The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-08-14

enJoyi hey not conBidering enjoyment %
part Of religion. The town being In q
great part peopled with aged persons
others who have acquired a competence
In the country, unmarried lRdies-all
moved by laudable desire to be near the
ministrations OF the Gospel. And, yet
the congregations draw largely for theil
stated supply Of worshipers from the
country around, embracing q circle oI
i've or six miles on both sides Of the line,
and citizens Tor that distance on this side
have more intercourse with West Alexan.
der than with their own metropolis, West
Liberty; and, as intimated, this Is partly
why neglect our own to write up q sister
village.
A SCOTCH SETTLEMENT
Is located east OF town, which, when
speaklng OF churches, Is certainly part
Of the town, although four miles out,
where Scotch Presbyterianism Is found in
nearly It's purity-a part Of which Is to
attend church through winters storm and
summers heat and toll. A halt dozen
miles they come, and are found as regular
in place as the pillarS OF the church
true supports Of which they indeed are,
strengthening the minister by their pres.
ence as nothing else can. They have
learned the whole country by their
DOCTRINE AND EXAMPLE,
Yet the old generation is passing away,
and the young does not seem to be filling
their place. Maybe the fire Is burnt out.
The strata on which 1t fed is consumed.
The food Is crlsped IN The pan.
A writer in New York paper traces
this Scotch PresbyterianiSm through our
country from the East-New England
guess, from whence came the primer
into Pennsylvania, through Western
Pennsylvanis and West Virginia, and
calls 1t the
BACKBONE OF OUR COUNTRY.
This is owing probably to the fact that
It's professors have the stiffness requisite
to the formation Of q backbone. And
certain 1t is, that in whatever cause they
engage, they bring an element Of strength;
and why not, for they claim, as well as
the votaries OF Rome, foundation on q
rock.
hOcR OF ages eIeit lOr me.
Although the latter take the origi-
nal word, and founded on Peter. But
l set down Hdu9h ID malice In what
ever Is or may be said, for these
people are my people, and their God my
God, and their blood, which courses
through the veins OF the writer, Is the last
he would desire to let out. Yet the smile
will unbldden rise, when such as Mark
Twain casts a ptone now and then, which
skaters or cracks, at least, some OF the
glass in the windows OF their faith. l
then fear that the brethren are not hiding
in the cleft Of that rock, or else they, too,
could sing with more triumph that little
refrain, lately so popular, about urging
away that little winged insect which
troubled the colored child when the
angels poured the sweets down upon his
head.
OF course, this is a temperance town,
but not always so. The struggle was hard,
and to show their Ieeling on the subject
let me quote q few lines composed by one
Of their faith, as descriptive Of the
DRAAsEILER AND HIS VICTIM.
"But here-sIpR here thy widest dIIgo
with shrieks and Opectres haunt the place;
he lived the shame OF men, the Seourge-
"a blot upon creations face
"with powers that might have Ghown and
scared
within the central light to dwell,
"For bloated, blear.eyed man he poured
"Ths drAft whose every drop ia hell.
BLASTS here your drearIest dirEes blow;
hTIN1A oVtNN, al-n
GiRht-whirlwiAd frost, and hail and snow,
"Be yours the flowers that deck his tomb"
Such may not be so effective as the
stones which Mr.. Twain throws, but
shows the intensity OF feeling-something
on the weeping and wailing and gnash.
ing Of teeth" order-and which always
possesses fascination to certain minds,
but carries little ot conviction with it.
But the length Of my letter forbids any
farther writing-with the skeleton" Of
another, l fear as lengthy, letter before me,
which shall treat, ! hope, Of matters Of
more interestto your readers. This letter
hiss been mostly religious, which it could
not otherwise be and speak properly of
West Alexander. But, indeed, il Greeley
men are right in their calculations, we
Grant men will need the consultations Of
religion about November as we "gather at
the river" II my communication par
takes Of the nature Of sermon, l hope l
may be excused, for all Is written in the
best OF feeling; and, indeed, 1t is my
turn-my chance to reply-having been
preached to on total depravity and kin.
dred subjects, without chance to reply,
for going onto three.quarters Of century;
being, as you know, "75."
West Alexander, August 10.
'RnvelOped in bundle of rods or swItehss.