The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-29
Kew york GOSSIP, /
New YORK, March % $40.

find Plymouth Church on Sunday
morning. let such an one first find Orange
street, and then there is nothing to be
done but to follow the crowd Which turns
in to the low brick building, showing
three doors. painted green, the tout en-.
se,nble reminding one Of Methodist
Sunday School, or perhaps a first class
barn on the premises Of = wealthy farmer.
Within, everything is ''plain as plain can
be-. the walls covered with white paint,
and perforated at intervals by plain mot
stained glass windows; in the form of
an amphitheatre, the seats below, and
circular galleries are arranged so asto af.
ford full view of small platform, and
great organ towering in the rear above.
In the centre of the platform stands a
small reading desk: a. short distance be-
hind. a solitary high backed arm chair.
upholstered in ruby velvet; on the left
of this, a #, marble :, topped table,
on which stands superb
vase of flowers; magnificent
bouquet is placed on the floor Of the
platform III front of the reading desk,
and third boquet Of equal size and
beauty is on the right hand. Upon the
left, at the head of fight of stairs, TWO
young Samuels, with close shorn locks,
one brunette, the other blonde, are
seated. and with nonchalant air survey
the assembling crowd, while just below
them good naturcd, rustic looking per-
sonage Tolls upon the stairs.
A1ornr ho kh~oo o;c1oc ~ <In
Of the pews, folding chairs are attached
by hinges, which, upon occasion, may be
opened out. That occasion comes each
time that the pastor speaks. Before half
past ten the building is completely filled ;
sea of heads from the gallery above
looks down on the upturned sea Of heads
below; while in the farthermost ROCKS
and at the doors people are content to
stand. The presence Of the choir of
from forty to fifty singers is made mani
fest by great opening Of books, or wav-
ing of sheet music; the organist,
picturesque and really beautiful
old man, with regular fea-
lures, white beard, and silvered hair de-
scending from under velvet cap, seats
himself in readiness; the paid quartette
stand in the centre, self important among
which is al individual whose abundant
locks, now turning grey, are rolled a lu
Pompddour from his forehead, and who
with uplilted right hand acts as leader.
so soon as the set time shall have come.
The Pastor ascends the steps, and Lass
ing the two young Samuels, slips of his
rubbers, and without glancing at the
crowd, seats himself awkwardly in the
velvet chair, and begins to examine
the letters and papers which are placed
on the table at his side. His coming has
been the signal for the commencement of
the music, and in great peals it rolls
above his head. Perhaps no head ever
had more ordinary covering in the way
of hair, than has Beecher's. It hangs
thin, straight, and lank; an odd mixture
of grey and light brown, forming in con.
nection with his decidedly ford complex
ion, what if writing of colors, I would
call an ''inharmonious combination:
Neither is the head we'll shaped; nor
the figure of the man on which the head
is set. Said figure is what might be
termed "bunchy.' He is not graceful,
and altogether he has the air of we'll to
H.
and in which he is i'll at ease.
The music over, as amid the incense of
flowers, he rises to read or pray, his air is
very quiet; his tones almost sleepy.
Nothing to give expectation of that mag.
netisrn which is presently to take you
and n0lens v0le7aS, carry you whittier it
will. Scarce at any time is he given to
nor are his accents loud,
and when you go away charmed, you can
hardly tell in what the charm consists.
The only sign of nervousness is the quick
jerking of much enduring handkerchief.
and what that innocent piece of linen
cambria is made to undergo, plying
laundress onlyi can determine. All of
sudden he pulls it out of his pocket, as if
overtaken by desperate need, but this is
only to crumple it up, and squeeze it
under the Bible before him. There, how
ever, it does not rest, for it is jerked out
again like fash, and held at full length
in hundred crinkles, and then hastily
back either in his pocket or
under the Bible, and with slight varia.
tions these performances are repeated
throughout the discourse.
His voice is certainly perfection; each
whisper heard distinctly, and often by
the magic pronunciation of some common
word the souls of his hearers are stirred.
He does not make a set speech; his style
is conversational, and probably it is by
reason of this familiar talk that he seems
to come near to you. So you do not feel
on leaving the church that you have
heard fine sermon from far away ora
tor whom you admire at di stance, but
you imagine that sympathetic, agreea-
bic friend has been talking to you about
this, that, or the other, whatever came
uppermost. You are not transported;
you may even not forget to enquire Of
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