Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-05-31
A Comic Sermon at Plymouth Church

FEN ANNCA, pAydoie III auSauce
Comic Sermon at Plymouth Church.
Beecher's discourse on Sunday was on DO
ing as you have a mind to-, and contained
many passages in the most humorous vein of
the preacher, frequently, as the reporters tell
us, provoking the smiles of the congregation
Among other things be said:
You see people come into room; they are
going to be very proper and they are going to
do the correct thing, and the room is tull of
invited guests, and you see as they come in
that they are overwhelmed almost with the
thought of themselves But you see also that
they do not known even what to do with their
hands. Mr. Beecher walked across the plat
form, initiating this awkwardness, awaking
very audible litter. You see another person
come 10 who is accustomed to be in society;
there is no awkwardness; there is grace in every
movement; quite an ease OF manner You see
finely formed, lusty young man, taken from
off the farm, and put under the care of drill
sergeant to be made soldier of. lou see him
as he stands in his first drill; he does not know
how to hold himself perpendicular; he leans
his body either too forward or too backward;
he cannot move his arms except he does it
heavily and gauntly, and his movements from
first to last are quite ridiculous.
You go few months after to that station
and you see this same recruit transferred into
an orderly; you see him sent as orderly to de-
liver message, and you notice with what grace
he gives the salute to his superior officer, and
how every muscle of his body is in strict and
prompt obedience to his WILL and how they
move with freedom that is quite unconsci-
Gus. Look at a boy learning to play vio
lin. Mr. Beecher here initiated the awk-
ward holding of the violin, the unclentifc
bowling of the first lessons, and then, with
mimicry that was quite startling in it's exact
ness to the original, showed with what grace,
with what ease, that youth, after a long series
of lessons, played so gracefully that he knew
when and how to draw his bow for the lighter
and the bolder music, and to do each in such
way that he seemed to do it with the unconsci
business of breathing The moral illustration
was taken from the condition of boy who had
been brought up to regard lying, thieving and
deceit the right thing to do, aud to do it clever
er than any other boy, and the long, weary
time that it took for that boy to rid himself OF
the habits of his youth; but now BY and by the
royalty of truth developed itself, and his char
acter grew to be in the condition OF truth
speaking, upright honest boy.
You get an accountant to look at your books;
you see him poring over the columns and NUT
terng to himself two and two, three and two
are fve," and turning up his hand to count his
fingers Why how long would you keep that
man? Laughter. You smile at that In arlth-
metic, but that is just what you are IN grace
You are lust as much Christian as that man
is an accountant who does not know his business
There was mother in Israel once who used to
hear me preach, and she was great comfort to
me- When | was pathetic she used to weep;
when [ was encouraging she looked SO bright
and happy that | felt quit certain was get
ting along quite well, but [ learned that when
she got home she was shrew, and thatspoiled
it ALL You must not leave any opening tor the
assaults Of the devil. You must, as the apostle
says, "put on the whole armor of God.
DoMINoEs AND BEER.-The force of habit
is we'll illustrated in the conduct OF two aged
disciples of King Gambriuus, who, during
period of twenty nine years. have not omitted
an afternoon visit to certain beer hall IN this
city. There is something peculiar, if not ro--
mantle, in the lives Of these old gray haired
citizens They always appear together at
about the same hour of the day or evening
sit at certain table, and always play few
games of dominoes, and have used the same
set of books during all these years. 1t is
esteemed privilege by the persons about
the bar to keep these dominoe blocks, sa-
cred, and no other parties are ever allowed to
play with them. As the hour for the daily
treouenters of the hall usually have the seats
at the particular table vacant. The old men
come, the dominoes are produced and placed
on the table, two glasses of beer are drawn tor
them, the games are played about two glasses
of beer are drank by each, and then they rise
from their seats, each pay for what ne has
drank, and the daily visitors take their depar-
ture. For twenty nine years, wlthout,a single
day intermitted has the same scene been en-
acted by the same men and at about the same
hour in the evening. They never drink to exc
cess, take about the same number OF glasses OF
beer each day, remain at the ball about the
same length of time and come and go away 10
gether. Both have grown old since they com
menced their visits The city has grown, III
area and population to five times its size when
these old customers became patrons OF TINS
palace of Gambrinus. 1t is curious to THINK
that in this period they have made lO,Il3
visits sunshine or storm, summer or "lntei'
these veterans are always expected, ana never c
have yet disappointed the expectatlon--ot'
Louis Republicans
Wild Fowl OBsTUCTlNG RAILROAD
TRAlN.-Says the Des Moines llowa) register:
A singular case of railroad obstruction. ana one
for which no remedy isprovlded tor 10 the Stt1,
utes occurred a few evenings since ol .ns
Valley road, in Greene county OohuueI?, Iau .L;s
Livingston 5 train, when about three miles tins
some SOM low country and near pond ran into an
immense flock of swan, brandt. geese ana 0tnel
wild fowl. The birds were just about to ahgh;. %H;
on the track as the train drew near. Ihelr ,aed
number was so great that the sky was complete
" filed with them, and those above pressing
down on the lower strata forced them to a'igns
on the car tops The engine, tender ana cars cars
we're covered with the fowls, and some evea nen
cluug to the bars of the coWcatcher' ,h Vhe
/ ininred In the CIuSl,