Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-09


portion of the population of Nashville ar
regular attendants at Church. On the Sab
bath day in particular, do they take prid
in appearing in their seats In no place
there a more general observance ofthe day
or a more earnest and enlightened desire t,
enjoy the advantages of pulpit instruction
Yet it must be confessed, that we hay'
some sleepers in our congregations. They
may be seen every Sabbath, at any season
of the year; but in greater numbers wheT
the days are long and the weather warm
Did you ever observe one, dear reader
and note the successive gradations by which
he passes from eager unwakefulness into
profound slumber? 1t is never Intentional
The good man struggles against the insidi-
Gus encroachments of the drowsy god. AS
Henry Ward Beecher, who has had vast
| opportunities to become familiar with the
subject, observes: He stands up awhile,
he pinches himself, or pricks himself with
pins. He looks up helplessly at the pulpit
as If some succor might possibly come
thence. He crosses his leg uncomfortably,
and attempts to recite the catechism or the
multiplication table. He seizes languid
fan which treacherously leaves him in a
calm. He tries to reason, to notice the
| phenomena. Oh! that one could
carry his pew to bed with him!
What tossing wakefulness there what
fiery chase after somnoleney. In his law
ful bed he cannot Sleep. and in his pew he
cannot keep awake Struggle as he will, to
keep his eyes open they gradually contract
and close; hold his head up firmly, it will
lapse and fall away over backward; lean it
little forward, and it suddenly drops into
his bosom. Poor man, no one pities or
sympathizes with him.
But this offence against good morals and
good manners, is not peculiar to this day
and generation. 1t was a source of scandal
in the early days of the colonies; and
some of the people regarded it as an evil
to be punished. Accordingly in 1911, at
Portsmouth, Maine, at a town meeting it
was ordered that cage be made, or some
other means be invented, by the Select
men, 10 punish such as do sleep on the Lords
day, at meeting, in the time of the public
exercise" And il appears from the record
that the selectmen made a contract with
John Pickering to build cage twelve feet
WIN StOCho httAlAL anu Il BllIOTY
on the top, a convenient space from the
west end of the meeting house. And it is
recorded fact, not a tradition, that not
long after Pickering gnished his job, John
Wadleigh was tried and convicted of sleep
ing ''at meeting en- the Lord'sday, in the
time of the public service" and expiated
his offence in the stocks. Think of that,
We sleepers of to-day, and bless the good
fortune that cast your lots in later age
But the proceedings of the trial of John
Wadleigh, which we find in the "veracious
chronicle" -not of old Froissart, but of
Yankee Land-are rich and racy. 1t appears
from them that Wadleigh, Sabbath after
Sabbath, would lean his head upon his
hand, hiding his eyes, and then upon the
pew, hiding his face, and once, full min
ute after the preacher ceased to speak,
Started suddenly, rose to his feet, looked
round a moment confusedly, and sat down
again." This last act was the clearest and
most positive proof he had given of his
offense, and caused him 70 be indicted by
the Grand Jury as "a common sleeper on
the Lords. day, at the public meeting"
Deacon Squire Winslow presided at his
trial. Lawyer Chandler conducted the
prosecution Lawyer Stebbins, the defense
The first point made by Chandler was
that the prisoner should props his innocence =
[Chandler would, if living, make first
rate Radical Senator of the BrOwnlow per
suasion. Now, said he We charge that on
sundry occasions, Wadleigh was asleep in
church. Now, if he was not 50 asleep, let
him prove hisaiibi. A criminal always has
a right to an diibi, if he can prove it. |
take that ground and there | stick call
upon the prisoner to prove his abb" The
court, however ruled that the prosecution
must prove the sleep; and the testimony
was heard.
The first witness, Solomon Young, said
In warm weather folks is considerable
apt to sleep in meeting, especially when
they get tired. | know find it pretty
hard work 20 get ~ aeyenthly and eighthly
in the sarmOn myself, but if / once get by
these generally get into kind of waking,
train again, and make out to weather it,
But it isn't so with Wadleigh I've gem
orally noticed that if he begins to cape at
seyenthly and eighthly it is gone goose
with him before he gets through tenthly,
and he has to look out for another prop to
his head somewhere, for his neck isn't stiff
enough to hold it up. And from tenthly
up to sixteentlly he's as dead as a door
nail, till the amen brings the people up to
prayers, and then Wadleigh comes up with
jerk, jest like opening a jack-knife. 4
The second witness was Jonathan Sta
pies, blind man. .....-... /
He stated that he knew Wadleigh slept
in meeting because he heard him sieep-that
he could tell when person was asleep or
awake by his breathing,
Mr. Chandler. Now tell Us where you
sit in meeting, and how you know Wad-
leigh is asleep.
Staples. Well | goes to meeting of a
Sabbath, and commonly takes my seat in
the seventh seat at the west end of the
meeting house And John Wadleigh he
sets in the sixth seat, and that brings him
almost right afore me- All the first part of
the exercises he has a waking breath, till it
gets along in the sarmon, say about sew
entity or eighthly, and then he begins to
have a sleepy breath and when it gets
along into tenthly, he commonly goes 1t
like a porpus
Squire Winslow. Do you know him to
be asleep at these times?
Staples. | guess | du. / don't see how /
could help it. | know him to be asleep
Jest as we'll as | know Pm awake.
Squire Winslow. Well, that sufficient.
Mr.. Stebbins. Now Staples, do you pre-
tend to say you can tell John Wadleigh's
breath from the breath of any other person
in meeting?
Staples. SartainIy | du. Amt every
bodys breath pitched on different key ?
There's as much difference in breathing as
there is in speaking. Fl
Mr.. Chandler considered the case made
out, and offered DO more witnesses.
Mr.. Stebbins did not consider it neces-
sary to argue the case-the evidence did
not sustain the charge it was too absurd to
have any weight.
Mr.. Chandler; May it please the court,
| am astonished at the hardihood and eff
frontery of the learned counsel If ever
there was a case made out in any court I'M
der heaven by clear, positive and irresisti-
BILE evidence it is this. First, sir, an un-
improbable witness swears to you that he
sees the culprit, Wadleigh, the prisoner at
the bar, gaping in meeting, and exhibiting
all the signs of going to sleep; then he
sees him flatting away and muzzling about
to find a prop for his head Now, sir, men
don't want a prop for their heads when
they are awake. 1t is only when they are
asleep they want a prop for their heads,