The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-04-01
No. l3.
EATEMPORANEOU'S PRAY
EHe.
SOME QUEER SERIOUS ODDITIES.

S'"hce, the case Of tho elder who
was invited to pray on the day aE.
tera battlo,and who said : go, Lord
never soc such II day rs it was
yesterday, and | don't believe you
over did!' Or take the case Of the
minister giving praise at harvest
time, 1--WE thank rhcc, O, Lord
Tor Thy great bounty,' said he ;
"wc thank Thee for the lino wco.
ther; We thank Thee for the bonn.
lll"l harvest, and that Thou hast
enabled us to gather in tho wheat
throughout all this histrict-witb
tho exception Of farmer Mills lit.
tIc thrcc.corncrcd patch down in
the hollow not worth mcntioninr :"
Dean Ramsoy-if | remember
rlghuy-tells ayot better story of
tho same kind.
a Highland minister having been
requested by his flock to pray for
oo'tor weather, and boing at the
same tlmo warned to be cautious
~ presenting his petition, because
INC last time he had prayed for
0cttcrwcathcrithad become worse,
thus expressed himself: cam moo,
Lord, | hac petition to present.
ouC maun to be unco wary o. tho
wordin' OF. Yo kon, Lord, tho
klttlo state the craps arc all in.
just send us soughin', southern,
creoln' breeze as'Il sea the
strao, and Wilma harm tho hcol :;
for if yc send II tcarin', rocvin'
thnndorin' storm, as yo did the
last timo | prayed for guide wca-
thcr, yell play the very mischief
wi the ATS, aud fairly spoil a."
a regular example Of tho effects
OF devotional habits over an ieno-
rant mind was recorded in the
newspapers, somo years ago. A
uomestlc servant at Canterbury
was charged with stealing ;c5 from
her masters till. The sum was
missed Immediately after she had
made OFT from her masters house
and whom taken into custody q
piocc Of paper was found in hon
possession, on W hich sho had ro
Gently wrltton prayer suited tc
her circumstances. Hero ia q
copy Of the strange document
go, Lord, | pray Thee look down
on income who is now bowed dowr
with grief; in pity, Lord, send me
all things thnt ] may requirc.-
Heal, lpray you, the broken heart
Cd woman. Things that I re
quiro: Ono sack Of -four, ono scor,
OF salt pork, half ditto sail
beef, six pounds Of sugar, ono ditt>
tea, one ditto buttor, six dit,
choose, four ditto candies, ono.hal
ditto cofieo, two sacks potatoes
ono stono Of Goals, hundred o
wood, and two sovoroigns to pa,
Mrs. Vinall for her kindness -
Mrs. Vinall was tho woman e
whose house sho had gono whcl
running away from her situation
l may add that this pious young
person, who apparently mado sur,
of n favorable answer to her poti
ton by helping horsolf to th'
means OF purchasing what sh,
needed, escaped scot-frce, bccaus,
it could not be shown that tht
money sho was known to have OK
pondcd on herself, after runnins
away, was actually the same mon
oy her mastor had lost.
In nothing, perhaps, is tho hu
morous sido Of the religious feel
ing exhibited more than in the ca
thcdrals and othor religious struc
turos of past ages. That the build
ors Of those wore Influenced by
great deal Of earnest sincerity, ad
mits Of little question. Yet wha
quccr details thcir works present
what c0micalitics in stono, wha
absolute obsccnitics oven in con
nection with all that is most sacred
What prompted these ccccntrici
ties? Not irroligion, certainly
probably nero grossncss, or th,
absence Of that culture which, il
those days, draws q hard and fas
line between the fanciful and the
liccntious, between tho legitimate
ly artistic and tho Extensively sue
gcstivc. But, in truth, we are it
tic abIo to realize the middle au,
religious life. 1t was something
quito distinct from anything O
which We have experienced.
It's hard even 10 understand the
spirit animating men of lator days
OF Wilde, tho poet, for example, vi
car Of Aylmo, and one of the eject
cd ministers Of 1862, who is re
mcmbcrcd for doing a good thing
in an incredibly bad manner. IIt
loft six Bibles to one Of tho church
cs Of his native town, st. Ives, fol
which twelve persons, six male ant
six femalc,. wcro to throw dice ir
church on Whit.Tucsday, while
tho ministor knHlt onI 'nro 90,