New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-09-02
CAMP MEETING.
MARTHAs VINEYARD.
LAST DAYs-TIIE SPIRIT OF THE MEETING
BLUFFING-sECULAR JOYS.

right gnyy He takes the dusty oaks by the beard ana
Bullets them In wild mischief lie tussles with LINDA
pettcoats and tries his impertinence with her sweet
bright hair Jolly old roserer! It's the wind the VIM
and he's king Of the camp the only enthusiasm le1t 10
us to-day ia in the mad enchanting whrl Of leaf ana
branch Four handsome maids are clicking the gay
croouet little imps boy sits singing boldly Je s"'S
mari de Ia Refine mari de la Refine, mari de la Rene
welded at the tent door reads Rossetu 10 MS y
wife A solitary wagon bears of O lonely trunk Papa
Pdge and Papa Nudge settle definitely European ah'i'
with their feet In the air. Tom Pdge has become large
animated cigar. Matte Nudge has taken on her pacA
hair put away her Bible and studies Mauprst unuei
tree The oueer little streets and avenues lie dusty
and almost deserted in the sun, and tentpOies stan
about gaunt and ghostly, denuded OF their can'ae'
Communicating with the soul gone out OF IT, inc day ao
the closing Halleujah The whirl ana rush anu ioai
OF human prayer have died away and one has 'ine "
watch for and live in the rich, sweet tender adoronS
~ Nature The lonpcoated thinaced group OF minis
ters bas disappeared in trail Of Glory and with the
the thousands who yesterday crowded the camp
The last three DAYS Of the meeting from sunny morn
ing 10 star-lit evening, have been Iul Oh ehccno"
damned full Of grace" says Chimark sister' ihefo
were almost 10000 people here on Sunday-a merry
swarm OF New Englanders half OF whom came ior 'no
same reason that Eve ate the apple Converts mere anu
converts there-suicient unto the day was the number
tbereof-experienced the power as buddng converts
ALWAYS do Not seat in the Tabernacle was empty, anu
amens and eoans contrte fell fast and thick about the
altar Nevertheless it did that twas only about
the altar that the power leaped up and shouted Inc
tantazlng unOrthodox, the unsanctihed, the men
| ond women and babies of sin, were mighty
outskirt and they staring, wondered and WONDER
ing stared without troubling themselves WIN
spiritual introversion. Methodism Is "pucky;' II
rough downright frank cordial joyous belief persistent
in method and expression butt isn't proof against russ
and feathers There asuredy has never been year III
bich he IN so
place. and never before year in which the meeting has
so suffered from serious Lack OF the magnetic sympathy
that brings shouting congregation to its repcntaht
knees. Idle curiosity seekers abounded and though
they were rather kindly than otherwise the crit
zeal atmosphere made itself felt after the manner OF
wet blanket. The reserved, Manufactured woman OF the
Massachusetts coast looked out askance from the depths
OF fossil bonnet at Madame Popinjay, seated beside
her. and in view Of that lace, and musln ana rlDpoh
that wondrOus little twinkle of hat, somehow
didn't feel half deep conviction OF SIN as she khe"
that she ought It was all abomnation, of course,
but it was distractng, and the women feit IL,
unfortunately, for it is to the ranks OF nervous
sensitive, humble women, that campmcetings owe
their most effective successes. 1t is the woman OF
executive hands and impossible sensibiy VINO utlizes
religion here The mothers Of the church were active
but the daughters-aas, "bluffing" What q deal OF
delightful unsanctty you have to answer for We HIGH I'M
peria bluffs Blung is pretty game, old as it is new
PLAYED the whole world over, and an established nstu
ton AT the Vineyard as much matter OF course as clam
bakes and prayermeetings Two actors are necessary
| below the waves range Themselves chuckling au-
dence. Pyramus and Thsbe cooling through no enyions
wall and indefinitely repeated, have wandered nrng III
orthodox fashion under the echoes OF
and doubtless grateful from their very souls for the
convenient religion brought them to the windswep
sun-dried bluffs. Blufng by any other name twOud
he ms sweehas been the ruling idea Of the majority OF
The lads and lasses Twas planned the MORN discussed
at noOn tasted at and sentnentalned over next
especially adapted to canpmeeting hooks-camp meet
ing at which love fcasts are universal, democratic
The elders fervent but gone was the feryor OF
that rOugher Oden time when preacher has been known
unconsciousy clutch small boy by the hair and exc
various caracoes with him In the excitement OF ms
discourse Gone that venerable exhorter who always
based his demands for contributions on the ground that
"yor d orter pay for hayin' chance to make uss
preached against this fearful spirit OF mate alism thai
T. spreading abroad" you're wakngina work. Of sense
World rS" Of spirit and walk by alth" The fine vivid
tense young face famed and glittered with enthusiasm
| come now, or yOu'll be damned Here I've been dip
ping and dipping down into the well Of salvation, but
rs bottomess gets deeper and deeper and the bucket
sinks further every time Come, bring up the precious
waterw And faith, he dipped so nianfully aud with
such ma gnetc heartfelt grace, that the tide Of cOnyc
ton rolled and rushed and sprang to the altar and there
sged and shuddered in tears and prayer There was
a continual undercurrent Of protest among the minis
tiers against the philosophical methods in Methodsn
That uncertain and evanescent electrical instrument
the power, was never more pass0nately invoked-ts
ancient delights more earnestly recalled
kindly charity gOOdly breadth Of acceptatiOn was
felt At the LOveFeast. which gathered over 5000 pe0
pie, tender hearty glow OF broIherness warmed Meth,
Odist Baptist, COngregatlonalst ana Buiels 10 RAPID
sympathy. As three Baptist missionaries mounted the
stand and caspcd hands with their Methodist hosts the
"glOrys" and "amens' stOrmed out irresstibly, and
gaunt harpclnned clerymen, fat pillars of the church,
Shouted together redfaced scotchman springs mp as
under crooked pin emotion, remarks In conyersa-
as If to rivet that nail lank youth, with excite
ment than perception of the fitness OF things, ycls out
croWd icsifyer rise and declare their faith mostly in
quaint ungrammatical, NewEngland phraseology, but
very vigorously nevertheless One brother shouts forth
%5e9 ts s5 o. nsaS% Spaslsi R, re shan
Another thinks the bread the Wesleys cast upon TIE
| nearer screams, " Bless the bu'~., Lord!" Good
gracious! I'm crooked stick enough, amt 2" says
by tine grace of God have been Straightforward Anna
Dicknsons brother observes that he had been brought
gamble. and smoke, and pursued those plea ant little
upon him. Somebody facctously relates the
ton between "a Methodist and Baptist. in which the
latter said mat he liked eIhodlih EeS wel but there
was 30 much machinery about IT, Nherat the brother
made answer, =" PFaps-but 1t don't take half SO much
Converts are studies in which originality is more
wanted than found so many have exactly the same
porence that their stories seem to have been learned by
rote But sometimes there rises striking figure like
that pale girl, whO with hands clasped in passion
wan lips and then stood, very Francesca, unuttcr-
able sadness I'm her face rapt in intense mood that
scanned, unl61ey man, with excitement twisting his
mouth, straning his eyes twitching IN his hands His
"eXperience has been of the clutching order felt
a-conin down me, an ahodiD on me up, an got
awful happy that jist started and rum an run inter
tent an there man. an says /, aketcnm hC'd of
him, says !, 1--WE got IT.; an run into TIC .ek-r ~
an there dOin' s0methiD'. aad / says %
her says ], I've got II an oh. glory haleluiah!
ramped up an down a-ten' everybody I've got II; an
oh, bless the Lord brehrng hare got II, an ri hang
on to It"with grasp at his knees II II settled
there and making strenuous efforts 10 escape.
In tent dim, dusty, rcdOlcnt Of straw and enthus-
assn stood ancient mariner and held his audience
with gterng eye, simple, rushing narrative. He
a Of years and labor. Winds had Drowned him.
Tides had wearied him. Solemn nights and glsty days
In distant had carved his bigbon face into hO-
lows rough and stern. His very voice the oreak
of anchor chain. His story had a wholesome breezy
flavor, and he told the vigorous blue eyes Ned
themselves in distance, and the wedding guests