American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-05-04
TEE CRAZY PREACHER.
a Tue Story


ago, at the end of the week | found
myself in the village of S. ! make
it rule never to travel on the Sab
bath when it can be avoided, and
finding a neat room procurable in
one of the c0siest end most comfort
able new country tsyerns it has ever
been my good forttne to find, 1 was;
yoti may be sure, pleased to order
my horse to a comfortable stable,
and to place my name on the two
qnire register.
eyer jist in time to' tend the 'Soei-
alton tomorrow" said the landlord.
"The towns fill Of big preachers
from most every directions and !
reckon thar'll I've q great time 'mong
the meetin' folks. = 80,
The prospect of hearing passable
sermon on the NOR, pw was not at all
displeasing to me, and | began to
think myself peculiarly fortunate in
the chance that had brought me to
s. to spend the Sabbath.
/ had to share my bed that night
with a stranger. But then | was
used to that, for in those early days
in Illinois one seldom in travelling
secured room for his sole occupan-
cy.
My bed-fellow was a tall, dark
cOmplexioned man, with Il high,
square forehead, and an eye as SHARP,
black and piercing as | have eveI
seen.
1t seemed to me that there was q
strange, weired, almost unearthly
light, in that eye; an expression
which haunts me even vet. The
owner of the eye Ids Quiet; modest
and entirely gentlemanly in his de
portment, and | gathered from the
manner of his evening devotionS
before retiring that he was a minis
ter.
We had very little conversation
before retiring, yet enough to reveal
to me voice of singular pathos and
power-a voice which seemed to
thrill me like the contact Of Il mag
netic battery.
The next morning my companion
rose much earlier than L, and | did
not see him again until met him al
the table opposite him, and we at
once entered into conversation.
found him to be a remarkable cor
versatiOnalist, and able to draw in
formation and instruction from lis
hearers as we'll as to impart infor
nation from the ample store he had
nj !csery2.
At eleven o'clu,li ! repaired to tho
pI@fo Tdcf ;o of T. . 4ARDbl aisnf %is Eoya ,GEgS
maple trees, witsTqas' tH-io ,.0f rich,
thick June grass or blue grass
Here a pulpit had been improviscd,
and seats arranged, enough to ac.
cOmmOdatc large concoursc of pCo
pie.
The people were already Assem-
bling-coming from all directions, il
all sorts Of odd and primitive looking
vehicles, OH horseback and on foot
Presently / noticed my bcd-fellON
of the previous night arrive, ant
proceeding straight up the mail
aisle he entered the enclosure. where
the ministers, some dozen in number
were seated.
1t occurred to me that my eagle
eyed preacher did not meet very
warm reception from the assembled
ministers, and | was just entering
into a debate with myself whether ol
not jealousy was not at work even
among these plain, primitive preach
ers, when an incident occurred which
| furnished me with an explanation,
and most perpleXing one indeed,
but still no explanation of the whole
affair.
A white-haired old minister, dress
ed in home spun, arose to his feet,
and in slow, earnest and sad tone,
preferred charges against brother
j. His list of charges was ap.
palling. He had married young
and pure woman, and within week
deserted her in the most unaccOunt
able manner. Drunkenness, gluttony
and profanity were also charged,
and with the assurance that the facts
were so notorious and o. pen as scarce.
ly to demand investigation.
Brother j. sat as unmovablC
and imperturbable as statue
When the aged minister concluded,
he arose and shocked the cons gre
CATION with an expression of the
grossest profanity, coupled with the
somewhat ludicrous announcement
that he should "start a camp meet
ing of his own in the opposite grove,
and would preach at 3 o'clock P. NJ,
taking for his text the shortest verse
in the Bible"
After this announcement he stalk
cd out, and the meeting at cnce took
the necessary action to erase his
name from the list of the members OF
the association.
That afternoon curiosity induced
me to form one of the large crowd OF
hearers who attended the opening OF
is " camp meeting" During
the interval between services, | had
heard much discussion in regard to
his strange doings, and had heard so
many exciting stories of his recent
conduct. as TO be forced TO the con-
clusion that he was insane. l had
limited this belief to the landlord,
who had replied by saying:
"Jist you wait till you hear that
L n -