, 1870-05-29
A Long Prayer.
Ehon tie LesttktfLk Coufikr. Hdu Z,

From the Lou.stfAe Courier, Adys-
Among the ministers DOW in Louisville, at
tending the session of the Presbyterian Gen
erA Assembly, is one having slight figure and
swazt complexion, who attracts degree OF At
teution eomewhat out Of proportion to his
rather unimposing presence and unob.rusivs
demeanor. One would hardly take this man
for famous divine, and, still less, for brill
liant orAtor. He moves abont quietly like :
shadow, but he il IN active religious leader,
and close, obaeEvant scrutiny vii presently de-
tect 4 certain tone and character ia his method
glow in the eye; certain restless tremor
about the lip h certain exceptional play Of
features, which mark the difference betweeu
great faculties in = common caae And ordinary
faculties in large and ahowy czse-the dis
tinction, in short, between outward port and
named Palmer, and he comes from New Or
leans. where he is very well known and appre-
ciAted.
OF Dr.. Palmer, as Of many Of his colleagues,
much might be written but the purpose Of
this writing is not personal sketch or ! clo5i-
leave to tell after our own fashion, in which he
played the part, unintentionally. Of hero.
Il Was in the summer Of 1862. It Was in a
little, old, rusty. depot town. It was in the
midst Of WAT. The popnla1 fury Lad not quite
spent its force, nor the passion nor the
and lost their shiny charm In those
days the Confederate gray Waa full OF
stun and color, and tie stars aud b.ta
and gold lace on mans coat were neither
dlmmed nor t1ve}led BY service; 30 that, il he
sAw 6s, he might get himself up wondrous
brave and spruce. In those days the girls OF
the South wero not reduced to window-cur-
tains for dstBses, nor to the more ignominious
ripping up Of certain uu1nentionable neither
garments for collage, cuffs, and hAndlercliefs.
The bloom Of young hope was on the ya}or
Of the mon; the glow Of now glory was in
the heArts Of the women. The star OF the
South zose, like balloon, to its full meridian;
t-of-the-way military storehouse, with
its nAsa OF combustibles aud
non-combatxnts, its hospitals and magazines
and quartermaste1s, surgeons and deaa-beats
even there, in that rear and cul de sac, a.
one may SAY Of Brages army, which was
the Tennessee River from the NarTows down
TO bridgeport thore amid the undevel-
cped martial spirit Of cotumiasary clerks, and
the updetected military genius Of tho provost
Euards-eyen there might be found fnir Nornen
and brave men orerfowing with tho wild en-
the ROSY atmosphere Of day which waa
rosy only with the red reflection Of blood.
der the weird suardianship Of that beautiful,
brown peak from whose fair lookout not q
note, save notes OF lore, had yet been sent.
II WAS on the banks Of that great stream whose
eilver, rany-muitiplying hosse-4hoe had never
known hostile poutoon-bridge It Was = day
Of thanksgiving, for NC thought We had some
days We we're easy to please. aud, vithal,
somewhat genial, if not 1ocose, in our deal
inGs with Providence, Be this Is II NAV, 1t
waa day Of thanksgiving, and great
number Of of1iccra ana soldiers had come
up from tho front to little church going and
little counting, and more especially. after
this combustion Of piety and sentiment, to
hear the famous Dr. Palmer, Of New Orleans.
The church was crowded. Not a pew WIS
vacant, not seAt Wac unoccupied, and chairs
had been placed up and down tho ais!es Gold
lace, and cocked-hats, and cavalry boots, and
prettily. sabres we're mixed up indis-
ctiminately with ribbons and muslins And tho
profuse whinnes, iim-c1acks, and fAl-lals that
enter into the mysterious and ambitious anery
OF womauB, OF many women's, summer
dressing. It WAS, Of 4 truth, sight to sec.
Without, 500 horses hitched carelessly to
trees, and dusty streets md quiet pasture
Tennessee hills. Within, 1 tropical flower
ga,den, quite peaceful in its loyetiness and
wa.like in It's splendor. Bo aure tho pertidious
thought Of the hated YanEee penahed before
it entered there! Be surs thero Was not in
the mind Of all that nulnsnde 80 much as the
w
Dr.. pst.4er WAS in the pulpit The congre-
cat;r., rad been looking aud listening With
tSirious attention whils he read some an
nouncemeuts, md gave out 4 hymn. The
hymn was sung stentoriously, and then began
"the long ps.yer," ererybody standing, and
tpur disturbing the sercnity..of the moment.
"Oh, Lord" tho good man was saving " give
Ms grace, in the midst Of War, to do Code SER
vice on Garth Of peace and good will to men !:
make us, amid the tumult aud tho rsck Of
arms, - still and fixed in the service Of God a.
the everlastinghi-"(bsng!) "hills- {whow! It
Was tho ringing report Of cannon, and il
can1c from over tho river. fetching twelve
pound schrapnel with it. This is deposited in
the centre Of group Of startled dAfkies out
side, who were watching the horses and car
liagcs Of the 'whise folks" Two more fol-
complete his sentence He did COM
p!ete il, however, in : verr measured
and SOLEMN WAY. But the spirit Of the
Lord could not wholly and on the instant
subdue the impulse Of poor wcak hu-
man nature. Tho CONSERVATION WAS in1-
mediate and intense, and yet, strange to
Bay, not noisy. There Was kingle ery Of
alarm. A number Of of1cez., who hid posts
Of duty to fill, qultted The p1aee; Two or
three ladies approached tho door, but Dr.
Palmer did not bulge muscle nor alter
tone. hs proceeded With prayer as the shalle
was Just never such prayer prayed out Of a
pulpit The man stood up there glowing in
tho summer Light and answering eresy hosti}e
shot with message Of Christian love, and
the noise, great IS il WIS, did not drown 4
word; H nr.Eed fer e!erythins and for
was about to turn his attention to TIN gentle
men on the other side Of the water, and pr1v
for their poor souls, too. 1t WIS indeed i
long prayer" As the leAden devils came
whizziug oTer the roof and cracking through
the trees-the ungodly raecals had got the
themselves sullenly in the ground under the
Window or exploded frighttally among tae
beams or against the stont-work tho hearers
might havc thought tho preacher would mover
come to IN end. To be sure thia WAS well
enough for Dr. Palmer. He had N up-
common good thing, albeit The, pulpit was
the most exposed position, and erory one
expected to SEQ him drop any moment: for,
praying - be via, he had only to die and 90
to heaven st1aightvAy in 4 hand ,basket, CT any
other ready conveyance, sure Of hle2sed I'M
mortality for his fame in this world, and his
spirit IN the world to come The rest we're,
however, not so sure, and It vii hardly sur
prise the reader TO learn that they waited ner-
vously. They may be said to havo been ve1s
nervous. But finally, after a1hAustins tic
catalogue, after stretching the long prayer to
.its longest, after praying Tor al soFts and con-
0ACl8 Oh neO1 De48tAY D1lua, and thlO2H,
tho preacher sounded the ready words;
And the grace Of our Lord, md
The lore Of God, Ind the fellowship OF the
Holy Ghost, be with you Ill, nov and forever.
Amen" Then, quietly descending from the
pulpit, he added: 1.-THE congregation is dis
missed" and the people moved out Of the
church, and thence cut Of the range OF dan
ges, amid raliug fire that continued to pour
Ac1oss the river It was an advance Of the
enemSs cavalry outpost, with battery Of four
pieces Of Light artillery. Tho party had crept
In M 9hler ntaFg's elbow, which was very long
;u, ana amost aEmbo, and 1t glided back unpun-
et1Tu Ma.s IS II had como unexpected.
1a Nas : long time ago. Many things
tI..s u.se uAPpcned since. Many hearts arc cold
ny dGAi ,st ne.e VIM that dag. Many hopes have
f1 G,eo Gut that then werc bright md fair There
;!. HHe nue People now WHO Xiii reAd this
,es nSen HIT. for they ware not born
md gone, And there AS oid peop1s % Whass V eTes
ne Ike to groW dim with the mamor;ea rte ,S;ch
1t VII recall But the PREACHER st1i !. 1;th M ~.
and here's his Aoalth and his fssnir 20 VA. ".iu -
they Lire long and prosper. For H. so raat 1,
Gods will be done! 31e 1eSt,
-Tempting-An undertaken. h..;,v .,,.+.
nensa to let, pasted hia bills upou th6 cassns
IN he windows announcing 'Lsdsinss to1 s sios