Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-05-03
BEE(IIER Az a MIMIC.
EfYOrtx that made the
Ply mouth Congregation Laugh.

ON the New York sun. February 18th. !
Beecher preached last evening upon
difficulty of acquiring correct reli-
BUS habits, and the comparative ease
maintaining them when once they
he become second nature. Many
k upon ligion," he said, "as an
ur:ince policy against final loss by
D." He de,cribod that kind of rei-
bn So funnily that the congregation
glcd outright. "rhey go to church
ery sunday" he said, pulling his
Z 1t close around him, drawing his
[ e down dolorou>ly, and rolling up
eyes. 1.-The hymns are dolcd out
4 G3thell, Il good, sound, dry sermon is
eached to them, and the most ele-
: nt passage of all is their going out. i.
/ ICY attend prayer meetings, too
{ O>t dismal prayer meetings. Here
lower jaw dropped, more of the
bites Of his eyes showed, and his
kndS were clasped before him.
eTherc are some comforting things in
brentwood, but none in one of those
l1Aycr meetings. They go through the
1kerci>e so.e,nnly, and the brethren
N to say somrlling-tlIey do say the
6me things they have been saying
4 EIenty years. Then the services are
~ merciles>ly short, and they go
nonlily home"
After describing true religion as
|0mcthing Independent of forms and
|0tecli>ns, Beecller i'll Illustrated the pro-
Res> of its practical requirement. lie
Ekeld an invisible fiddle. lingering the
|arngs with one hand, drawing the
Bow with the other, and adjusting the
Mayinarv instrument under his chin,
while he said: "lIavc you ever seen
y boy trying to learn the fiddle?
don'l wonder that they call those
brings catgut. l should say that the
spirils Of all the dead old cats were in
llcm. But when the boy masters
D." stopping short, he commenced to
6ldle gracefully, like good violini>t.
Then he showed how IL man learns to
Del type. the desk furnishing the case
from which he slowly and awkwardly
carried the letters to a suprositiou>
stick, spelling out audibly
b'h-a-d. When the congregation had
Stopped laughing, he gave the rapid
1notions Of the same man after his
Hiradc had been learned.
Il was taught elocution," he said,
&" although you might not think it. l
WAS drilled in all the gestures. He
3lnade the prescribed gestures, and
struck the attitudes in rapid and awk-
ward succession, and then did them
..Eracclully. in the style OF IA speaker 10
Whom they had become habitual and
hnres,rained. "Whcn we try to he
GRACEFUL" he said. "we can't be. All
these things come by long and persist
nt usage, and then without thought.
the country, where bare board SIX
hrheS wide is laid in the mud. a man
'iil walk it without effort and never
off," Taking his place at one side
M the platform, he walked easily i'll an
exact line to the other side, with his
hands III his pockets and his
Yes wandering carelessly. Now, y
he went Oh. "put that board ut a
1lSht Of fifteen feet, and not one man
ma dozen can walk the length OF II
nhout falling off," Taking his posi-
tnn as before, he fixed his eyes in front
~ him as though OIL the elevated
naard, looked scared, and commenced
iae Imaginary passage. Wavering and
with his arms extended. he
WIN difficulty got half way across.
|and an then stumbled as though falling.
me people laughed out loud at tho
|elanoratcly perfect pan.omne. The
|sreatest hit, however,, was the droll
ihimicry of miSer, who resolves upon
iei"rln, and began by rc!easinga amort-
sage on poor mans farm. The
counterfeit severity of the ni>er in de-
handing payment, the fright Of the
arhtor. the b.andness of the miser il,
IRE ,enting the cancelled document, and
uie Joyous antics of the debtors wife
.nu children, were all produced vii IN
,ie skill of II trained comedian. Final
~, when Beecher, as the reformed
si'ser, With u benevolent smile on his
L"', mounted his horse and rode oil,
ending his parted knees and swayinS
., N pody i'll exact imitation of a rider,
"uu , cutting behind with an imaginary
,%m'P, everyb"dy laughed until the