Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-12-16
INO GREAT PREACHER
Gse cl"r-T .Iul.-.
20 "u Uvn Carr-sg on lent.

New YORK, Dec 9Th, 1871,
Two great pIeacners-great in the
ordinary acceptatipn Of ,he ,erm, from
a worldly point OF view, by reason OF
-Ieces~-Henry Waid Beecher aud
y. D-Wilt Talmage
one on the Fulton ferry boat, the
-.ranserin search OF plymouth Church
IS rid OF uneasiues. concerning his DIES.
-iuaticn; he is borne by the crowd as
steadily and surely toward that house
" worship as cnip on the current of
ne Tennessee l. borne LlwaI ia iis out
-. The stream Of people from the
sunday morning boats flows up Full
on street, through Hicks and into
Orange street. II is only quarter to
on aud we have a moment to spend
cooking at the building, the name of
which is Synonymous Tor a tower of
strength ia the world-reudered IA
nous by the fame of its pastor-Ply
mouth Church, a square brick build
lug, that one might easily mistake for
q school house or ward room no tow
ers nor minaTets, no costly stone
work nor gorgeous Windows plain
tablet with It's famous name the only
ornament Inside everything il equal.
y orthodox In its simplicity. Not a
frescO adUTns the vast pause Of wall
the ceiling is closed in and plastered
square, with one large reflector in the
centre. Even the gallery finish Is soft
wood painted white, and the grand or
gan that ills up the niche back of the
pulpit is conspicuuusly lacking in t:tal
gorgeous decoration which too ofeu
constitutes the only claim TO admira,
lion. Some rare aud beautiful flow.
ers give forth their fragrance II sup
pOse) from the platform, but the audi.
IOrium with its mOnOtOuOus expanse o.
empty seats, looks bare and desOlate.
4 thin but increasing line Of hu
uauity is tucked onto the seats mex
the wall, and, every now and then, IN
pops one Of the ushers-great strap,
ping fellows who serve for the 8 IKE U
being abused. ! dou'J think Of any
thing else they get. At teu-fifteen il
il much easier TO count the empty
-eats than lac full ones, and the ush,
ers are rapidly eEdaugeriug job,
reputation. a, ten-thirty the aisle,
are imperccptiblc and impossible, be-
ing filed up with double row ofscatt
that fold down from the end Of eaci
pew. \ group Of disappointed peo
pie, who would get up 700 late, CROWD
around each doorway and spin out in
% a line, which, followed is found 1,
extend down the stair aud out into the
street. There is Just one discerniblt
mpty seat ia the whole house, acci
ieutaliy skipped In the packing; tina
IS beside the writer, away down front
and while he is vaguely Tegrettiug IN
vacancy, . full-sized man drops into i
rom somewhere. Exactly how he get
here even the HsrGid reporter dom
snow.
The voluntary has not heen begun
when Mt. BeeCher comes in, aud
throwing his hat into the lJor, sIr
down i'm the chair which Is made on
OF wood brought from the Mount 0
Olives. lie looks over tho vast audi
alce, leaning his head on his hand
aud the writer occupies the same lin,
wondering what his thoughts car
ue about; aud in the space of a min
ute no doubt wonders ever 80 man
thoughts that never occurred 10 M
BseCher at all. But such mistake
viii happen, even in the best Tegula
ted families.
The deep, strong notes Of the orga
swell through the sanctuary; the con
gregatiOn rise, and, led by the choir &
eighty, their voices ascend in on
great volume Of melody renderin