The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-09-26
T,orcnso Dow Raising ahe Devil. and
.HelpfnE Two Perpicxed Lovers Ont Ont
4 or d very Serious 8cPape. r.

OK ID &0Ey 0BElWdkW 9<Sh
FROM The Pittsburgh Comm rriaAl fs.
Tn his, srstematic wand ering oyer the
country, Lorenzo Dow, the great Methodist
reyiyaiist. almost invariably travelled on
foor. and often without n penny In his
racket, because lie did not need money. as
he was we'll known and a welcome guest in
every household. Tired and hungry in the
evening twilight OF an autumn day, he came
In sipht of a house at which he had often
.stopped, and to which he had travelled
several miles more than his usual
davis tourney. The only occupants OF
the house were father and q daugh-
ter, who was his housekeeper. When
she sew Dow coming she ran to meet him,
and demonstrated by her looks and words
the 10Y she felt. While she was preparing
supper she teld him that her father had
gone to O barn-raising end would not return
until midnight and detailed to him the hap
penines in the peighborhood since his last
visit. After the supper they were Joined
by Young man, whom she introduced to
Dow as her future husband, II they could
obtain her fathers consent, which at that
time was not very probable, as he was bit
terly opposed to the union. They both
urged Dow to use all bis influence with the
father to obtain his consent, which he pro-
missed to do.
The house, as many were at that time,
was only one story high. and from the cell
Ing, which was made by laying loose SLABS
on the timber used as joist, to the ROOF was
called the loft. AS there was only one
room down stairs, q bed was MADE on the
floor OF the loft for Dow, to which he re-
tired after praying with the young couple.
he had not been long in bed before he
heard loud knocking on the door and
commotion down stairs. BY looking
through between two slabs he saw The girl
trying to force the young man upstairs,
but he would not go; she then told MN
to get in a tow-box that stood III the
corner, and he did: Then she opened the
door. and her father entered. BE was con-
sidershIy under the influence OF liquor, and
in q very bad bumor because he had been
kent waiting so long. The girl told him
he must keep quiet, az their old friend Lo-
reno Dow was in bed in the loft, and said
he ought to go up and see him; but the
father was sensible enough to know that his
head was too heavy to admit of him ascend
ing an almost perpendicular laddes, and did
not make the attempt. Dow, who had seen
and heard all that passed below, descended
the stairs.
The father received Dow at the foot Of
the ladder with cordial greetings, and in
sisted on him taking some supper with him,
but Dow refused, as he already had supper.
After he had concluded his meal, he said /:
"Mr. Dow, have often heard that you can
raise the devil, and I made up my mind that
il you ever came back to my house would
get YOU to do it." Dow protested that he
could do no such thing, but the man in
insisted that he could and should. After
celebrating a short time, Dow said: II
must, I will; but it is sorely against my
will. When he appears he will have streak
OF fire behind him, SO you must get water
| to nut it out, otherwise it may burn the
house."
All preparations being made, Dow took
in his hand the only light in the room. and,
after telling the girl to open the door and
her and her father to stand back in the cor
her, he set on fire some Of the tow that pro-
truded through an open space in the box,
and said in a loud voice, "Thou imp OF
Satan. leave this house until bid thee re-
turn" The young man YVES sharp enough
to know that Dow was getting him out OF
bad scrape, and Selling some tow in
each hand, which he held up to his face,
he sprang out of the box and out of the
door. After he was gone the girl and
Dow-th father being paralyzed with fear
nut out the fire. Dow remained several
days, and during the time the inquiries he
made about the young man were answered
so much to his satisfaction that he urged the
father to consent to the marriage, and he
did.
Dow had the pleasure OF pronouncing
the couple husband and wife before his de-
narture.