The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1860-04-20
PREACHING In THE FAR WEST.

The same contrariety that leads cripples TO
become porters and; walking poStmen, and deaf
men TO fill the situation OF Boots at our inns has
not seldom mbued bind persons with passion
for travel. Over the last class, the Rev. Will
liam Henry Mlburn, Of the United States, may
certainly claim present pre-emInence. He Is
not, indeed, altogether sghtless the right eve
retains the smallest possible transparent spot,
not much larger than pas point, in the cor
ner OF the pupil, through which the light NAV
make its way; ''though, 10 make this fraction
of eye available, it is necessary to use a shade
above the eye, and to place the middle finger
OF the right hand beneath it, thus forming a sort
OF artificial pupil, allowing only the due guam
titv OF hight to enter" Nevertheless, since.
before this accident (which was occasioned by
an oyster she'll thrown by a school compan-
lon,) he had fortunately learned to read, he be-
came, under these disadvantageous clrcunstan-
Ces, greedy deyourer ot books, and accom-
pished student of the university of Illinois an
nina mater which may boast, with truth, of the
rare virtue Of never hating conferred the title
OF D. d. on any unworthy object, inasmuch as
throughout ats hve-ana-twenty years existence.
II has never had occasion TO confer It at all.
The Mburns were driven from Philadelphia
by commercial sbipwgeck, ia 1887. and OF
course found the capital OF the far West to b..
great deal cheaper place to live in. Some Of
the aborigines, however, complained, it seems,
of its prices. low as they were, and were thus.
10 Mr.. NIilburn's hearing, reproved by female
eggseller E'What! DO ye s'pose our hens are
gWlne to strain themselves a-laYIng eggs at three
cents dozen Lay 'em yourself, aud see how
you'd like the price" Although, indeed. ne
could not see very well, the author of Ten Years
Of PreacterS-tife had powers Of observation
greater than those of most men with perfect
eyes, aud suffered absolutely nothing to escape
his ears. Having embraced the profession OF
preacher in the Wesleyan Methodist connection.
ne was appointed to the Winchester circuit,
consisting Of some thirty preaching places
some OF them chapelS, more OF them log-school
houses, most Of them private dwelings-at an
average of some ten miles apart. He had to
preach a sermon day, and make his three-hun-
dred-nl!e round thirteen times a year. Thus
he got acquainted with almost every man. wo-
man and Child within bis beat, and school O.
Pened to him for studying human nature which
be would scarcely have found elsewhere. The
privilege, however, seems to have formed his
principal reward, since of pecunary recompense
We do not wonder that, with such miserable
stipend, young man in the same position as
hImspIf-a sshelper IN the ministry"-was once
convicted at the quarterly Conference, of the
practice OF ''swopping horses" IN order to make
both ends meet. All the charges against this
Juvenile preacher were Enthusiastically rebuff
ed. First, that he could not preach second
that be was attentive 10 all the girls around the
circuit, and third that he was constantly enga-
@ed IN swoppng horses. In defending him
self, he stated, first, that be knew, as well as
any of them, that he could not preach, and he
was sure it did not trouble them as it did him
second, that they need not be alarmed about his
attention to the girls, for he would not think OF
marrying the daughter Of any man present
and third, as to trading horses, what else was to
be done they paid him nothing and he had no