The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-06-10
w1LKs AND DANDY PREACHERS.

had more cordial adherence, than any OK X
hibtion Of dandyism in young ministers; and s
nothing of this kind ever came in contact with I
him without meeting rebuke. On one occa-
sion, a young minister ola good deal Of pre-
tension and parade, went from the country ,
to London, and carried Mr.. Wilks a letter,
designed TO procure for him an invitation to
preach. "Well, young man." said Matthew
with nasal twang that is perfectly indescrib-
able, but which nobody who has heard it can
ever forget: "WeIl, young man, YOU want
to preach-you want to preach in London.
don't you p 81 am going to pass few
days here, Sir. and if should suit Mr.. Wilk<
convenience, should be very happy to give
his people sermon while arm here" "Well,"
said Mathew, "you can preach; come
along next Wednesday morning to the Tab
ernacle, and I'll meet you there, anI you can
take my lecture for that morning" The
young man agreed to do 30, and was ON
the spot at the appointed hour. Matthew
met him at the door, disyusted, as he had
been before, with this dandy airs, and
addressed him thus: "Go along into the
pulpit, young man. and shall sit below
and lcok at you, and hear every wore!
YOU say" The young preacher darted
through the aislrs into the pulpit, in a
manner that seemed better to beiit ball
room than n place Of worship. lie performed
the introductory service with an air Of
insuffcrable selfcomplacency, and. in dine
time, opened the Bible and read his text,
" whicl was the las, verse Of the first chapter
of the Gospel of John: "uereafer We shall
see heaven opened, and the angels Of God
ascen ling and descending upon the Son Of
Man." He had written his sermon aud
committed it all TO memory. AS he supposed,
to word; hut unfortunately, he left his
manuscript behind him.
. When he had read his text, he found
it impossible to recall the first sentence.
, lie hesitaicd and hclnnv.l, and b. gan thus
, |" You perceive. my brclhrn-yon perceive
;. that the angels Of God-are here
. representations ascending, and descending
t lie then So, up good stout cough i'll the
g hope that this mem"ry Right get 10 work
l. in the meantime; bnt the cough WAS unpr"
:. ductive 40 it was artificial, and he could dc
d o:hing but 60 right over again with the
Y bssurd sentence with which lie had started
: H. coughed again, and again, hut h:
% memory WAS in too profound slumber e
!" tie awakened bv it. After three or foi
n minutes, during which h. was spectac!
ot to the congregation, and especially +
10 Matthew, who was all the time watchin!
~ and listening according to his promise, h
D. shu, up his Bible in perfect consternati"r
es an abruptly closed the service Ofrours
'e lie came out Of The puI pit with very diff
III ent air from that which he entered it. Bu
'h the worst was yet to come ; he nal to NEE
H. Matthew, and hear his sra,hing comment
well. WELL" said he "young man. you''
y preached in Lnn,lon-ha'n't you ? /,
:" heard you; I've heard every word you sa
&c and have only one continent to make:
~ YOU had assembled as YOU descended. the
- you might have descended as you ascende
-. Another young minister, of silnil
a. = character, paid him visit and M
nc thew observed that lie sported what
-" thought very indecent number Of wate
IN seals. He eyed them for some time
ne if scrutinizing the materials Of which tn
'eo were made, and then said. with ter
10 bly, sarcastic mir: 1T seems to me you
- a good many seals to your minist
my considering how Young you are"
lay Sprague's Visits to European Crlebriti
,m-