Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-02-23
Whar NO Wood is, there the Fire GOeth
out-And they Played on Simbols, DuIci-
ners, Je0shGrps and Dsmyohns


The following discourse. delivered by thai
same old coon" the captain of Mississippi
lat-boat, at Hard She'll Babtist protracted
meeting at Tinicum, on Thursday evening last
was phonorgraphicaIly reported expressly for
The Mercury by "Sammuel the Scribe" who
was one Of the anxious inquirers on that sor
emn and interesting occasion:
Ny FRIENDS: Since had the pleasure Nv
| hodin' forth to the benighted an heathenish
rapscallions Nv Brandon, Mississippi, on the
subjeck-"An' he played on a harp Nv thou
sand strings, sperrets of just men made per-
| feck"-th6 sperrit bath moved me to take up
my bed and travel; and after visiting divus
places, an propagatin' the GospillSto varus
| nominations, have at last fotched up, bless
the Lord, 'mong the Hard Shells of Tinicum.
My tex this eVenin' my brethering, will be
found somewhar tween the books of Provi1
dence an MilIkizedick Il think the former) an
when found it will read somewhar near as fol~
lows: "Whar no wood is, there the fire goeth
out-an' they played on simbols, dullsimers,
jewsharps and dimmyjons."
Now, my brethering, I'm gwine to say to you
as said to the Brandonians on former 'casion
I'm not an edicated man, but, bless the Lord,
I'm Almighty religush man, man what's born
agin-one what sperienced the holy ghost, and
tuck religun in the natral way--for "whar no
wood is. thar the fire goeth out--and they
played on simbols, dullsimers, jewsharps and
dimmyjons."
Now, my bretherng, p'r'haps some Nv ye
are wondering an axing yourselves what demo-
minashun longs TO. Well, my friends, I'm
plain spoken man, although sez it myself, as
oughtent to say it, an III tell yer what sway>
shun longs to. Perhaps some on Ye thinks
I'm a Mormon; some on We, peradventure,
spisshuns rm a MiIIerite; some more on We
may kalkelate I'm Methedss, an others Nv
We may mbide the noshun that | ar q Free
Loyyer; but tells ye, my bretherng, you are
all confoundedly contumbustercated if We
thinks any sich thing; for, in The language of
the tex: "Whar no wood is, thar the fire goeth
out-and they played on simbos, dulsimers,
jewsharps and dimmyjohns.
Somehow, oilers tuck amazing likin to the
Baptists, specially to the hard shes-not be-
cause I'm particularly fond of cold water: for
my brethering, I'm not one of them ar sort O.
Christians that repudiates good whiskey, or
looks gift horse in the mouth. Thar's the
Rach- shells, the soft Shells the clam shells, an
a great many other kind NV shells, but, my
brethrng, next TO the hard shells, give me the
man that shells out literally when the contris
bushun box goes round-for 'Wkar no wood
is, thar the fire goeth out'-and they played on
simbols, dullsimers, jewsharps and dimmyjons."
Now, my brelhering, having told you what
swayshun longs to, I'm gwyne to exemfiicate
and lncidate on my tex, which sez-'whar no
wood is, thar the fire goeth OUT etc My
brethring, don't spose for the sixteenth part NV
a minute that the fire we read Nv in the scrip
ters will go out bekase thar's no wood! No
my Christshun friends, SO long as the supply
of anthersite and birthstone holds out, it won't
make a diff Nv difference whether thar's any
wood or not-the fire will be kept burning
for, they played on simbols, dulsmers, jews |
larps and dimmJohns.
My brethering, when, accordin' TO the tex, |
sez, they played on simbols, dulsmers, jews. |
larps and dimmijohns,' mean that the good |
Ind perfick sperrits-them of the sixth speer |
plays on the simbols and dulsimers; and the
bad spsrrits, what lives in the lower speers,
plays on the jewsharps and dimmiohns, 'spe-
billy the dimmiiohns-for, 'Whar no wood is,
har the fire goeth out--and they played
orethering, smell mice! Thar's Judas in
his congregashun, sure as you are living sim
lers, and he must be dispelled! All, told you
10. Thar he is, yonder, on that high sect thar
lear the stove. That weazenNfaced sinner in
he baFskin bang up-a wolf in bars clothing
setting thar as innocent as a possum up a
simmon tree, reporting my eetur phrenologi-
ally"
At this juncture all eyes were fixed upon
ur reporter, who also began to smell MICE
nd hastily thrusting his notes in the pocket of
is 'barskin bangup.' Vamosed through side
window, surrounded by blaze of glory and
t least hundred hard shells.