Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-06-20

A HUNTED PREACHER.

tion of Howard county, M ssouri, wer
thrown into state of exiraord nary ex
citement by case that seem. d who'll
inadequate to the production of .ucl
effects, especially iu latitude situatrt
50 far towards the setting sun. Th.
phenomenon which attracted univ-rsa
attention was neither more Nor less
than the appearance Of a new Method
nt Preacher, circu,t-rider, as th.
name goes in the West, but one of q
remarkable person, aud of powers tina,
the supers,itious deemed almost SUPER
natural.
He was youth who had not seen
more than t~ enty summers of about
the medium height, although he looked
much taller from the sl,ghtnefs of his
make, apparently feeble and delica ely
moulded as the form of woman. But
all his movements, even to the q sh of
h,s eye or the wafiur- of his finger in
gesticulation, were inf x,bly quick
Hsw possessed oi the erac, which
are usually supposed TO constitute fem.
mime beauty. Has slender fgu,e was
a model for the arts of -culpture and
pain ing. His iace was an admirable
oval, soft and sweet in expression while
in state of rcpose, although wien
aroused by any strong emotion, it could
assume look "f sternness or Of pass
sion abolutely appalling. His eyes
were large, braming and piercing, SO
tat when on fire with sudden wrath,
not many even of the bravest would
fcl at ease while enc"untrring their
fierce flashes of inexpr-ssiblr defiance
:or they plainly dared al things, not
aying out death itself. One draw
back must be made from the requisite
character of this po. trait; h,s complex
ion altogether lost color VIII n not illu
minated by some excitement capable
of pouring the blood from the heart in
boiling to orents. His features, it is
true, did not have the unnatural and
subdued hue of Ill health, but rather
that transparent pa eness, so rare and
delicate, wnich indicates lofty thoughts
such as wandering through eternity,
per-evering and studiou. vigils over
the rays Of the midnight lamp, and in
finite longin IS, such as no human Ian
guage can hope to expr, IS, for the ldeal
OF all, the imme ase, the unknown, tne
fatbomless mystery which we seek for
ever, but never 6nd.
shall not forge, even should my
life be protractcd for ages, tn. e st
time that | b d an opportunity Of SEE
lag and hearing this western prodigy.
1t was ut the town of Fayet.e, in the
county previously mentioned. The
large cour,-hoasc was used as place
of temporary worship, ard long lie ore
the appointed hour, it had been CT wd
cd to its utmost capacity, while hun
dreds. unable to g.,in admission, hung
round the dvors and windows, deter
mined to get glinpse, or t'h al
least a tone of the wonj rful orator,
whose fame was on every body's tongue
Several preachers we c on he plat
form, aud among the dense throng
arose the low murmur. made up OF s-
thousand eager whsspers--'which Is FL
lis: = Which is he p And the gen.
eral conclusion of those who never -aw
the object of their curiosity app ar-'.
TO be, that a fn. ly formed, middle
aged pers.n, With a ruddy complexion
and shining bald head. was the man.
This inference grew stronger when the
individual d scribed arose, gave out
hymn, ami kneeling, uttered an extern
poraneous prayer IF considerable fiu-
ency and unbouuded frrver. Huwev-
er, upon the whole, the congrega'io"
fel, keen disappointment. The effort
did no, in any degree correspond v th
the grandeur of their preconee'ved
idea. Nor was this at all strange, as
the performer in this case happened to
be only the Elder 10 charge OF the DIS
trict; and such clerical officers IN the
Methodist denomination are generally
chosen with reference 10 ,heir steady
and solid talents for government. aud
their rnimpeachablc orthodoxy. mo- e
than from any manifest items Of logical
acuteness or polio cal genus.
The petition to II aven was ended
Those who had bowed to the earth in
real simulated adoratio, res ,ned their
seats, aud, for Eve minutes afterwards
there prevailed solemn silence-,he
profound calm of expectation. Ther
suddenly a slender figure, that nobod,
had observed before, ascended tn,
platform, and pale yet luminous fac
shining with two earnest, starry eyes
glanced slowly aud calmly around III
vast assemblage, as If silently measur
ing their capacity tor 'he reception
the truths about 10 b- enuncIated.
He did not open the Bibl he di
not formally take a'.d text, b", all i"
once be cried out, in trumpet, tones
which caused every hearer TO start OF
his seat, sBeho.d | make all thing
new y And then he spread all tn
sails ofimaglnati n, aud launche'i bold
ly forth INTO an iliimitab.e ocean I.
eloqueuce. The burdrn of his dis
course, in its FIST division, was lh
susceptibility Of the material nolecule
composing The tangible universe f.
endless transformations of utility an
trancendental beauty througho 4 th
endless ages Of eternity He demonstra