Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-01-22
WARlGT T1Y, i,
Lorenzo Dow.

lorenzo Dow was very exact int the appoint
ments he madc, and sometimes arranged them
long while ahead lIc'onrc preached near
one Of the small towns in upper Georgia, and
told his congregation con that day one year
he would preach to them again %
The next season, on Saturday afternoon.
preceding the Sunday of the appointed time.
the old mah MAS jogging along the main road
in the direction of his congregation.
lie noticed before him stout little negro
boy, of peculiarly active step and manner,
who carried in his hand q small tin horn, such
as arc used to call thcpoople to their meals.
The custom among many in the South is
to allow married men to 20 to their wives
houses, and children to visit their parents,
on Saturday evening, to stay with them on
Sundays, and, as the negroes arc muscalv
inclined, they carry a fife or a horn, or a ban
10. to give notice Of their approach, and to be-
guile the way. In other cases they whistle,
sing or shout. A healthy. cheerful negro, of
honest intentions, uses generally some means
of association, cvcn If he is obliged to talk to
himself.
Dow, according to l,is usual manner, en-
tered into conversation with the boy, and
found lie was about to visit the congregation
he had appointed to meet. If the truth nust
be told, Lorenzo had an idea that the cbarac-
ter Of his flock was that of reckless, frolck-
some kind, careless people, upon whom it was
necessary to make II worry decided impression,
or his time would be thrown away among
them.
What is your namc, my lad ?" asked Dow.
Gabriel, sir" replied the boy, lifting a
new straw hat, and showing his ivory, while
he acti"ely stepped along to keep pace with
the preachers horse
"C0n you blow upon that horn?"
ooh, ycs, master, 1 can toot little"
"Wcll, let inc hear you"
So the negro inflated his velvet checks, and
made the woods rcsound.
DO you know n tall pine tree near the
stand at Sharon?" said J55w.
Yes, that does very well. r,ngtcr."
Lorenzo then put his hand' into his pocket,
and pulling out silver dollar, showed it to
the negro and told him if he would climb liz
to the pine tree bctorot the people met at the
meeting, and keep there quiet until he called
out bic name, and then blow on lis horn rs
he had done, he would give him the money.
if he would say nothing about it,
The negro expressed himself highly dc
lighted at such an offer, and promised pune
tnaiity and sccrcsy.
On Sunday, large meeting assembled Mt
Sharon to hear the famous Lorenzo Dow. Sc.
rious old men and their wives. wild boys and
their swcct-hcarts, almost the entire number
on horseback, sometimes by twos and thrccs,
besides negroes from n great distance on foot,
being readily captiyated by tho naturally &C.
centric for they love anything that has
laugh attached to it, and they knew that I,o.
rcnzo was good tor II Joke, even if it did hit
hard.
Dow selected rather a birthstone text and
made the application as strong as possible,
but he forced his way slowly among thcmer-
curial, healthful, honest hearted people. who
were hard to frighton. IIo enumerated the
cnornity of the vices he thought to prevail,
but they were so used to them that thewOrds
slid like water over q ducks back.
At length he boldly described, in thopain-
est kind of languages the appearance and
character OF " the last great d6y," andwhat
would be thor condition when that daycamc.
Suppose" exclaimed the preacher, sud-
denly, and then he paused, chat this were
the day" He saw that some of the women
became a little iidgcty and nudged the fellows
into silence and attention.
Suppose" repeated he, elcrating his
voice, that Gabriel should sound his trump
AT this moment the little negro showed
lie was ga trump" and from the top of the
lofty pine, a loud and clamorous blast over
whclmed the audience. The women shrick-
ed, the men rose in great susprisc, the horses
tied around the camp ncighcd, reared and
kicked, while the terrified negroes changed
their complexion to dull purple color
Never was alarm, surprise and astonishment
more promptly exhibited.
Lorenzo Dow looked with grave bnt pleased
attention upon the successful result of his
experiment, until the first clamor had subsid-
ed, and some bcganato estimate the character
Of the artificial angel. and were about to
apply little hickory after the pine. But
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