The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-05-01
FATHER CARTER.
A Regular .Hardshell' Sermon.


of Father Carter, ',hardshell" Baptist
preacher, whose youth had been spent
in the mountains of Carolina, but who
was a famous preacher in his persua-
sion. He was All enthusiast on the
subject of immersion" and being
strong in his own convictions, earnest
and decided in expressing, them, he
influenced others. lie gathered around
him as disciples men of higher culti-
vation than himself. His preaching
would astonish any city congregation,
but it was at least stirring in its char
acter. In the woods and under the
giant trees and in the log school
houses OF California, where he was
brought into contact with minds as
rude and uniniormed as his own, it
was that his emotional nature met a
response, and carried his audiences
with him. A favorite sermon of his
he called the ''eagle' sermon. and was
from text in DeuterOnomy,: LAS an
eagle stirreth up her nest, ifluttereth
over her young, spreadeth abroad, her
wings, taketh them" The writer
once heard it, and its tenor is indeG-
bly, imprinted on his mind, After q
long and continued preliminary exer-
else, he began: ,I, -,I,......,,,,,,
My friends, thar is lnenpy kinds of
eagles. They are singular. birdsTthat
is, they is. quare birds. Thar. is the
gray eagle, with white hars on his
head /; thar is the bald eagle. ditto, wi ho
goes about Ikea roarin' lion, seeking,
what he may eat up. Thar is, the
grand old American eagle, what Hops
his wings and flies over all creation; !;
and I've hesrn iell Of double le-heders
an Austrian, but j. neYer seed one. i
don't believe thar is one; though that
don't signify, for some. of you uirs'
might say you hadn't never seed Cody
consequentlyth thar wurn't nonean But
thar il, nevertheless. notwithstanding
tor which. -. ...,,,....g 5,-.fI ',,II,.,,-,-f
Now, -onct knowed a eagle7Tthat
is, l knowed on lhim-and her too. for
thar wur. two on 'em, q big ropsteF
eagle and 2 hen eagle, It Wur in the
big mountains of Caroliny !; and thar
they pitched thar tents in a tall and
towering pine-right on the top-and
it hung over deep precipice, harit
war in danger OF being participated
down the precipice when the ',loud
winds did roar on Caroliny's shore"
But it wurn't; for he calleth his sheep
by name, and they foller him, and the
desert blossoms like the rose. and the
barren are better than them that bear
eth children-nevertheless, notwith-
standing fur which. ...- - |
Wal, these here eagles pitched thar
tent i'll this waste, nOwling wilder
ness, whur they wurl as lonely as =
solitary snipe in dog days. Fust they
got wbur they wur two cross-lin BIS;
then they brought big sticks and laid
'em carefully round and round, until
it begun to look sorter like a big bal
loon careening toward the sky, only
it was on a tree; then they put III it
little sticks, and littler and litter, tiH
bimbeby it was small and compact
like. Then they got all the wool and
down and moss and soft things, and
put ',m down into the bottom, and on
the side of its insides, and made it
smooth and warm and comfortable
iike-like unto the man that filled his
barns, aud told his soul to be easy and
take things material iike-and Iayed
thar eggs thar-but for the. turrible 4
voice that said: "Fool, thisenight thy
soul shall be"-that he Wur to- die that
very night, and all his nice things
wouldn't be any more use to hlm--
though they wurn't hurt, fors their
eggs wur Matched, and all their J onng
uns come out with nary single feath- |
er on iem--neyertheless.n ss.nOtWithstand1 !
ing fur which, l.1y-.l 4sal-s o1 .,.tft
WaL these eagles and their young |
uns in their fine home, and had on soft |
like John the 1mmerser wan |
dering in the Wilderness Whur they |
wur in kings houses--and the big uns |
fed I'M, as parents feed their little uns |
though thars q. commandment agin |
stealing, which the eagles have to do,
but it's thar inater-thoughs that don't !
signify, fur mans mater is to steal
and he's got to fight agin |
that natur; for when IswOuld do good
evil is present, and a man amt All ea-
gle bird by chance--neyertheles not
WlthstandiDg fur .Whieh.fU.IIH..i
When the eagles growed, up andd
had feathers-that is, when they came |
to the age of 'countability, which is
of BOYS at,d girls llike-tho'
eagles is d the old eagles
wanted them TO fl yJabroad and moant: (
upon wings of eagles, iandvjine the |
throng that floats. around thenthrone.
That's whar the text begins; for that's 7
the way the Father up yonder wants
us to- do when We reach the age, OF /
fly upward and line
band in the .narrer way, and pass
the straightgate. ~ But they 7
didn't like to leave home and theifa
parents and seek. . country like unto i
good old Abrahan4-3 Ltl5: YgT5 -, 3,
s.Whar, oh whar is the good old Abraham?
Whar, oh whar is the good Old Abraham? u n 4
Whar, oh whar is the good old Abraham?
Safe in the Promised Land "'s'it
The old eagle goes off and futtefeth /
over her young, and that brings us to
the second pint in our, DISCOURSE I
..She fiuttcreth," she f1ops her wings
like unto as you have seen b hawk just
Citing ready to ponuce down upon
poor field mouse-though it amt like
that neither, for the hawk fpttersin
wra tn, but the eagle fiutters, over her
Young ones in love. Brethren and sis
ters, she fut.ers in love just like when
you see your dear little uns treading
of the downward path, and your hart 7
fiuters and futters because you are
che goes. above the nest
and hollers squawk--which when you
holler you mean to tell 'em TO stake
keerl" "take keer I-only the birds
talk is not like unto our falkland
they hear that voice and creep onto
lHe SlQcS vi lhO AOeb hilu SCI tlCll iODu
parents Hopping of their wings, and
cry with their little peaked voices
means father dear, and
mother dear, I'd like to foller you
fur .4-a,....... .....s.a.4 -'i'-' 4
I'm bound for the lan,l OF Canaan; AN 4
Pm bound for the lan.t of Canaan; J.i.I i
I,m bound for the land of Canaan;
2 For it is my happy home'' 2" 81
The eagle hath stirred her nest and
h., hot Init ha,. /
and that brings US to the third pint
of our discourse. N; .,iBo ;, re-,
And now, my dear friends, what
does she, do? She spreadeth abroad
her wings, Thar she is,g right up in
the sky! her wings stretched, like the
shaddes Sso of mighty r9sk u dry stand lana
ing on the last stick, the last prop,
holding on with trembling feet, Ike
grim death, while fiery pillows roll
beneath--afeard to. fly, lafear6 not to