Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-02-09

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[PuBLfsHEp BY RrouTsr.1
yrom the Weekly ottumwa Courier Feb. / 1850.
PETER CARTWRIGHT,
THE .JOCO01 PREACHER
A PORTRAIT FROM LIFE IN ILLINOIS.
Immense was the gathering at tho
Methodist camp-ground near Spring.
field, on the second Sunday In Sep
tember, 1882. A powerful magnet
had attracted this great mass of pe0.
pie from their homes in many coun.
ties for hundred miles round. The
new presiding, elder, q late arrival
from Kentucky, m orator of wide
spread and wonderful renown, it was
known would thunder on that day.
The glittcring prestige Of his fame
had lightencd far before him, and
hence the universal cagerness to see
and hear one concerning whom ru-
mor's trumpet-tonguc disconrsed 50
loudly. s,s M 5
Morning broke in the azure east
bright and beautiful as a dream Of
heaven; but the expected prodigy
had not made his advent. Eleven
O'clock came---the usual hour for the
detonation Of the heavy guns of orr
thodoxy-and still there was no news
of the clerical lion. A common cir
cult rider took his place, aAd sensible
of the popular disappointment in.
creased It by mouthing o miserable
failure. The vexed and restless
crowd began to disperse,s when an
event happened to excite afresh their
curiosity and concentrate them again
denser than ever. A messenger rush.
ed to the pulpit in hot haste and pre-.
sented q note which was Immediately
read out to prevent the people from
scattering. The following is literal
copy of that singular epistle: Il
| .sDcar Byethren.-Thc devil hes
foundered my horse, which will de-
tain me from reaching your taberna-
Gle till evening. might have per-
formed the Journey on foot, but I
could not leave poor Paul, especially
as he never left Peter. Horses have
not souls to save and therefore it j.
all the more the duty Of christians to
take care Of their bodies. Watch and
pray, and don't let the devil get
among you on the sly before candle.
light, when shall be at my post.
Your brother,
PETER CARTWRIGHT"
In fashionable phrase, the reading
of this strange effnsion produced
quite sensation" ]" Some thought the
man mad; others thought the letter
hoax. But still the effect in one
particular was unquestionable J. II
heightened and interested the public
curiosity; and such, very likely, was
the precise result intended by the
writer.
AT length the day closed. The
purple curtain Of twilight fell over
the earth from the darkening sky.
Gods golden fire flashed ont in heay.
en- and men below kindled their pale
candles. The encampment, q village
Of snowy tents, was illuminated with
brilliancy which caused every Leaf
in the grove to shine and sparkle o.
IL all the trees were FURNISHED with
phosphorescent fame. 1t was like 3
theatre. 1t was q theatre in the open
air, on the green sward, beneath the
starry blue sky, incomparably more
picturesque and gorgeous than sny
stage scenery ever prepared within
walls of brick or marble, where the
elite of the. imperial cities throng to
| feast their eyes on beauty and their
ears on the music Of silver sounds.
| Not only the altar and rows Of
| benches under the broad shed, but
/ the entire dimensions of the grove
were crowded to the verge Of sulfo-
cation. The word had been circulat-
ed that the mighty orator had come
at last and the feverish anxiety to be-
hold him augmented more and more
Presently form rose in the pull.
pit, and began giving out hymn
] preliminary to the main exercise, and
every eye became instantly rivetcd
on the person of the stranger. Indeed
as some one safct or Durk, III singsr
flash of the gazer's vision was enough
to reveal the extraordinary man." al.
though in the present case it must
for the sake of truth be acknowledged
that the first impression was ambigu
Eous, if not enigmatical and disagree
able. His figure was tall, burly, mas
sive, and seemed even more gigantic
than the reality from its crownine
foliage of luxuriant black hair
wreathed into long curling ringlets
Add head that looked large as {
half bushel, bcetling brows, rough
and craggy as fragmentary granite
irradiated at the base by eyes of dark
fire, small and twinkling like dia
nfonds in sea-(they were diamond,
of the soul, shining in measureles'
sea of humor)--a swarthy complex
ion, as if cmbrowned by the kisse
Of sunbeams, rich, rosy lips, Away
parted. as if wearing perpetua
merry smile. and You have life-lik'
portrait Of Peter Cartwright, the far
famed jocOse preacher
Though 1 heard it all, from TIL
text to the amen, am forced to de
spair of any attempt to convey an &C
curate idea of either the substance o
manner of the sermon which follow
ed. There are different kinds of ser
mons-the argumentative, the dog
} matte, the expostulatory, the persua
sive. the punatiye, the combative, III
orthodox blows and knocks" tn
logical, and the poetic; but this spec
linen belonged to none Of the catego
: ries. 1t was sets generis, and of q ney
, species. 1t might properly be terme'
!, the waggish.
He began with loud, beautifull
J modulated tone, ina voice that role,
! on the serene night air like successiv
!. peals Of grand thunder. Methods
ministers are celebrated for sonorou
voices, but his was matchless i
e sweetness and power. For the fri
, ten minutes, his remarks, being pref
e atory, were commonplace, and unir
6 teresting; but then all Of sudde
his face reddened, his eye lightenet
: his gestures grew animated as th
4 waffures Of fiery torch, and b
e whole countenance changed To an e1
! preston Of inimitable humor; an
now his wild, waggish, peculiar eli
quence poured like mountain to-
: rent. Glancing arrows Of wit, shat
= of ridiculc, bon mots, flashed and de'
: like hail till the vast auditory WI
: convulsed with laughter. For awhil
2 the moro ascetic strovc to resist Il
!, strong current of their own spoptal
= ecls emotions; the sour faced clerq
|. frowned and hung their heads; on
! all the old maidenly saints groane
y as II with unspeakablc anguish !,
y such desecration of the cvangelic'
y desk. These, however, soon disco
cred that they had undertaken q
!. impossible achievement In thinkir
Ito withstand tho fhcetim Of Car
-lwright. His every sentence was I'll
4 a finger tickling the ribs Of tho hea
ri er. His very looks melted to mir,
, far more than other mems jokes, I
! that the effort to maintain one
e equilibrium only increased the di
position 10 burstinto loud explosion
Z. as every school boy has verified
Is similar cases. At length the encam]
n ment was in a roar the sternest fe
y lures relaxed into smiles; tho colde
I. Ieyes melted into tears Of irrepress
ble merrimeut. Noliere's best com
Idy or Sheridan's funniest farce ",
never half so successful. This CO.
ttinued for thirty minutes, while Il
Is orator painted the folly of the SHINE
letwhich was his theme. looked I
u and laughed with the rest, but final
\. began to fear the result as to Il