Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1859-04-30
The fam >us Apostropha to Water

Some time since, we alluded to the
famous apostrophe to water, whic h
JOHN Is. Cough, the eloquent lecturer
on temperance, has repeated to electri-
fed thousands in America and Eng
land. We stated that it originated
with Paul Denton, an itlnerant Of the
Methodist CGurch i'll Texas and that
it wax delivered at a barbecue which
Denton had prepared, and to which he
invited the strangers. 1t had been
years since we read the incident, and
we are delighted to find it in an ex-
change, ere ilted to a Texas paper
We feel sure our readers will be equal
ly delighted with its perusal.-Pius
burgh Di'patch.
The smoking siands were arranged
on the tables by scores Of slaves, and
the throns prepared to commence the
SUM ,ptoas nlva, when u voice ps.lea
from the pulpit, loud as the blast Of the
trumpet III battle, ''Stay, gentlemen
and .ai!e<, Till the 5iver of the barbe
cua asks Gods blessing
Every heart started, every eye was
directed to the speaker, and a whls-
PEERLESS silence onsued, for all alike
were struck by his remarkable appear
ancs. II. was almost = giant in stat
ufe, though scarcely thirty years OF
age. His hair, dark as the ravens
wing, flowed down his immense shoul-
t:ers in masses Of natural ringlcts, his
eyes black as mi might, beanod like
stars over face pale as Parian mar
be, calm, passionless, spiritual, and
wearing singular, indetinable ex
preston. The Heterogeneous crowd, :,
hunters, gamblers, and homicides, gaz-
ed III mute aStonishmsnt. The mis-
sionary prayed, but it sounded like no
other prayer ever addressed to a
Throne Of Grace. 1t was the cry of n
naked soul, and that soul 4 begga, for
the bread and water of heavenly life.
'He ceased, and not till then did I
become conscious of weeping. Hook
ed around through my tears, and saw
hundreds of faces wet as with rain.
"Now, my friends" said the mis-
sionary, ''partake Of Gods gifts at the
table and then come and sit down and
listen to his Gospel"
It would be impossible to describe
the sweet tone of kindness in which
these simple words were uttered, that
m.de him on the instant five hundred
friends. One heart however, in the as
.semblv, was maddensd by the evi,
dence Of the preachers wonderful! pow
er.
Col. Watt Forman exclaimed, in a
sneering voice: "Mr Paul Denton,
your reverence has lied. You promis-
ed us not only a good barbecue, but
better liquor. Where is the liquor?''
"There,' answered the missionary,
in tones OF thunder, pointing his mo-
tion!ess finger at the matchless Double
Spring gushing up in two strong COZ.
umns. with sound like q shout of Joy
from the bosom the earth. ''There,' -
he repeated, with look terrible as
lightning, while his enemy actually
trembled at his feet. "There is the
I;ouor which God, the Eternal, brews
for all his children. Not in tho sim.
snering still, over smoky fires, choked
with poisonous gases, and surrounded
With the stencil of sickening odors and
yank corruption, doth your Father in
Heaven prepare the precious essence
of life. the pure cold water. But IN
the green glade and grassy dell, where
a.. ee3 1eeY wapAsYs. and shs child