The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-05-19
lFrom the Columbus Journal
Throwing stones.


An accentric chaplain of the Army
ofWest Virginia, son of famous Ohio
Presbyterian clergymen as eccentric as
himself almost, preached sermon one
Sunday TO congregation composed of
a large proportion Of the old Kanawha
Division, to prove that no one ever
lived on earth who had keener love of
humor than Jesus Christ And it was
a very surprising thing, to at least one
Of his hearers, how many examples the
chaplain was able to give from the New
Testament history, showing where
Christ had "turned the joke on bis ques-
TONERS" (as the chaplain phrased i0, by
witty or humorous retorts.
The chaplain, my dear Madame, was
as good man as ever lived, devoted
with rare enthusiasm to his Master s
work and he would as soon have CON-
mitted murder as been guilty of in
territorial irreyerence. We are tempted
to lose sight of the object with which
this article is commenced, to pay trib-
ute to the heroism and devotion of this
one chaplain who compelled the love of
the roughest and hardest, by his good
deeds. Ask any soldier who has seen
Chaplain Little go into battle with his
Regiment-going into the thickest OF
the fight to take water to the wounded
or receive the messages of the dying
or after the battle, in that most horrible
Of places, the field hospital minging
consolation and cheer with the agony
and groans Of the sufferers, writing let
ters for all, untiriDg, indomitable, never
sl0epingj supporting the very life Of
those in mortal danger by an unfalter-
ing hOpefulness and helpfulness, ask
any soldier who has seen this, and he
will tell you there is heroism greater
than that of the storming column, and
Chaplain Little was Captain among
such heroes.
Now, to come back to the sermon :
One illustration used was that whore
the crafty Scribes and Pharisees brought
to Christ woman taken in adultery,
saying;
"'Master, this woman was taken in
adultery, in the very act. Now, Moses
in the law commanded us, that such
should be stoned; but Vhat sayest thou =
This they said, tempting him, that they
might have TO accuse him."
"You see, boys" said the chaplain,
"theSe fellows thought they had a good
thing on Christ" [going on to explain
the nature Of the trap set for Him-how
He vas TO be forced to seem to assume
civil jurisdiction, or else disavow and
discredit His former teachings. "But
what did Christ dor proceeded the
chaplain. "The Bible says lie stopped
down and wrote on the ground with
His finger, pretending that he did not
hear the question. But the scribes and
Pharisees were not going to let Him off
that way, and they asked him again and
kept on asking, Then there was
twinkle in our Lords eye, and lie
raised his head a moment and said
He that is withOut sin among you, let him
cast tie first stone. Then Ho went on
pretending to write on the ground with
His finger And He watched them out
OF the corner of His eye. Pretty soon
an old gray bearded scribe in the back
part Of the crowd dropped off-he
thought of an engagement he had at
the synagogue for that. time of day.
And then an old hypocrite of a Pharisee
slid out TO see a man around the corner.
And fine lady threw her veil over her
face, and said Il was time for her TO 90
home. And so on, beginning at the
eldest even unto the last, as the Bible
says, until there wasn't one person left.
And then our Lord gave little chucklo
to himself, and quit writing on the
ground with his finger. Looking up
at the adulterous woman, apparently in
surprise, he said; Hello where have
all those fellows gone to- Didn't any
OF them throw stone at your And
the woman replied, NO, Lord And
Christ said, Neither will /. Go and
sin no more"
Now all this is suggested by the
course ofsome good people on the Nc
Farland-R Richardson case. Without de-
string to make too close an "applioa-
ti0n" of this part of a sermon which we
have appropriated from Chaplain Lit
tie, (for the facts do not for an instant
warrant tho suppOsition that there was
any illicit intimacy between Mrs Nc
Farland and Richardson, and we ex-
pressly disclaim any belief that there
was any such intimacy, yet, one can
not help wondering how long It would
be before the Scribe of the N. Y. Sun,
and the Pharisee of the Times, and ali
the rest who have been SO free In throw
ing stones, would go sneaking around
the cornerif the same rule that dlscom.
flied the accusers of the adulterous wo-