The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-05-13
"Muk and Gin" Again.

"MIIk and Gin" Again.
Since the acquittal of MCFARLAND
the most interesting question that now
furnishes food for the cosmopolitan
mind of New York is the gin and
milk" difficulty between the Rev.
CHARLES B. SMYrHE, Presbyterian min
lister, and his disturbed flock. 1t will
be remembered that some ten days ago
brother SMYrHE was arraigned before
the Presbytery of his church, andtoun
guilty of going into basement saloon
on the Sabbath, in company with two
jolly local newspaper reporters, and IN
dulging in some very innocent refresh
ments for the good Of the stomach.
The newspaper reporters took oysters and
ale for 'therne," while the reverend gen
,leman invigorated his nerves by drinking
q glass Of "gin and milk which one
would suppose to be very healthy and
innocent beverage The Prcsbytery
however. viewed ii in q different light,
and decided that Mr.. SMYTHE violated
law of the city by entering the saloon
on Sunday, and the law of the church
by breaking the Sabbath day, and by
irreligious ard unministerial conduct in
general: and he was sentenced to be rep
rirnanded, which was done on the spot
hy the Rev. Mr.. HARPER. 1t will be
a, once conceded by all pious minds
that brother SMYTHE deserved a repri-
mand for at leart two reasons:
first, being the leader of a flock, he
should have gone home on Sunday for
his "gin and milk if he had them
there; and, secondly, if he did not have
them there, and required stimulants
for nervous depression, as he truth
fully saws, no doubt, then he should not
have been so piously scrupulous rs he
PROCESSES to have been as TO postpone
the payment of his bill until another
day. At any rate, Mr. SMYTHE was
rimanded-tendcrly we suppose, as
all men should be for small offences
and turned loose with the wise admoni-
ton 10 do better and attend to his
pastoral charge. He went away
as much refreshed as when he got his
milk and GIN and resolved, no doubt,
to henceforth ignore all restau-
rants and local reporters on Sundays.
But scarcely had he escaped the reprl-
mand Of the Prcsbytery before some Of
his flock, who seem not to have much
Of the milk or gin of human charity in
their bosom, cruelty extendeda very i'm
polite request TO the reverend gentle
man TO retire from his charge An
anti-gin and milk meeting numbering
some sixty members, was held the other
night in the basement OF his church
without much notice, and after PRAYER
bv the Rev. john THOMPSON, and some
animated discussion, in which Mr. Hen
DERsoy and others warmly defended Mr.
SMYrHE as a prosecuted man, secret
vote was taken and resulted. in 40 for
expulsion and % for retaining him.
Had brother SMYTHs have stopped
on the wayside on the Sabbath day and
united in the bonds of matrimony an
other mans wife with another woman's
husband he would no doubt have been
as much lionized in his church as
BEECHER and FROTHINGHAM are in theirs
But glass of gin and milk" for the
stomach's sake, followed by confession
and repentance, has plunged him by
railroad speed into the darkest regions
Of Purgatory. If our good Maker and
Preserver shows as little charity to his
children in another world as some of
his saints show to their fellow-men in
this, the future cannot be made very
inviting TO the best of us.