The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-06-30
SENTIMENT AND FUN.
" A little nonsense, now and then,
Is relished by the wisest me1."
THE LEEK-SEED CHAPLE.
A Centenary Renaissance.

l DOOu dlI6E-r Tie PRONUNCIATION OF
Methodism in England, it spread with
great rapidity over the counties of
Devon and Cornwall, and especially
among the miners and lower orders.
For a long period after its introduce
ton, the clergy and higher orders of
society in the West of England mani
tested degree of dislike to the new
doctrines which can scarcely be mag
ined IN these modern days of tolera-
ton 1t was thought by many young
gentlemen good sport to break the
Methodist chapel, The robbery of a
Wesleyan preacher as a spree by two
young gentlemen became the subject
of judicial Investigation, and the
frolicsome young men had to pay very
dearly for their practical joke.
Among the uninstructed local
preachers was one known by the name
of :. The Old Gardener. r." This old
man was no common character; In
deed, he was quite al original, and by
far the most popular, preacher among
the disciples of John Wesley in that
vicinity He kept a small nursery
garden, about two miles from the town
of St. A., working hard at his
occupation as gardner by day, and
praying and preaching to his fellow
sinners, as he called them, in the
evening. He lived in the poorest
manner, giving away all the surplus
of his earnings in charity, distributing
Bibles, and promoting to the utmost
of his ability the extention of Meth
odism His complexion was sort of
dirty, dark, iron-gray, and his whole
appearance lean and grotesque AL
though extremely ignorant, he pos
sessed no small degree of cunning,
and great personal courage. OF this
the following incident affords ample
evidence:
The Old Gardener was once sub
jected to burglary and attempt to
robbery. He lived, with his wife, in
a small and somewhat dilapidated cot
tage, not far from the high road.
Three young squires, who had just
finished their studies at the Univer-
sity, and who all dispised and hated
Methodism, having heard that the old
man had been recently making coll
lection to build a Methodist chapel,
thought it would be a good frolic to
rob him, temporarily, Of the proceeds
of his collection. The result of the
frolic is best related in the words of
one of the actors;
We set out, said he, upon our
expedition, with blackened faces, on a
dark night, a little before twelve
o'clock. We had dined late, and all
of us had Dutch as well as Cornish
courage; yet confess, when it came
to the point, / felt myself coward
/ began TO reflect that it was but
dastardly frolic to brighten a poor
old man and his wife in the dead of
the night.
The clock struck twelve. Now
comes the witching time of night,
exclaimed Tom.
g" Don't let us brighten the poor
couple out of their wits, said /.
- No, said Ryder, we will be gen
tie robbers-gentle as Robin Hood
and Little John
| said that [ would rather travel
back than proceed. Recollect,' said
/, the old fellow is an old soldier, as
well as a saint, and fears nothing hui
man.
g" Nonsense, exclaimed Ryder,
here goes
He pressed the feeble door of the
cottage in which the old man resided
it Immediately gave way and flew
open. We entered, and found our
selves in a sort of kitchen. To our
great surprise there was light
shining from an inner room. This
made us hesitate.
Who is out there at this time of
night?' exclaimed hoarse voice from
within. / knew it to be the unmis-
taxable voice of the Old Gardener
{" Give us your money and no harm
shall befall you, said Tom, but we
must have your money.
The Lord will be my defense,
rejoined the Old Gardener. You
shall have no money from me, all in
the house is the Lord Stake it if you
dare Cd "
We must and viii have it, said |
we, as we entered the inner room. |
after taking the precaution of fasten-
ing the chamber door as we entered. |
we soon wished we had suffered it |
to remain open, as you will see.
Now consider us face to face With /
the Old Gardener; and a pretty |
sight we presented. Three ruffans, /
(ourselves,) with white wagoners' T
frocks, and blackened faces. Before
us the old Gardener, sitting on the /
side of his bed. He wore a red |
worsted night-cap, check shirt, and |
flannel jacket; his iron gray face, !
fringed with beard, looking as cool |
and undismayed as if he had been in
the pulpit preaching. A table was by /
the side of the bed, and Immediately |
in front of him, ON large deal table, |
NOS On nr,or Rihlo. oloro 70 ,rh;oh No |