Smyrna times., 1869-11-03


were, and they got my wifi aud daughter into
their church. Then | come here to ChOctaw
Corner, find good piece Of land, feel sure
that shall have some peace from the preach
ers, and here is one before have unlOaded my
wagon!" " My friend said Molly, if you
go to heaven, you'll ind Methodist preachers
there and if you go to hell, I'm afraid you'll
find some there; I'd advise you to come to
terms with God, and then you'll be at peace |
with us. Sometimes they died in the wilder |
ness, and 6 no man knew the place OF their
sepulchre.' Months, and sometimes years,
elapsed before it was known they had gone to |
their reward. These men have been called the |
graduates of Brush College, Fellows of Swamp
University. How is it you have no Doc
tors Of Divinity /? y said one to fine old Jacob
Kruber, preacher of this order "Our di
vinity is not sick, and does not need doctoring,"
said the old man. A witty, satirical old crea-
ture, this Kruber-able, learned, sarcastic, and
eloquent. He lived during the days of the
Revolution In America, and being called on to
pray on some great occasion, he delivered him.
self OF the following petition: 80 Lord, have
mercy on the sovereigns of Europe convert
their souls; give them short lives and happy
deaths; take Them to heaven, and let us have
no moe of them" Sometimes the bitter got
bitten. When he lived at Lewiston he came
frequently into contact with Catholic priest,
not much behind him in the use of edged tools
He met the priest one day-not as usual, on
horse back, but trudging ON foot Said Krub
er, w here your horse 7 why don't you
ride p ooh, said the other, rather testify,
"the beast dead T. dead we'll, suppose
he Is In purgatory?" Nay, the wretched
creature turned Methodist just before he died,
aud went straight to hell" Old Kruber was
greatly averse to read sermons, for even in
those days there were readers of sermons in
the pulpit Once youthful Congregational
minister read before him; Jacob also had to
follow the young man In preaching and it was
expected he would give the young brother
thrust for the use OF his notes. He finished
however, without saying IA word that looked
toward the manuscript; but in his concluding
prayer he uttered these strange petitions
Lord, bless the young man who has read to
US TO day; let his heart be as soft as his head,
and then he will do Dus some good. & How do
you make your preachers z was once said to
one of these fine old preachers Of the woods.
Why, We old ones tell the young ones all we
know, and they try to tell the people all they
can, and they keep on trying till they can-
that's our college" One Was asked, = Do you
belo g to the Standing order?" No" he
said; belong to the kneeling order" They
were sharp men. One day, while Dr. Bost
wick was riding along on the well-known Meth
odist horse, man rode up, insolently laid his
hand on the doctors bride, and said G. | woulC
as soon ride the devil as ride that horse. >
"Ohl said Bostwick, how it would look tc
see "a child riding his own tather!' The mau
put spurs to his own steed, and, without d
word, gaoped away. There was Billy Hib
bard, shrewd, powerful in his dealings with tht
souls OF men, but mighty Arminian. "Broth
er Hibbard, said Calvinstic minister to hin
one day, you hurt my feelings in preachin!
: yesterday" why, brother, how did | d.
b thatY' He referred him to some dOctrinal re
mark in his discourse. "OhI said Hubbard
e the devil, and you stepped in and took it your
r. self. Don't get between me and the devil
e brother, and You won't get your feelings hurt.
4 Like our own famous Dawson, he would scarce
re ly be known by the more elegant and euphoni
'e GUS name of William When Bishop Asbur
!; was presiding at the roll call of the conference
it be objected answering to that name insistin
that his name was BLY, "Why, brother Hit
p bard, said Asbury, BILLY is little boy
at name. :" Yes, bishop" he said, and was
IL little boy when my father gave it me" Thes
ID men had few books-the Bible, Pilgrim Pr
or gress, and few such, in their saddle bagg
g. formed their whole library; yet some becam
n great scholars and mastery divines. But I'll
Y, open pages of the book of Nature were befor
'ts them, and in keen encounters with men the
a learned thousand things hidden from ordin
lot ry eyes and thus were trained healthful bod
g. a well developed muscular system, large, stroI
p, lungs; vigorous constitution, a workshop al
og dwelling place for wise and vigorous min
Or. How man could become a strong preach
er- and thinker while ranging those mighty so
rs, tudes, sleeping in small apartments, containi
rs, all the family and such domestic animals
me shared backwoodsmans freside, seems wo
Be derful.