The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1859-09-07

alter some more experienced person hat
expounded My first sermon must bt
preached somewhere, aud why not ther
and there? So it was delivered 10 half {
dozen men in their shirl-sleeves, with the
| sweat of the plough on their brows, theil
teams left standing in The fields the while
and TO as many women in sun bonnets
whose knitting and pipes were laid aside
when the him was given out. The rustic oi
the green leaves, stirred by the pleasant
wind, the song of the birds, and the golden
sun shines as ii lay upon the puncheon
floor on that cheerful summer afternoon, are
remembered yet, and also that my first ser.
mon was fifteen minutes long.
The next day we reached village con.
sisting OF dozen or twenty houses. In the
evening we attended an examination of the
school; at the close OF the exercises, one 81
my new friends mounted an empty barrel
which stood id the corner of the room, and
had been used as seat, and called out in
the old Mormon form, "Oyez! Oyer lake
notice that brother William MIburn will
preach in the meeting house tomorrow
night at early candle lIghtingp' No sooner
was the last word out of his mouth than the
barrel-head gave way, and the reverend
clerk, falling to the earth, went, afte- the
fashion of Regulus, rolling about among the
legs OF the audiance, his desperate exer-
tions to escape, only making his plight the
sadder and increasing the confusion.
MR.. MILBURN's FIRST SERMON.
The quarterly meeting was held at pri-
vate house, as was frequently the case, ser
wing on such occasions the two fold purpose
of chapel and hotel II was a double ,og.
cabin, with door communicating between
the two rooms, the women occupying the
one, The men the other, in both the uses TO
which the house was put. Seats for the
congregation were provided by puncheon
slabs resting on four legs. The young peo.
pie who could not find access 10 the house
would stand beneath the trees, or loll upon
the grass. The congregation would come
from fifteen 10 twenty miles around to enjoy
the services. The exercises invariably be.
gan on Saturday at eleven O'Clock, with a
sermon from the presiding elder. Ia the
afternoon the conference of official mem.
bers was held in The evening the most
available preacher was "put up," in the
language of the country, and after this ser.
mon an exhortation was usually delivered
by some one else.
AT The close OF the exercises the benches
were carried out and replaced by shuck
mattresses, skins and blankets, the men
making their own beds, so that in little
while, as you looked over The sleepy scene
by the ray of an expiring pine knot, you
might well conceive il stratum of compact
somnolent humanity. The first cockcrow is
the signal for a universal arousing, and
while some busy themselves in taking up
and packing away the beds, others bring
wood four or eight feet long, TO kindle
fire in the capacious fire place, by which the
breakfast may be cooked. Others, with
shirt sleeves rolled up and collars la Byron,
in the breaking dawn, trudge 10 the spring
or we'll, where ablu'ions are performed. A
substantial meal is despatched, Tor it may
be long before we taste food again At eight
O'Clock the Sunday services begin by a love
feast, to which only members of the church
are admitted. At eleven O'Clock the doors
are thrown open and the public enter The
ordinance of baptism procedes the sermon,
the communion of the Lords Supper fol.
lows it. On more than one occasion have
known it 10 be five O'Clock before we tasted
a mouthful after sunrise breakfast. IN the
evening the last sermon of the quarterly
meeting proper was delivered, and by day.
break the following morning all were riding
off on their several ways.
On the Saturday night in question, after
the sermon, the sonorous voice of my chief,
said, civilian, exhort." The will OF The
presiding elder at these times is absolute,
and obediance is one OF the lessons enioin.
ed upon young preachers. had no resource
but TO stand up, frightened as | was almost
TO death, behind by split.bouom chair, in
lieu of pulpit, in front oil the huge fire.
place, and attempt TO speak, by the light Of
the smouldering embers and one or two can.
dies fast sinking 10 their sockets, 10 the
crowd of hunters and farmers filling the
cabin, who gaped and stared at pallid,
beardless boy. Of course words were few,
and ideas lever, and on resuming my seat
] had the uncomfortable impression that
that congregation had listened to about as
poor discourse as ever was delivered.-
Such was my first attempt at preaching.
A MUSICAL SHOEMAKER.
At one of our meetings me; the happiesl
man, think, that have ever known. He
was bachelor, and shoemaker, who wor
ked half the time TO support himself and
horse, and attended meeting the other hall!
cannot say much for the breadth of his
intellect, the extent of his information, or
the quality of his taste. His faith seemed
10 be unclouded, and his soul was ever on
the mountain top. He was passionately
fond of singing, and had a repertory OF
songs and tunes ali his own. think you
might have heard him half a mile off |
have been awakened at all hours of the
night by the vocferous strains of this min
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