Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-02-28
Untutored Orators.

OuGuIUI Gu OAdtUlb
A contributor to the New York hide
pendent recalls some pleasant rcminis-
cences of Southern pulpit eloquencc:
When first went South, forty years
since, used frequently on Sabbath
morning to ride several miles in the
country to attend the "Piney woods
churches" The audience was mostly
composed of the poor white population,
many of whom could neither read nor
write. 1t was pleasing to see them collect
for worship. In fact, these stated month
ly meetings were the only opportunities
they ever had for exchanging words of
sympathy and kindness, and they were
always anticipated with much pleasure.
They did not have an educated minis
try, for they did not require it. They
were honest, faithful men, and preached
the saving doctrines of Christianity with
much fervor and boldness. To one who
had been brought up in New England,
under the puritanical precision and sane
tity of that age. some of their sermons,
remarks, and eXhortations were extreme
ly ludicrous and shocking, a volume of
which l have laid away in memory, and
which have often been as good an antidote
to dyspepsia as is Mark Twain's limo
cents Abroad or his description of a
Mexican Plug" | will cite a few in
stances of my first experience. One of
them, after announcing the text, request
ed the strictest attention, as she intend
ed to preach in a manner so plain that
even the women and niggers could I'M
derstand."
Another, as an introduction to his
discourse, said that ''his critter had died
that week. that his children had been
sick, that his crop was in the grass, and
he had not been able to give moments
thought to the sermon. Consequently,
he would be compelled to depend entirely
on the teachings of the Sperit, and he
expected it would be pretty poor stuff.
In the closing prayer he besought the
Lord ''to wake them all up to sense of
duty, and right then and there to come
down upon them with all His ponderosi
ty" A class meeting followed the SER
mon and other exercises One old lady
was asked if she felt that she loved the
Lord Jesus Christ "Well. brother"
said she, 81 don't know that have any
thing agin him" An old man, appar-
emily near the end of life's journey, was
asked if he was willing to die. He said:
''As he never took to strangers and was
acquainted here, he would rather stay,
if he could"
A preacher who had recently lost his
wife, after commenting upon her great
moral worth, concluded with the follow
ing pathetic remarks "My dear breth-
rem and sisters, for six long months
before my poor wife's death she suffered
from divers diseases and torments. If
she tuck medicine for one ailment it was
sure to interhict with another, and the
last case was worse than the first. But
rheumaty pains and codicil Of the brain
tuck her off. But, thank God, she had
breath to the very last, and went shout
ing clear through to glory. My brcth-
rem, I've lost sheep and I've lost cows,
but | tell you the death of my wife was
the worst lick | ever got, still feel
like an olphin, and for one whole month
after | put her away | felt like could
fall down and go to sleep anywhere"
Another ministerial brother, who mar
ried rather sooner after the death Of his
wife than some of the sisters thought
proper and becoming, excused himself
as follows: "My dear brethren and Sis
tiers, my grief was greater than | could
bear. | turned every way for peace
and comfort, but none come. ] sarchcd
the Scripters from Ginisee to Rivilations,
and found plenty Of promises to the wild
der, but nary one to the widderer.
And so took it that the good Lord
didn't waste sympathy on a man when it
was in his power to comfort himself; and
having first rate chance to marry in
the Lord, did so, and would do the
same thing again. Besides, my brcth-
rem, considered that poor Patsey was
just as dead as she would ever be-"