Smyrna times., 1873-08-13
The N. Y. Tribune ON Camp Meet
ings.

This month of August is set apart by our
Methodist brethren all over the country for
their camp meetings, the idea of which, we pre-
sumo, was at first very much that of the Jewish
feast held in tents at the ingathering of their
hsrvests, going back to nature to thank
Jehovah for the gifts of which He had made
her the bearer. In tire early settlement OF the
country, too, such stated convocations may
have been useful or almost necessary in the
sparsely populated neighborhoods. The thing
remains now, like many other religious forms,
while the idea of it is lost.
Camp meetings, nowadays, especially in
the West and South, is looked forward to for
months as a genial time of religious CON-
munion among long separated acquaintances
and friends. The brethren prepare their best
sermons, the young men and maidens tune
their voices for the newest hymus, and the
busy hOusekeepers lay In supplies of hams,
chickens, and, above ALL the ubiquitous inevi-
table pie. Naturally, too, good deal of Hir-
tation aud lOvemaking goes on, and is pre-
pared for by anxious consultations over new
bonnets and redingotes for months beforehand.
The tender passion, like any other plant, grows
best in stimulative soil. Young boys and
girls who appeared commonplace enough to
each other at home, are invested with GER
tain sort of enchanment by dint of living in
tents, singing hymns together under the shadow
of trees, or listening side by side to rapt
exhortations in the solemn night in the forest
lighted only by blazing torches. For our par:
we see nothing to condemn in even this result
of such meetings. There is no shorter road
for any man or woman to the love of God than
through feeling sincere unselfsh love for an
earthly creature. Why should not our young
people best learn to know each other by sing
ing together the praises of the God they
profess to worship? Why, if there be such
Christians meet as close to the reality of nature
as they can, in genial hearty kindness and
fellowship! We saw this week train of cars
filed with our Methodist friends returning
from one of these meetings who sang their ex-
ultant hymns all the way to their homes much
to the amusement of some passengers and the
annoyance of others. We saw nothing 10 it
amusing or annoying. 1t their hearts burned
within them with holy zeal as they prfessed,
why should they not sing? What bad taste
can there be in q child's praise of its Father
With certain men the expression of religious
feeling is we'll nigh impossible. They can
more easily discuss upon the street corners
their love for their wives and children, than
their personal relations toward God. But the
Methodist systematically denOunces such reti-
cence.
This very carload Of people, en- masse, as
one might say, attempted the conversion of a
pOOF uTuukeu OIu TepEOUdte4 WuOi III IaCCeTcu
garments, bloated face, and q Timless beaver
hat, occupied one of the seats. They directed
the full force of their looks, prayers, and musi-
cal battery at him, a1jured him to Come poor
sinner" informed hun, in the face of the
whole carload Of passengers, that there was a
dreadful hell, &c, &C., to the confusion and
wrath of the miserable wretch. Presently a
little laughing baby held out its arms to the
poor creature, whose face kinded as he sal
erect and took it; for one brief moment not the
man he was but the man be might have been
Nature in this case was a better teacher than
grace. The morning was clear, the air loaded
with harvest scents, the dew yet resting on the
brown short cut stubbe fields; the whole
EARTH as it seemed, rejolced in its frest
strength and beauty. But the session of the
camp meeting had lasted late into the previous
night; the brethren, pale and jaded, had M
eyes for the delights of form and color GOC
had spread before them. Half dozen of the
sisters, cOlOrless, nervous, exhausted, appar
emily with emotion, lay back in their seats ant
took doses of anOdynes to revive them
Whether the result Of the camp meeting hat
been to bring them by some nervous exaltatio
into closer communion with the author o
health and strength and cheerfulness, we
not venture to dec e, but it is certain the
were unfit to be of any use whatever to Hi
creatures.
The whole scene was a common one after
camp meeting, and knowing this, we simpl
present it 70 our Methodist brethren (whor
We believe to be possessed of as much exceI
tIonal sound common sense as faith), with
hint that even in the best modes of preachin
Christ there are defects, which it is for ou
siders to observe and Christians to amend.