The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-02-23
Brother era wfor,rs Farewell Sermon.


Sabbath, accompanied him to Zion Chapel.
A new minister had been called to that neigh
borhood, and this was to be his salutatory
sermon.
Zion Chapel was some hundred yards from
the main road and surrounded by forest trees
Having arrived rather too early for the SER
vice, myself and friend sauntered about the
woods, rather actively employed in brushngI
away the mosquitoes that surrounded US
At length strange specimen of the genus
homo made his appearance on horseback; it
was brother Crawford.
His dress was decidedly peculiar. On his
head he wore an old fashioned ell1crowned
beaver, several sizes too large. To remedy this
defect cotton bandana handkerchief was
stuffed between the hat and his forehead.
His coat was Of most ancient pattern blue
with brass buttons short waist and long swal-
low tail The collar came within an inch
of hiding the back part of his head. His
vest extremely long. And his pants ditto
short The latter were held down by a leath-
er strap passed under huge pair of brogans
of an untanned leathe color. Altogether
his presence strongly suggested Dan Marble
in his Yankee character Of Jonathan Home
spun. But to the sermon-or at least por-
tion of it--for it was utterly impossible to
report the whole.
The congregation was large, as it had been
narrated abroad that new servant of the
Lord was to make his debut at Zion.
Brother Crawford skunk into the pulpit
with more than ordinary humility. and after
davoting few moments to silent prayer he
rose.
Gingorly pushing up the sleeve of his store
coat whereby he displayed pair of large.
long, bony hands, of beet red color, he
grasped the handle of an earthen pitcher and
poured into tin cup draught of water,
which he drank with inimitable gusto.
His appearance in the pulpit was study
for an artist. His face was long and lank,
ewes pale gray, nose acquiline, complexion
sandy, hair greyish sandy, head bald on the
top, with the exception of a small patch on
the organ of reverence, Gas if to shade it)
and, altogether, the picture of Greeley while
inlicting a free soil abolition document for
the benefit of his southern Subscribers.
He began apologetically as follows: You
don't see me to-day in the dress alters wear ;
| come among you as stranger, and | am
now triched out in my store clothes | am
not a proud man, bnt thought it would b.
more becoming before strangers"
After this h. raised hymn, in which the
congregation joined. He then began his SER
mon:
My dear brethren and sisters, first and
foremost, rma gwine to tell you the affecting
partin' had with my congregation at Beth
c Chapel. After had got through with my
farewell sarmont, as came down outen the
pulpit, the old grey-headel breethern and sis
ters who listened to my voice twenty years,
crowded around me, and with sobbing vol
ces and fearful eyes, said-Fare,Ooll, brother
Craford
AS walked down the isle, the young la
dies, tricked out in their finery of brass Jew
clrv, gewgaws, jimcracks, paint and aounces,
looked up with their bright eyes, and pro-
nounced with their rosy lips-Fare1oeU,
brother Craford
The yonng men in their tight patent-leath-
rr boots, high collars and dashy waistcoas
smelling of pomatum and cigar smoke-with