09-01

discovered that they had undertaken an Impossible,
achievement in thinking TO Withstand his fncitg-
HIS every sentence was like warm finger tickling
the ribs of the hearer. His very looks melted to
mirth far than other peoples jokes, that the
effort to maintain ones equilibrium only increased
the disposition to burst into loud explosions every
school-boy has verified in similar cases. AT length
the encanpment was in a roar, the sternest features
relaxed into SMILES and the coolest eyes melted into
tears of irrepresSible merriment. This continued
thirty minutes while the orator painted tile folly of
the sinner, which was his theme. | looked on and
laughed with the rest, but finally began to fear the
result to the speaker.
How l exclaimed mentally, will he ever be
able to extricate his audience from that deep whir
pool of humor? If he ends thus, when the merry
mood subsidies and calm reflection supervenes, will
not the revulsion Of feeling be deadly to his fame?
Will not every hearer realize that he has been
tred with in matters ct sacred and eternal interest
At all events, there is no prospect of revival to-
night for even though the orator were magician,
he could not change his subject now, and stem the
torrent of headong laughter
But the shaft of my inference fell short of the
mark: and even then he commenced to change, not
all at once, but gradually, the wind of thunder
cloud. His features lost their comica tinge of plea
santry; his voice grew first earnest, and then SOL
emn, and soon walled out in the tones of deepest
pathos; his eyes SfIorn of their mild light and
yielded streams of tears, the fountain of the hill
yielded water. The effect ndeScribabe, and
the rebound of feeling beyond all conception. He
descanted the horrors Of hell till every shudder
ing face was turned downward, if expecting
the solid globe rent asunder, and the fthomless,
fiery gulf yawn from beneath. Brave men moaned,
and fair, fashionable women, covered with silken
drapery and bedght with jens shrieked as if knife
were working among their heart-strings.
Again he changed the theme sketched the joys
Of righteous death-its faith, its hope, its winged
raptures, aud angels attending the spirit its starry
hone-with such force, great and evident belief
that all eyes were turned toward heaven, and the
entire congregation started their feet if to hail
the vision of angels at which the finger of the preach
seemed to be pointed, elevated it was high
to the full length of his arm.
He then made call for mourners into the altar
and i've hundred, many of them till that night inf
dels rushed forward and Frustrated themselves
their knees. The meeting continued for two
weeks, and more than thousand converts were ad-
ded to the church. From that time his success was
unparalleled, and the fact is chiefly due to his nm
liable wit and mastery eloquence that Methodism is
now the prevailing religion in Illinois.
He was distinguished by very uncercal Pc
cuiiarity observation-disclosures. His battles, although
always apparently in the defensive were as numer-
Gus as the celebrated Bowie. The only difference
this, that Bowie fought with deadly weapons,
while the tnerant used but his fist which
was as effective however, i'll the speedy settlement
of belgerent issues any knife pistol forged
out Of steel Let the reader judge from the follow
ing anecGOte:
AT the camp-meetng held at Alton in the au-
tumn of 1888, the worshppers annoyed by
of desperadoes from St Louis under the control
of Mike Fink, notorious bully the triumphant hero
of countless fights, in none of which he had
met an equal, or even second. The coarse, drunk
rufians carried it with a high hand, outraged
the and insuted the women so as to threaten
tine dissolution of all piouS exercises; and Yet such
was the terror the name of their leader, Fink, ill.,
spired, that no could be found brave enough to
face his proves.
At last, day, when Cartwright assembled the
pulpit to hold forth, the desperadoeS, the out
as to drown utterly every other sound The preach
er's dark eyes shot lightning. He deposited his BIZ
bic, drew off his coat and remar ked aloud
Wait for few minutes my brethren while 90
and make tue devil pray
lie then proceeded with smile on his lips to
the focus OF the umult and addressed the chief bull
Mr. Fink l have come to make you pray
The desperate rubbed back the tangled festeons
Of his blood-red hair, arched his huge brows with
comical expression, and replied
By goy, I'd like to you do it, old snorter.'
Very wcn,' said Mr.. Cartwright; will these gen.
tlenen, your courteous friends, agree not TO show
foul play =
In course they will. They're rae grit, and won't
do nothin' but the clear thing, they won't
joined Fink, Indignantly.
Are you ready?' asked the preacher.
Ready as race-hoSs with light rider
swered Fink, sqnarinS his ponderous person for the
combat a
The bully spoke too soon for scarcely had the e
words left his lips when Cartwright made prod:sS
ious bound toward his antagonist, and accompanied
it with quick, shooting punch OF his herculean fiS,
him to the earth like lead. Then, even his ntoxi-
Gated comrades filled with involuntary admiration
at feat, gave cheer But Fink was up in mo-
ment, and rushed upon bis enemy, exclaimins:
THAT warn't done fair, so it warnt.' =,
He aimed ferocious stroke, which the preacher
parried with his left hand, and grasping his throat
with the right crushed him down as if he had been
an infant. Fink struggled, squirmed and writhed
muscular fingers held his windpipe in the jaws Of
an iron vice. When he began to turn purple in the
:ace and ceased to resist Mr.. Cartwright slackened
his hold and inquired
will you pray now?'
Il doesn't know a word how gasped Fink
Repeat after me-.
We'll, if must, I must answered Fink be-
cause you're the devil himself
The preacher then said the Lords prayer
line by line and the conquered bully responded in
the same way, when the victor permitted him to
rise.
At the contamination the rowdes roared three
bosterous cheers, and Fink shook Cartwright by the
hand, declaring
q" BY goly, you're some beans in bar-fght.
I'd rather set-to with old " he' bar in dogdays.
You pass this ere crowd of snashers, blast
your pictur!'
Afterward Fink's party behaved with extreme
decorum, and the preacher resumed his Bible and,
pulpit"
An odd scene that, certainly and e not very apos
toic, say you, sober reader We join you in the
remark; but it is characteristic, said in anoth.
er
We give it as fact from old friend Finley
fact that illustrates only the character Of the
man, but of the country and its early times Cir