The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1869-08-14
MISCELLANEOUS.

ANECDOTES OF JONATHAN EDwARDs.-The
great theologian was extremely absent-minded,
carrying about with him everywhere the atmos-
phere ofstud treading on clouds and breathing
rarified air-in the world, but not of it. A
country parishioner at loss for topics ofconver-
sation, once asked him how many cows he pos
sessed. Greatly, do not know" he replied
shut Mrs. Edwards could tell you. She attends
to all such matters" Now, Mrs. Edwards
was fully as pious as her Observation-Disclosures a re-
ligious devotee. She was oftener in her closet
than in her dairy yet she knew how many
cows paid tribute to the house of Edwards,
which fact would seem to prove that woman
may be eminently spiritual and eminently prac-
ticle at the same time.
The lofty abstraction of Mr.. Edwards caused
frequent domestic disarrangement and sometimes
played strange pranks with his costume, especi-
ally with his wig while his profound ignorance
of ordinary worldly affairs gave rise TO many
ludcrous incidents. One Of the old family
stories runs thus Mr.. Edwards having preach
ed for poor country parsoa, found, to his dis
may, on Monday morning, that there was no
man or boy about the premises TO bring up his
horse for him. On his confessing that he knew
little about such things, his hostess, con hospi-
table cares INTENT" went to the pasture, caught
and bridled the said clerical steed, and led it up
to the gate. Then, as she was about to put on
the saddle, the great minister came out, and
calamity protested against her performing any
further groom service, saying he thought he
could manage the rest for himself So she went
about her household affairs.
The god man was long time wrestling
with the mysteries of that saddle !; but, just as
the lady was going again to his assistance, he
came in to get his saddle bags and take his leave
''Ah! Mr.. Edwards, how have you succeeded"
she asked. Every well, thank you," he re-
piled "but it was unusual employment for me
and was little awkward. Ihad some diff
Guilty in properly adjusting the straps and buc
kles and there is still superfuous piece Of
Gather, the office of which cannot divine.
But it hangs over the neck of the animal, and
will not incommode me at ALL" The lady,
somewhat curious, stepped to the gate, to find
that Mr.. Edwards had put on the saddle RE-
souRs-the pommel pointing tailwards; having
perhaps, a vague idea that, as he was going
back to Northampton, that was the way to do
it, The ''superfuous piece ofleather" was the
ernpper.-GRAcE GREENWOOD.
EccENTRIcIrIEs OF MILLIoNAIRR.-The
Rothschids are said to be dissatisfied with the
management of their Paris house since the death
Of old Baron James. His two sons are men of
little ability, and they are said to have made
several ruinous speculations. Nearly all the
old employees Of the firm have been discharged
since Baron James death. Some strange dis
eoyeries have been made in regard to the chari-
ties of the old Baron. He frequently sub
seribed for benevolent purposes large sums,
with the understanding that he should be
called upon to pay only part of the same
He very often complained Of the exhorbitant
sums he had to pay for clerk hire. He took
but two or three daily papers, and the man
who read the news of the day to him every
morning, had to subscribe for as many, and
bring them along to Rothschild's house. He
never wore watches, rings, or any other kind OF
iewelry. At the dinner table he drank cheap
wines. There was but one person at whose ex
pense he did not grumble, and that was his wife.
When called upon BY persons who wanted him
to contribute handsomely forsome charitable pur-
pose, he often ''came down" only upon being
told that if he should not give any thing, his
wife would be applied to. He knew that she
would contribute literally, and 80 he subscribed
a handsome sum, but usually little less than
he thought she would have given He was
compound Of misery and spendthrift habits.
He always made fuss with his shoemaker,
who presented his annual bill to him, but he
did not even vince when his agent asked him
for twenty thousand francs to purchase some
work of art. He was very proud of his sagaci-
ty as an art critic and connoisseur, but he was
cheated so often in the purchase Of pictures,
statues, medals, &c., that one-half of the works
of art in his galleries are said to be worthless.
He had the most implicit confidence in old
Charles Pillet, the auctioneer of works of art,
but Mr.. Pillet, it is thought, often abused this
confidence, and palmed worthless trumpery on
the trusting Baron.