The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-09-18
THE PACIFIC
GOmmtrtialA0Oertlst
SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER Is.
Peculiar People.

ever common and simple. Some have peculiar
dispositions one il given to be r%etulant, and
another 70 be plant even under circumstances Of
provoCatioD. There are some who are peculiar
for their selfshness, others for their great socia-
bility. Some are peculiar about the style Of their
dress, others as to what they eat and drink.
There are some who are peculiar in their habits
and customs, and Others in their hopes, fears and
pursuits. One man is distinguished by the
monotonous life which he leads, and another BY
the variety with which he spices OF spoils it.
There are peculiarities in the sanctum, in the
pulpit, the Senate and the forum. Perhaps the
pulpit is as remarkable for its pecularities as
anything else. C~lergymen in all ages have been
noted for their idiosyncrasies, Wit and humor.
Ii is only necessary TO speak of such men rs
Sydney Smith, Dean Swift and Rowland Hill.
In the reign Of the Second Charles ministers of
the gospel INDUCED much in witty sayings that
excited the risible faculties, and the fashion was
re-introduced by Lawrence Sterne. Father Andre
was one of the most peculiar preachers Of almost
any age. On one occasion he illustrated the
goodness of God IN taking special care OF his own
children by visitations OF divine providence.
Among other evidences . said he, d" consider
what has happened TO this holy house in which |
am preaching. The lightning struck the library
and consumed it, but injured not a single monk
If, however, it had fallen on the dining-rOom or
buttery, how many brethren would have been
killed-how many tears shed-what desolation
would have ensued." When DR.. Byles, of whom
many humorous things are told, was engaged in
mailing some list upon his doors to keep out the
winter blasts, one of his parishioners, DESTROYS of
exhibiting his wit, said to him, The wind
bloweth wheresoever it listeth, DIR. Byles." lie
replied instantly, L" Yes, sir, and man listeth
wheresoeyer the wind bloweth."
A good many years ago a Washington CORES
pendent, wrote n letter describing the peculiari-
ties of some of the Senator's and Representatives
when addressing either house. OF John c.
Calhoun he said it was seldom that he was at a
loss for a word, but occasionally one would
stick in his throat in the pronunciation, like
Macbeth's : amen" When this took place he
seemed to have a particular pique at the huge
shirt collar which envelOped his throat, and
which he would twitch and pull with a jerk once
or twice in the most petulant way, then he would
run his bony fingers through his long gray hair,
until it fairly bristled again. When Daniel
Webster experienced any difficulty in recalling a
suitable word or got I" snarled up in a sentence,
he almost invariably scratched the inner corner
of his right hand" and if this operation failed to
elicit the word which he desired, or to extricate
him from the snarl in which he had become in
volved, he rubbed his I" nose quite fercely with
the bent knuckle of his thumb" But when
neither of these operations proved successful, he
threw his knees apart until his legs formed a
kind of ellipsis, and plunging his hands deep
into his pockets, he threw the upper part of his
body quickly forward, and the coveted verbiage
was So bound to come.'' When General Cass
found himself in the same situation, he passed
his hand rapidly along the lower extremity of his
vest, and Mr.. Benton lowered his voice until the
remainder of his sentence became inaudible. Mr..
Mangum in such a predlcament became violent,
and the word that was skulking in some remote
corner of the brain was brought forth by a ter
rife sneeze. AS in those days, so in these, there
are men in Congress, at the bar, in the pulpit,
practicing medicine, engaged in merchandising
and other occupations vino are remarkable for
their personal peculiarities.
True Christians are called the peculiar people
of the Lord, because he cherishes for them Q
peculiar and complacential love, bestows upon
them peculiar blessings and watches over them
with O most tender regard. They are peculiar in
their mode of living, in their habits, in their de-
votion to the cause they espouse, and in their
pure and holy lives.
But there is a sect in England which claims to
be "The Peculiar People, and from accounts
recently received in regard to them they are
justly entitled to the appellation. The sect, it is
said, is composed Of people in the lower ranks Of
life, but of high character. One of their dis
tinctive beliefs is that physicians are of no use,
and cannot effect q cure of any disease, and
when any member is sick no physician is employed
to attend him. Instead of calling into requisi-
ton the services of q physician, they summon
the elders of the church who pray over the pa
tient and anoint him with oil, in obedience, as
they say, to the inspired Injunction of James
% Is any sick among you? Let him call for the
elders of the church, and let them pray over him,
amounting him with oil in the name Of the Lord,
hANA NAS PAaJbl 70 At-NA4 SANeAA OHNS tbS CAChs anu
the Lord shall raise him mp, and if he have COM
mitted sins they shall be forgiven him. They
hold that by these injunctions they are prohibited
from calling in surgical or medical aid, and must
rely upon the power and efficacy of prayer for q
cure in any and every case. 1t appears, how
ever, that, Notwithstanding the religious tolera-
ton of which England boasts, these people, al
though acknowledged to be Of good moral char
acter and pure lives, cannot carry out the prin-
ciples which they profess, and that when one of
nhilApon dies for rrhorn M paoAtoo1 old vroz
procured during its sickness, the parent or guard
ian is adjudged to be guilty Of manslaughter.
The child of q workingman had been i'll for ten
months, and during all that time no physician
was called in to render medical assistance, and
after its death the father was tried and convicted
ut the Old Bailey for manslaughter, although it
was shown that both the parents loved him very
dearly, nursed him tenderly and attentiyely, and
provided for him every delicacy in their power.
Mr.. Justice Blackburn, before whom the case
was tried, asked the father of the late child why
it was that he had not taken medical advice, and
his answer was, " because l am of the Peculiar
People and do not believe in it. | trust to the
Lord. The child was prayed for and prayed over,
and the elders laid hands on him, and anointed
him with holy oil" But the Justice held that
those having the custody of young and helpless
children were bound by the law-human and
diVine-to make use of all human means in their
power to alleviate their misery and save their
lives. The father replied that he had acted on
the law of Scripture as he understood it. and
would be the last to break it. But in face Of all
the evidence going to show that the man did all
he could for a child which he loved, the Judge
the jury TO bring in a verdict of
guilty against the father, g if they thought that
he, having reasonable ability TO furnish medical
assistance neglected to do so, and that death arose
from such neglect" The jury found according
to the instructions of the Judge, but they also
declared that the prisoner, honestly and conscien-
tiously believing that medical advice was not
necessary, did no wrong in not employing a
physician. The law point involved is rather
but we hope the English jurists will be
able to unrayel it and explain satisfactorily it's
application to 1.-The Peculiar People.'-PHs-
burg Dispatch.
1t was a young woman, with as many white