The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-11


We would hold our hands over our eyes, and
only look at it through our fingers, lest the
straitlaced of the world be scandalized.
They made terrible furry in Brooklyn's
Presbyterian world about it-and what won
der? DIR. Cuyler had invited sweet little
duck of an unbaptized Quaker, Miss Smiley
(happy name y to preach in his church. She
preached, and such floods of repentance
were never known in the history of
Brooklyn's Lafayette avenue Presbyterian
church before. The male members Of the ses-
sion declared themselves ready TO embrace
the preacher Of such holy truth. We cannot
say whether their pious joy, if allowed to have
its way, would have carried them to this ex-
treme for they were rudely recalled from their
gushing state to the bitter realities of every
day life by shrill reminders from the females
of the congregation that repentance must not
be carried out at the expense of propriety.
The beautiful preacher folded her Quaker ha-
biliments meekly around her shapely shoulders
and departed in peace.
But she left o state of war behind her. The
wives who had noticed the extraordinarily
rapid conversion of their spouses led them
gently homeward, and if ever Mrs. Caudle's
spirit roamed abroad it was on the night sue
ceeding MISS Smiley's touching sermon. The
war generally opened in this fashion, with
query from Mrs. Caudle :-'What do you
think, dear, of this woman preachera" To
which the Benedict replies, clasping
his hands and looking idiotically
towards the ceiling, 81 thought
was listening to an angel, so pure, so touch
ing, so novel," We cannot transcribe the
shrek of injured wlfehood which follows and
can but family convey how her white, taper
fingers wind tuggingly in and out through the
locks upon his Uranium, and how Benedict
screws his face into the similitude Of the con-
torted gargoyles on a Gothic church under
that energetic appeal to his better feelings.
ITO think, she continues, still claiming his
attention in the mild manner indicated, ''that
/ have talked for days and months and years
to you upon the subject of repentance, and that
1t was reserved for a strange woman to sue
coed. Oh, Mr.. Qaudle, this is not religion.
This is -" With the shrek that follows
we draw the curtain. Benedict, under
protest, has been outwardly foe to women
preachers ever since. But the evil did
not end here. The male reverends had
lost their attraction for him, and he was
shaken out of sound sleep five times during
the next sermon. The divines now took the
alarm at the inattention Of the male members
of the congregation, and formed q compact
with the sorely tormented females that woman
preaching should be put down with the strong
hand.
We now turn to the solemn meeting of the
Brooklyn Presbytery. At the corner of Cln-
ton and Fulton streets, in the First Presby-
terian church, on Monday last, met number
of these victims to try the case of Cuyler, the
all-but-immoral innovator. A Moderator in
the person Of the Rev. Joseph M. Green took
the chair. There was singular appropriate
ness-almost protest-in the choosing of this
moderator lamp of the Church, for it recalled
how another green Joseph had put to shame
the preaching of Mrs. Potphar. The trial
went on. The charge was made. st. Paul
was flung at the devoted head of the contu-
macious Cuyler, who had the temerity to
dodge the great apostle. He was innocent, he
said He had preached for the Friends and
invited Miss Smiley in return, who preached
about the vision of Jacob wrestling with an
angel, and never had he listened to anything
so pure, so touching, so novel -. This pro-
duced scene. The words recalled number
of bona tsde wrestlings with home angels any
thing but agreeable as souvenirs. Rev. Van
Dyke opened with this ranking in his vitals,
and was impelled to vigorous on
saught with tender recollections about
the roots of his beard. Rev. Pat
ton followed. This tall, thin young gentleman,
with pair of sanity spectacles on the
emaciated bridge of his nose, opened from the
other standpoint. He had been pet of a
preacher, and was spoken of as sob, so
interesting" previous to the advent of the
lovely Smiley. Since then his bump OF self
esteem had been damaged, and an attack on
Cuyler was the consequence. But Cuyler was
not without champions. Old DR.. Spear came
pointedly to his rescue. He was old enough
to defy the fates. The most amusing Of those
who stood in the gap of danger was Rev. DR..
Lee. How did they know that Miss Smiley had
preached as preaching is understood? Could
they look on it as sermon? Here he touched
q sensitive chord in the bosoms present, for
they were very well aware that what they
knew at home about woman preaching was
different article to the sweet admonitions to
grace of the lovely Smiley. eff you admit this"
he said in conclusion, ''you might as well cut
off your head and cart it home in clam bas-
ket." His meaning is not very clear, but it
would seem to indicate q total SURRENDERED the
enemy. De Witt Talmage strobe sweetly to
the front and stood by Cuyler also. Not SO
Duryea, who, though he champions wine, does