The Van Buren press., 1860-01-06
A Haunted Preacher.

In the volume DR.. Sprague on the Baptist
pulpit, Governor Briggs communicates y
very interesting letter on John Leland which,
contains a fuller account of his powerful
habits and manner Of preaching than va
have before seen
He was little inclined to superstition.
says Gov. Briggs. Indeed his practical sa-
gacity and startling common sense kept
him from any tendency in that direction.
but he had some peculiar experiences Of til.
supernatural, as the following anecdo,e tes
titles.
While l was at his house cnauired of
him about a remarkable noise. which |
had, when boy, heard that he and his
family had beea- anAaxed by, when they
lived in Virginia. He gave this account
of it IN
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
resembicd the faint groans of person in
pain. 1t was distinct, and repeated at in
tervals of a few seconds 1t seemed 10 bo
under the sill Of the window, anu between
the c!ao boards and the sealing They
paid very little attention to it, and in a.
very short time it ceased. Bat afterwards.
1t returned i'll the same way--sometmes
every night and sometimes not so frequent.
ly, and always in the same place. and OF.
the same character. 1t continued for some
months llo said it excited their curiosity
and annoyed them, but they were not alarm
ed by it. During its continuence they had
the siding and casing removed from the
place where it appeared to be, bat found
ia f., - al
continued the same.
lie consulted his friends, especially some
of his ministerial brethren. about it
think he said it was never heard bv any
except himself and his family but it was
heard by them when he was absent from
home. Mrs. Leland said that often. wili.s
she was alone with the children, and while
they We're playing about the room, and
nothing being said, it would come, am.
they would leave their play and gather
about her person. They had place fifty
or sixty rods from the house, by the side Of
a brook, where the family did their wash
ing. One day while she was at that place.
1t met her there precisely as it had done in
the house
After the noise had been heard at brief
intervals FOR. l think, six or eight months.
they removed their lodgings to quite a..
opposite and distant part OF the house but
it continued as usual, for some time, in its
old locality. One night after they had re-
tired, they observed by the sound, that it.
had left the spot from which it had pre-
viously proceeded, and seemed to be adj
vancing in direct line towards their bel,
and was becoming constantly louder and
more distinct. re-
At each interval it advanced towards
them, and gathered strength and fulness,
until it entered the room where they were.
and approached the bed. when the groarl
became deep and appalling. Then said
he, for the first time since it began / fel.
the emotion of fear; ! turned upon my face
and II ever prayed in my life, ] prayed
then. | asked the lord to deliver me ana
my family from that annoyance, and that if
it were a message from heaven, it might be
explained to us, and depart; and that if it
were an evil spirit, permitted to disturb and
disquiet me and my family, it might be re-
bukcd and tent away Or, if there was any
thing for me to do to make ii depart, |
might be instructed what it was, so that ]
could do it. This exercise restored his
tranquility Of fmind. and resumed his usual
position in the bed. Then, he said, it ut
tered q oan, too loud and startling to bc
Initiated by the human voice. The next
grean was not SO loud, and it receeded "a
step or two from the front of the bed, ncar
his face 1t continued to receede in tn.
rcctiCn from which it caae, and grew.
and less, until it reached its old ST. IN
when it died away to the faintest 50
and entirely and forever ceased.
I
given You, he said, u simple and true I
tory OF the facts, and you can form yo
own opinion. | give none His wife col
frmed ali he said l think can say that
never knew a person less given to tho,
marvellous than Elder Leland.
y SIANDERER OF NORTH CAROLINA
Travelling on the cars from O---to
M---not long since, in the night, we
happened to get into the same box with an
individual answering to the name of Bat
and his description Of Norf Kerlina,' tho
manners and customs gave the listener any
thing but a favorable impression Of tho
tar and turpentine State, thus:
"Why gentleman, a dog with 4 long
tail in North Carolina would be as great a
show as a negro with three heads"
Why so?' asked several.
They cut 'um Off to prevent them
knocking off tho huckleberries when they
are chasing foxes and rabts that run through
the woods"
'Phew - come from a listener
"Fact. certain as rain; and you never SEQ
a man or boy there with buttons on his
pants
"What then 2" asked one.
Pegs" replied the ever impurtable Bat
Wear buttons all off climbing after per
simmons
GO it Bat" cheered an acquaintance.
"And I'll tell you another thing" con
tinued; "they have to bell the little niggcrs
there Just as we do calves
What for -
so their owners can tell which go,her
hole they're in,
A general scream followed this---the en-
jinc squealed, and we all jumped off at