New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-22
Beechev as q Mimic.

Mr.. Beeeher preached last evening upon
the difficulty OF acquiring correct religious
habits, and the comparative ease of main
tanning them when once they have become
second nature. MANY look upon religion, -
he said, las an insurance policy against
of religion SO funnily that the congregation
laughed outright 'They 90 to church every
Sunday, he said, pulling his coat close
around him, drawing his face down dolor-
ously and rolling up his eyes. The hymns
are doied out to them: a good. sound, dry
sermon is preached to them, and the most
eloquent passage of all is their going out.
They attend prayer meetings, too-most
dismal prayer meetings" Here his lower
showed, and his hands were clasped before
him. There are some comfortable things
in Greenwood, but none in one of these
prayer meetings. They 60 through the ex-
ercises solemnly, and the brethren try to
say something they do say the same things
they have been saying twenty years. Then
the services are mercilessly cut short, and
they go gloomily home
After describing true religion as some.
thing independent of forms and catechi5ms,
Mr.. Beecher illustrated the process of its
practical requirement. He held an invisible
fiddle, lingering the strings with one hand.
drawing the bow with the other and ad-
justing the imaginary instrument with his
chin, while he said: Have you ever seen a
boy trying to learn to fiddle! I don't
wonder they call those strings catgut.
should say that the spirits of all the dead
old cats we're in them. But when the boy
masters it. stopping short, he commenced
to fiddle gracefully, like good viollnist.
Then he showed how man learns to set
type, the desk furnishing the case, from
which he slowly and awkwardly carried the
letters to suppos;tious composing stick,
spelling out audibly s-h-a-d. When the
congregation had stopped laughing, he gave
the rapid motions of the same man after his
trade had been learned. II was taught
elocrtion." he said. although you
might not think it. . was drilled
in all the gestures He made the
attitudes in awkward but .2pI sue
cession. and then did them gracefully.
II the style Of a speaker to whom they had
become habitUal and constrained. when
we try to be graceful he said, 1--WE can't
be. AL those things come by long and per.
sistent usage, and then without thought.
In the country where a board six inches
wide is laid in the mud, man viii walk i.
without effort and never step off, Taking
his place at one side Of the platform. he
walkt easily in an exact line to the other
side, with his hands in his pockets and his
eye. wandering carelessly. Now he
went on. put that board at height Of fl.
teen feet, and not one man in dozen can
walk the length of it without falling off,
Taking lis position as before. he fixed his
eyes in front OF him as though on an ele-
waited board. looked scared. anu commenced
the imaginary passage. Wavering and bal.
ancilg. with ms arms extended. he with
difficulty so: halt way across. and then
stumbled as though falling. The people
laughed out loud 3. the deliberately pe..ec.
pantOmlme.
The creates: hit. however. was the tiroi.
mimicly .: a ,liser. who resolved upon re.
form. and began by releasing mortgage Oh
poor mans farm. The counterfeit severity
of the mise: in demanding payment. the
t-igh: 0. the debtor. the 5laAdness of .le
mise: il presenting the Cancelled document.
anu the Joyous antic. OF the debtors wife
and children. were al. produced With the
skill OF q trained comedian. Finally, when
Mr.. Beecher as the reformed m.ser. with q
benevolent smile or LIS face. mounted h.
horse and rode of, bending his parted
knees and swaylng ii. body in exac, i,nita.
ton o. q ..der. anu cutting behind VIII. IN
imaginary whip. every body !aUgLe,. ..a.!.
the tears ca.He.-Nc,r York Sun.