Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-03-02

J N1O tSNN-s0 Oi AsAo ssAAtS NOotJ
and a gold watch chain fell gilt
tering down. These were, per-
haps, foibles, but Mafitt might
have thought with Goldsmith
that, san Emperor In his night
cap is not half the Emperor as
when his crown is on his head. "
All dandyism was soon forgot
ten, for he kept his congrega-
tion wide awake and alive to his
slightest whisper. In bis deliv-
/ cry no one knew better how to
"sllit the word to the. action, the
action to the word, and there
were nlomentsin which the liq-
aidity OF bis intonatien was inim.
liable. Bot the peroration was
of all things telling. His words
| thrilled Us the blast of trumpet
il the stiffness Of night. "You
stand on the huEuiIag crust Of he
volcano of he'll 2 Ii was the
tone. the manner, the look from
his flashing hazel eyes that cleo
tiifgd
A superb tactieian "a very
Napoleon in eva gtlicaI strategy
AiaIfitt descended IRON. the pal
! pit singing some appropriate
hymn. and intensified the excite
ment by the fiery harangnes which
he knew 50 we'll how to make eE-
fective. ScolEng intellect aud iu-
trepid mrdiocrity not oaly cspitn-
l-lated; but Surrendered at discre
tion, One eXampie of the adan
rable tact Of the preacher viii
serve to show what is meant. Ia
"a revivalin Cincinnati, Gen H4r
rison, then candidate for The Pres
idency, was 10 the house Matfitt
had concluded his sermon with au
impassIoned appeal to smuers to
come 10 the altar and strive for
conversion. Gen. Harrison arose
and said that he had long thought
of making Il public confession Of
his belief iii Christianity. He
now felt ii his duIy to do so. =
His enemies might construe the
act as a bid for popularity. but
that could not deter hi AS thc
old man walked slowly toward the
altar, Ma!itt descended from
the pulpit, and, taking Harrison 5
hand, sang stanza Of well
known revival song:
"Old soldier, follow me-
Wei die on the field OF battle,
Well die on the fieldot battle,
With glory IN our souls
The effect was electrical -
There was scarcely dry eye in
the congregation,
The deoadence of Maffiit's pop,
uiarity had its origin in marriage.
No Trappist ~aSever more unified
for conjugality than he He mar
ried in Ireland, and at length
both husband and vile quietly
separated after a union in this
country. The wife took up her
residence in Galveston, Texas,
and there she died highly es-
teemed by all. Incongeniality was
said 10 have caused the sepaTa-
ton. Tue secret was, at all e.
vents, buried with their bodies
1t was Mafitt's last marriage
to a girl in Brooklyn that pre-.
voked acrimonious comment, al
though his first wife was then
dead The girl wife was not one
of the great revivalist's converts.
She was beautiful. of an ardent |
temperament, and had fallen in
love. with the still handsome
preacher. Their brief married |
unmarried life was not happy =
One day, when Maffit was preach
ing in New Orleans, his child |
vile died, and then arose the
cry OF the Scribes and Pharisees,
Cruelty him!' Then Maflitt |
was prescribed BY many secular and
some religious newspapers; his |
private correspondence with bis
dead wife was published; be was
accused Of murder, and even OF |
incest.
For awhile the great reyivalist !
buried himself in the wilds of
Arkansas, preaching here and
there with his old fervor. At
length he visited Mobile. and
there met pharisaical GOODNESS,
save at the hands Of a few brave
spirits, among whom may be
mentioned the Rev Jefferson
Hamilton and the 'sblind preach |
err" the Rev. William II. Mil
burn; and one of the MOBILE
newspapers republished from
New York weekly scandalous
article in which Maffitt was at
tackled with violence Even a
beloved sister, then temporarily
with him, was defamed. Ihej
republication was the act of a
member Of his own denominaiioas
Maffitt solemuly deniel,the tfAtIfs