Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-09-29

C1gRIc,I. EGoTIsTs Clerical speakers are
not behiud hand herein; and this is natural
A. they have to create their own topics, and
inderenden,ly of outward occasion, 20 excite
interest in their topics, the process OF compo,
sing a sermon must be continued process OF
self concentration and OF self exhaustion 1t Is
not surprising that the ego should be conIlnu-
ally present and continually expressed 1hen
the speech itself is guarded from contradiction,
and secured against open crltlcIsmi the pulpit
,enarate from the body OF the church, not only
N locality but in idea, is sacred against out
spoken objection aud the words OF the ser,
mon. falling upon the stiffness of reverentIaI
silence. are only less sacred than those OF the
Bhle. The man is entirely left TO himselt.-
lie has no open combatant or rival, by whom
his force may be tested. The poor, neglected
a,,or has 10 silence the groaniugs of his heart,
chile shouts of rapture hail the demi- god OF
tho night il any vain illusion gives the de
missed one hope, theatrical audiences are not
guilty of deception. So, In the contests OF the
Iaw, the orator takes high position only through
victory over opposition. But the teebest
preacher that ever drained away the subhmlty
Of his text, may mistake his isolated personal
intensity for force. The gentleneSs with which
the devou,ly meek listen to hlm ne may
consider impression and the stohd hrm
ness with which the inattentively re-
reflective seem to listen he may suppose con,
ricriop Then the good man at the end Is tired
and triumphapt. No one tells him differently;
and oiten he will not himself think differently,
in sDife of all that events declare too plainly
and too severely. How naturally, then, does
the nreacher, who works hard and earnestly
think without ordinary means OF comparison
that he works with eloquence and power now
natural that he should rejoice in the illusion
'Ah. YOU were not at church to day, SAID
preacher to friend, whom he met alter ser
vice coming in an opposite drectlOn' NO.
sir" ~ am sorry" replied the clergyman
tor never in my lite preatned oetter' ",
is hard to move these rich ielioWsi Dut s0he'
Wr deor friend, vor should have heard my
sermon This mornGg on Dives and Lazar US =
Rnr .potism ID strong preachers Is even
s,rapgtbenel with their strength. There Is 10
upn wboe personality attracts so much the
no-sor,nty of others towards him as does that
nF sGe popular preacher His personality IS
nus turned back upon him, through the kalel-
descope OF a manifold reflection from the ad-
miriug personalities of others, with warmth
and intensity of colOring which no other orator
ever calls SO constantly into play. Struggling
thus with his own personality and with the
personalities about him, the moments of his
emancipation from both must seem to him as
miracles from HeaveD,-AHmtc Monthly.
PREDICTING EARTHQUAKES.-A barber in
California has had earthquakes on the brain
For the last twelve months he has devoted all
his time to the study Of them. He succeeded
in inventing an instrument, pasteboard ana
pencil, 50 arranged as to indicate the occur
renee at once, and the direction of the move
ment lie occupied small, frail, rickety
wooden house, against the corners OF which
the hogs of the village would rub at night. -
The house was shaken, and the earthquake
indicator would the next morning announce 10
the admlrug inventor the tact OF an earthquake
the preceding night with its bearings. This
81 cmbo.iened him, that he ventured to hx
certain day for the coming of OF an earthquake
which would probably upheave or submerge
the whole Pacific coast The whole popuia-
ton 10 terror and alarm awaited the awful day.
ltclme aud passed in perfect quiet, 10 inc
rad confusion of our philOsophic barber Ana
As ui,iortunes never come slngy, Just at 'ha'
time the swinish agency in creating Ihe noe
turnal tremhIipgs. so accurately noted oy tue
indicator. was discovered. This was more than
our tOnsorial friend could stand. An error 10
calculating the exact advent Of an earthquake
might happen to the greatest genius put u
mistake the rubbing Of hog for the granues'
comu otion OF nature, entailed q rld,cule more
singing than death. The barber at once e, van
ished trom the face of the earth.-Rtch HH'9'
EATISG.lt any man or woman, OF lorty
i've or over not engaged in hard manual labor
especially the studious, sedeutary indoor livers
would take but two meals day for one month
the second not being later than three in thu
afternoon, aud absolutely nothing afterwards
except it might be in some cases an orange
lemon, or Ice cream, or cup of warm drink
such az tea, broma, or sugar water, there
would be such change for the better iu tn,
way of sound sleep, feeling on waking o
having retired, an appetite Tor breakfast, ans
buoyancy ct disposition during the day, tha
few except the animal aud glutton would
willing to 20 back to the flesh pots OF Egypt
Two HIGHwAYMEN were recently tried
Ireland. and, to the surprise OF everybod'
were acquitted. Before diseharging the prls
ners, the Judge called the sheriff to him, al
said he would set out for Dublin that evenin
aud he would be glad to have an hour or tV
afahi 10