Litchfield enquirer., 1857-06-18
Another Discourse

FROM THE HARP OF A THOUSAND STRINGS"
The following, together with the wel-known
sermon on the Harp of Thousand Strings y
is published in England as ver,tabe speci-
men of the pulpit oratory of the back woods
Of the United States:
| Beloved breethering, I'm the man what
preached the sarmon which has been printed
in the papers, from the tex, And he played
on harp Nv thousand strings-sperrts Nv
just men made perfcck.' mout as well say l
don't take pride in things Nv that sort, for in
the language Nv my tex for tn day-Pm an
orfuI sinner, the chief among ten thousand and
the one altcrgether luvly. Them is the words
| which you'll find in Genesee. Pm gwine to
preach without notes, 'kase can't rite, and
'kase couldn't read it eff I could my notes
are bank notes, of which have pocket full,
and notes Of hand which shall give to our
| square to collect, when gets back to Indi-
amy, fur-I'm an orfuI sinner, the chief among
ten thousand, and the ooo atergether luvly.
"This tex, my breethering, can be divided
into three pieces--fust-sec Fust,
Pm an ortul sinner. That means you indiwid-
ually, net me personally. Thar are more sins
nor one. It's a sin to drink water and catch
the ague where little sperit will keep you in
good health-'tis sin to steal, unless you
steal awhile away'-'tis sin to swear, unless
you swear and sin not-'tis a sin to lie, unless
you lie low and keep dark. Pride is sin. Sum
is proud Of their books now l amt, though
I've the gift and grit to speak in Sum is
proud Of their larniu' thank God, I've none
to be proud of--for I'm an orful sinner, the
chief among ten thousand, and the one alter
gether luvly.
"Seccnd. Chief among ten thousand
Thar is different kind Of chiefs. Thars the
mischief, the chief of sinners, and the Cayuya
Chief The mischief means the Old Boy, who
k cps the fire Office below, and lets poor folks
suffer in the cold here on airth. The chief of
sinners means you, you wharfrats, arter-de-
melons, amaebuss animals, what live here about
the canawl Look at them ere bosses rise up
Gcsh tufr hides and short memories hear the
crows cawing, fur they know that whar the
canawl is thar will the crows be gathered. The
Cayuga Chief is Teller what pitches into my
freus the sperit-dealcrs and my other frens, the
State Prison officers. He is one Nv your cold
watur men who goes for the prohibition law
what Gouvernor Seymour vetoed. If twarnt
Sunday, l should hooray for Seymour--for I'm
an orful sinner, the chief among ten thousand,
and the one altergether luvly.
"TAurdIy. 'Atergether luv'y' Different
things is uvly. When my boat swims like
duck, | say she am luvly-when my wife gives
me no curtain lectures, (she has tie gift of
tongues as well as myscIf) l say she am luv-
ly--when the wind dent blow and it don't
rain and it don't nothin', | say the day am luv
ly--fur I'm the chief among ten thousand, and
the one altergether luvy.
In conclusion, bretherng if that big pile Nv
stuns wus one stun what a big stun it would
be, eff you, my bree thering, were one bruther,
what big bruthcr you'd bc,.and if my big
bruther should fling that big stun into the ca
nawl, what great big splash that would
makc-for Pm an orful sinner, the chief among
ten thousand, and the one altcrgethcr luvly.
My breethcring, l want to g We notice
there will be some carvings on at this place
next Sunday afternoon at half past four, when
| shall prove the doctrin' that nv all the shells
in the world, the hard shells nm the thickest
aud the btst-ior I'm an orful sinner, the chief
among ten thousand, and the one atcrgether
luvly.
Il shall prove that book larnin' amt of no
use, my breethering, that ritin sermons and
getting a celery for um as sin that deserves
Naturalization I'm an orful sinner, the
chief among ten thousand, and the lone alter
g,ther luvly.
Breethering, let us liquor, and then go
hum, remembering the words of the profit,
Be sure you're right then go ahead"