The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-05-08
ADVENTUROUS,
W aiting for the Crack of DOom-IIealinS
the ~tck-Feet W ashing-T Last Sup
per-Sat ching the Midnight Clock
Bitter Disappointment-Wc and
waiIing Extraordinary Scenes.

the >tck-Feet Washing-The Last SUI
per Watching the Midnight Clock
Bitter Disappointment Weeping an
waiIing- Extraordinary Scenes.
Chicago Tribune, April 81.
| The Tribune gave yesterday a neces
sarily brief account of the collapse o
the Adventist folly at midnight. Th
the evening, and which brought sue
turbed, carried the assemblage to an es
tatic pitch of feeling. They eagerl
peered through the windows, and be
came iubilant as the storm swept alon,
and the lightnings flashed. 1t wa
during this excitement that woman
who had sought out the Adventists ant
joined herself to them that day, asked
Elder Thurman to heal her of q neural
| gle complaint that was affecting hel
with great pain. Laying his hands OF
her head in reverent way, he said
81 say unto you in the name of the
| Father, and of the Son, aud of the Holy
Ghost, be thou made whole" And
Immediately. according to the woman's
profession, the pain left her, and she
began praising God.
At O'Clock, the table being set and
all made ready, they sat down. The
ceremony of feet-washing was first in
order. The chairs were placed with
their backs to the table, SO that the
gaze of the men and women was turned
away frome one another. AS these
ceremonies antecedent to the supper
had reached until after 8, the Advent
lists were pretty hungry, and fell to
with good will. Little children who
had fallen asleep during the foregoing
exercises awoke, and betook themselves
to active exertion, and the assembly
put on picnic appearance.
Under the nineteenth head" Some
interesting conversation with those who
love Jesus"-each, beginning with the
man sitting to the left of Elder Thur
man, rose, and made, some remarks.
They were all characterized by tone
of depression and nervous assertion of
continued faith: When it came to
THURMAN's TIME,
it was not yet IL o'clock, but despair
was visible on his face, and his voice
speaking of the ardent longings he had
cherished for the coming of Christ.
Even if he himself were lost he wanted
to see Gods elect. His voice fell into
the measured sing IN which he in
sibiy mournful as he went on.
81 confess that / begin to feel sad,
and my heart sinks within me. have
no time fixed at which expect to see
the Lord, except midnight. But did
expect that he would appear at Jerusa-
lem when it was four o'clock in the
afternoon here, and then expected the
sign of the Son of Man. I will not
despair to the rising sun, but how can
extend the prophetic dates longer than
midnight, cannot see. 1t has been
my study for thirty-two years. and.
again and again, and yet again, have 1
examined all the prophecies to see
whether there could be any mistake,
but 1 could find none. The same
prophecies that show that Jesus is in
deed the Christ point to His second
advent tonight. st. Paul says: But
ye, brethren, are not left in darkness,
that that day, should overtake you as
thief Yet, if this night fails, L am
unable to see for my life, after much
mature deiberation, how mortal man
can ever find it out. Ihave not followed
the traditions of men. I have proved
by chronology, by astronomical obser-
Walton. am quite unable to see how
have been mistaken.
elf, after all, I have deceived you,
will you pardon me Will you forgive
me? 1 have done the best L could,
God knows. L have finished my
my God for that. 1 have done what 1
could, I can do no more. I have felt
the burden Of you upon my heart, for
felt that l carried you in the arms OF
my admonition. Here his voice
onI kra,,,LIal T ry,nfa1 70
present you to Jesus. [ can bear the
burden no more. L leave you IN the
hands of God"
While he was speaking, sobs and
yreans went up continually from the
Many of the women
wept bitterly. Most of the little ones,
wearied with the protracted vigil, were
asleep lying on the shawls and wrap
pings that had been placed In the cor
ner. The men looked wistfuI and sad,
but it was not yet II, and some hope
still lay in the narrow circuit that the
minute hand of the clock had yet to
traverse. A tall, gray-haired man be-
gan to speak in a tone of encourage
ment, and expressing the love and ven
Grafton which they all cherished for
Brother Thurman. Thurman, who, In
his desolation, still kept on by sheer in
ertia in the groovein which he had moved
along, announced mechanically-"And
when they had sung a hymn, thus in
the time when 1t was necessary |
10 sing in order to initiate the Last
Supper of Christ. The hymn, "Long
we've been waiting for Christ to come"
vas then sung in dolorous way. The
clock still lacked minute or two of
II, and it was watched as criminal
night watch the approach of the hour
If his execution.
THE MINUTE HAND TOUCHED TWELVE,
md a deep groan ran through the
assembly. The disappointment seemed
20 strike into Thurman's heart far too
Ieep for tears. There was a self
basement in his manner as he rose,
md in the same monotonous information,
,ut with a tremulous voice said:
Brethren, lean on my arm no longer.
Ny reckoning is all up. L leave you
n the hands of God 1t is as much as
can do to struggle on for my
elf. 1 will try to do the best I can.
f there is any more light to be had, 1
will search for it. bid you all fare
VEIL"
Then followed pitiful scene. Wo-
men wrung their hands in bitter anguish;
GrOQR men buried DlelT lhceS hul WSpb
md groaned. The violent descent from
estate Joy to terrible disappointment
bruised and crushed their spirits.
Thurman sat still and murmuring as if
LACED and stupefied with the greatness
# his calamity. The work of his life
ime had fallen to nothingness The
irm footing of his faith had suddenly
Tipped from under him, and the horrors
# darkness encompassed him. Of diff
ereut calibre from his followers, his
,rief could not find vent in demonstra-
ion of feeling, and nothing assuaged
he bitterness of disappointment. Some
# them tried to say kind and comfort
ng things to him, but he seemed to
iced nothing. Still adhering to the
programme as the fixed thing that yet
emained to him, he rose to pronounce
THE BENEDICTION.
with tremendous voice he
aid: Oh Lord, We came according to
Thy word Hast Thou not said that 'in
ba TINA amounted the end shall he p |