Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-02-18
Inc TfaUTted PTeaoh9r.


fist pulpit, Governor Briggs communicates a
very interesting letter on john Iceland, which
contains fuller account of his personal hubit
and manner of preaching than we have before
seen. '-
lie was little inclined to superstition, says
Governor Briggs. Indeed, his practical sa-
gacty and startling common sense kept him
from any tendency in that direction but he
had some peculiar experiences of the super
natural, as the following anecdote testilies:
While | was at his house | inquired of him
about remarkable noise which had, when a
boy, heard that he and his family had been
annoyed by when they lived in Virginia. He
gave this account of it:
His family, at the time, consisted of him
self, wife, and four children One evening,
all the family being together, their attention
was attracted by noise, which very much re-
scmbled the faint groans Of person in pain
1t was distinct, and repeated at intervals of
few seconds. 1t seemed to be under the sill
of the window, and between the clap boards
and the ceiling. They paid very little attcn-
ton to it, and in very short time it ceased
But, afterwards, it returned in the same way
sometimes every night, and sometimes not
so frcquently-and always in the same place,
and of the same character 1t continued for
some months. He said it excited their curl
osity and annoyed them, but they were not
alarmed by it. During its continuance they
had the siding aud casing removed from the
place where it appeared to be, but found no
thing to account for it, and the sound contn-
ucd the same.
lie consulted his friends especially some of
his ministerial brethren, about it. / think he
said it was never heard by any except himself
and his family; but it was heard by them
when he was. absent from home Mrs. lie.
land said that often, while she was alone with
the children, and while they were playing
about the room, and nothing being said, it
would come, and they would leave their play
and gather about her person. They had a
place fifty or sixty rods from the house, by the
side of brook, where the family did their
washing. One day while she was at that
place, itmct her there precisely as it had done
in the house.
After tie uoise had been heard at brief in
tcrvals for, thinl, six or eight months, they
removed their lodgings to quite an opposite
and distant part of the house but it contin-
ucd as usual, for some time, in its old locality
One night, after they had retired they OBJ
served by the sound that it had left the spot
| from which it had previously proceeded, and
| wards their bed, and was becoming constantly
louder and more distinct.
At each interval it advanced towards them,
and gathered strength and fullncss, until it
entered the room where they were, and APP
preached the bed, when the groan became
deep and appalling.
"Then," said he, for the first time since
it began, felt the emotion Of fear turned
upon my face, and if ever / prayed in my life
prayed then. | asked the Lord to deliver
me and my family from that annoyance, and
that, if it we're messenger from heaven it
might be explained to US, and depart; that if
it were an evil spirit, permitted to disturb
and dsquct me and my family, it might be
robukcd and sent awy; or if there was any
! thing for me to do to make it depart, might
be instructed what it was, 80 that | could do
it," This exercise restored his tranquility of
mind, and he resumed his usual position in
the bed. Then, hc said it uttered groan
too loud and startling to be Initiated by the
| human voice. The next groan was not so
! loud, and it reccded step or two from the
front of the bed, near his face 1t continued
to rccedc in the direction from which it came
and grew less and less, until it reached its old
station, when it died away the faintest sound
and entirely and forever ceased
| No explanation was ever found. al have
given you, he said, ga sample and true histo-
ry of the facts, and you can form your own
opinion. | give none" His wife confirmed
all he said. [ think can say that never
knew person less given to the marvellous
than Elder Lelarl
-s- q
y THE UNcoNvERrED World. Have our
! readers ever considered how large portion of
the inhabitants of our globe arc without God
and without hope in the world? The popu-
lution Of the globe is estimated in round mum
bers at one thousand millions. OF these, $50
millions arc the followers Of Buddh, adhcrents
of system of utter Atheism, which acknow-
edges no God, no Rcdccmer, no resurrection
from the dead; 100 millions are the worship
pers Of Bruhma, Nishnu, and silva, the most
subtle and sophistical ef all the religions of
the heathcn, and at the same time the most
utterly obscene and icentious; $50 millions
arc MohNmmedans; 100 millions are African
ldolatcrs worshipping sticks, stones, or ami
mails, as fctiches, and given up to the most de-
basing idolatry; 10 millions are idoatrous
inhabitants of the Islands of the Pacific and
! Indian Ocean 80 millions are connected with
the Greek church, and though ycrscd in its
corrupt crccds and image worship, know not
the true God; $50 millions are Roman Cath
olics, and though individuals among them