The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-12-15
A METEOR IN THE PULPIT.
THE ROMANTIC CAREER OF AN Err
RATIO REvIvALIST.

THE ROMAN TIC CAREEh Or AN Eh-
Ratio REvIvALIST.
raR oRAroRY THAT WAS JOHN NEwLAND
nAFPIrT's sUEPrER-rHE CONVERSION OF
PRESIDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TWO UN-
HAPPY hARRIAG Rs.
The New York Sun tells the story as fol-
lows: John Newland Msffitt was born In
Dublin. In boyhood be was impressed by
the impassioned eloquence OF Dean Kirwan,
then famous nof only in Leinster, but in all
Ireland. Within few years Msfitt became
Methodist preacher. His first efforts were
no unpromising that some of his friends
urged him to abandon the pulpit, especially
as he had been pelted with stones in the en-
virons of Dublin and in Drogheda, and, on
one occasion, had come very near losing bis
Life at the hands of mob that insisted upon
throwing him into the Liffey. From such
an unorthodox baptism the young preacher
was spared only by escaping through a
back DOOR of the house in which be had
besn preaching. Maffitt came to New York,
and his first appearance in any pulpit was
at a csmpmeeting near New London, Conn.
HE FLASHED OUT sPLESDIDLY,
and was soon recognized as the blazing
light of the New England conference. In
Boston he got into trouble, and was plain
taft In libel suit; but he came of with q
verdict in his favor. This was the genesis
Of q series of ISLANDERS that followed him to
bis grave. Disconnecting himself from the
Nsw England conference, Matfit was thence
. forward g revealing Tevivalist for q quarter
of scentury. His rect was temporary. He
was elected chaplain to congress, and in the
hall OF the House he electrified the represen-
tstives by thrilling tribute to the well
known English Methodist minister, Cook
man, lost In toe ill-is;ed President. Subse-
auentlv Msffit was called to the professor
ship Of elocution in Lagrange College, Ala
hama: then he edilei the Calvary Token,
a monthly periodical in Auburn, New York;
then a religious weekly in Nashville; and
then another in NatcDez All this was re-
creation from arduous evangelical labors.
THE HOUSES HE DREW.
There are white-haired men and women
In New York who remember when the SER
vices of the police were called into requisi-
ton to keep in order the multltudes that
blocked the sidewalks aud roadway of the
street in front of the church in which Maffitt
was to preach. On one occasion in Boston
1t was announced at tie morning service a.
the Methodist churches that Maffitt had ar
rived, and would preach In the Old Federal
Street Tneater at early candle light. The
day was wet and dismal, and the night dark
and stormy. Yet, long before the hour for
the service, every seat was filled, and peo-
pie packed themselves against the walls
aud In the asles, content with standing
room onlyp No man save Daniel Webster
could have drawn such an audience on a
night so uupropitiOus. It was about this
time that Niles Register said that the COM
Ing and going of the Rev. J. N. Msffitt was
trumpeted with ali the noise that attended
Kean in his starring trip in America. There
was something of ubigCity about this man.
he shot across the religious horizon like a
mAta0r y had iual6 ro Afa1
out In one place before 1t broke forth furi-
ously in another. Msffitt in the pulpit was
q figure worth remembering. The spec. ator
looked upon
AsxALL, PALE, DARK-EYED MAN,
with a fine mouth somewhat marred by an
operation for hsrelip, whose head resembled
In size that OF the late Sargent s. Prentiss,
che forehesd broad and the brain packed
massively in front. The hair over the
temples was sbsven clean, whether to pre-
serve II or to give more fullness or rotun-
dity TO tte brow, is not known. His locks
were curly, oiled, aud treated with woman
ish daintiness- He had a habit when driving
IN close carriage to church of taking off
his hat, probably to prevent his hair from
being discomposed, so that it might be Ia
The best order In the pulpit. In dress, he
was scrupulously neat, even elegant, and
sometimes, in hot weather, while he was
PhooSutuB, 10 epTdDR us UuttOus vi DIS W0lt6
vest, and q gold watch chain fell giitterine
down. Thtse were, perhaps, foibles, hut
Mafit might have thought with Goldsmith
that: IAN emperor in his night-cap Is not
half thee mperor when his crown Is on
his head.n Ali dandyism was soon
forgotten, for he kept his congregs-
ton wide awake and alive to his
slightest whisper. In his delivery no one
knew better bow to "suit the word
20 the action, the action to
the word" and there were moments In
which the Bquidity OF his information was
'fnimitable. But the peroration was OF all
things telling. His words thrilled as the
blast OF trumpet in the stiffness Of night.
"You stand on the burning crust OF the vol
cano of hel1i' It WAS the tone, the manner
the look from his fl 4shing hazel eyes that
electrified.
GEN. HARRIsoN's CONVERSION.
superb tsctiliau-s very Napoleon in
evangelical strategy, Msffit descended from
the pulpit singing some appropriate hymn,
and intensified the excitement by those
iery haraDgues which he knew so well
how to make effective. Soothing intellect
and intrepid medIocrity not only cspitu-
lsteo. put surrendered at discretion. Doe
sAemPie OF tue admirable tact of the