The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-07-11

nd exsravagancies killed alf feeling IN
,Ehers, he could not be said 70 Sbe doing
nyshing tangibiy Illegal. He was 9 e goat,
With the favor md undsniable characteE-
sites OF that animal, religiously considere
,ut apparently determined TO hold ms place
among the sheep.
Titus matters stood on the third daY OF
lie meeting, no plan being hit upon 70 als-
|odre this most unique and fnexplicable Inn
pedimcnt. During the forenoon Of TINS day
d well-known tsbroeher y arrived on the
and happening TO come upon
Bishop Kavanaugi,, began anxtously 10 in.
nuire about the progress aud prospects OF
the meeting. Fills name was Tilford Greg"
ory. n stronglv-set, muscular man, in APP
about fifty years OF age. overflow
ING with physical yigor, and equally full OF
humor and self-contdeDce,
bu. withal sincre, honestrhearfed Meth
odist. He was o great caInp'meethS
singer, and much esteemed as ieaa-
er in social meetings, and especlany III
the kind OF exercises peculiar TO those
open-air meetings. The Bishop evidently
knew bis man, and seemed almost 10 nave
had him in his minds eye while casting
about for some remedial agency OF removal
for the nondescript that had come down SO
mvsteriously upon their Christian Wo!h.
He proceeded in his quiet, undemonstratiSe
manner to give Brother Gregory
graphic outline OF the situation. Ihen'
with an expression OF face lndlcating IN
curry, and at the same time tull OF hls cnal-
acteristic humor, he proceeded: biotnei
Gregory, we must Get r,d OF th!s . .in,
pediment. Can you do anything Ia cne
case p" aI think I cam" said Mr..
GREGORY. s.but first let me know who Is
~ 5reacb at the II O'Clock hour TO-
dav.n at am" said the Bishop. "Ihen
il Won pIease,' said Mr.. Gregory, "lf you
deem the circumstances favorable for call
,,non the anxious, / would like to have you
announce the prayer service after preach
inc 70 be i'm the grove, and not as usual I'D
front OF the preachers stand. The LADIES'
retirement is on the left. /, with others
will have our meeting in the grove, TO Tue
rieht.n Whether the Bishop had any con,
ception of the method revolving ID the mihu
of e Brother" Gregory it is lmposslote 10
tell. but he evidently believed ne Woulu ucI
wisely but effectively, and he therefore
promised to arrange everything Tisht.
at the appointed hour the Bishop preach
od The sermon was one OF great ability
and mower. and the congregation was per-
cantibly moved. After singing hymn, IN
which that great audience Joined, ana Win
yocalization that sent the echoes lar oat
into the forest recesses, the Bishop pro-
ceeded to announce the prayer-meetln5-
that for the ladies, to the left; that for the
gentlemen to the right-urging, also, that
all inouiring persons should proceed with
them to the places designated; appointing
Sister 49, to lead on the left and Brother
Tilford Gregory on the right. The Bishop
had thus skilfully prepared the way, ana
left to the leaders entrusted with the eNecu-
ton to work out the desired result IN Their
own way.
II was noticed that this mysterious
mourner" was much wrought upon du-
ring these prellninaries, and, on Mr.. Greg
ory's leading off to the recesses on the
right, he FASTENED to be at the head OF the
march, side by side with the leader. After
a short march they reached romantic spo1'
finely shaded, and walled up in front ny an
immense poplar tree that had been 1elsed
and left in its fallen grandeur, monument
Of the mighty past and the ravases OF the
less consderate present. Here services
were inaugurated by singing, tine mys-
terious one vociferously Joining. When
the word was given, LET US pray.
the great unknown, standing rlsht IN
front OF Mr.. Gregory, bowed with bust
linz deyoutness against the oyergrown
poplar that must have been the best part OF
five feet in diameter. Dir. Gregory knelt
Immediately behind him. so as forest upon
the bent form that, from significant aglta-
ton, was evidently preparing for great
illuminating season Of "mourning." AS
no one was called upon by name to pray,
it was, OF course, left to the leader to open
the exercises. He commenced with strong
voice what was expected TO be a prayer, but
it was more properly a sermon. he pictured
out in strong language the heayen.darlng
character OF that very impiety that had
wrapped as with garment the bypocrltlcal
monster before him. There was, neverthe-
less, some prayer in it, deprecatinS the divine
judgments that were impending over this
great sinner. Then again. in terrible Ian
guage, he held up that shadowy heart, dark
with blasphemy, before sin-avenging God.
The role Of daring mimicry of devotion,
however, was not abated. He had come to
conquer; in other words, to whip out the
.sMethod;sts on their own cherished
grounds. At this point the exercises OF
the leader waXed more and more vehement,
and his voice rang out like trumpet
through the resounding thickets. With
this animation Of the vocal organs came a
corresponding yehemence Of gesture. Be-
fore him was highly-scnsitivc sounding.
board, that, in his forgetfulness OF the dis
comfort such use Of it would naturally be-
get, increased rather than diminished the
emphasis that gesticulatlon gave to bis
utterunces. The rowdy's fondneSs for
n trip
to dull responsive echo from his ribs, that
told he was fast taking the impression 10
heart, or at least nearer to it. AZ this par
ticular juncture the peniteEtial recipient
seemed to have reached Il quandary. To
practice devotion under such circumstances
seemed impossible: to resist would involve
a revelation not provided for in the bills;
to retract would be ignominous, and bring
down upon him shower OF ridicule from
his awaiting compatriots. But OH rolled
this torrent Of uncongenial thought,
accompanied by the resounding en-
phasis OF convincing gestures. At length
the light slowly dawned upon him
that the dag was lost. The tide of battle
had swept over his position. Prompted by
the convincing arguments from the half
preaching, half-praying leader, he saw he
must break lines and organize retreat.
Suiting his action to this high resolve, lie
rose, regardless Of the etiquette Of the occa-
sion, and laid one hand upon the huge
poplar, and, quick rs thought stood eman-
cipated on the other side. With the velocity
Of the afirighted deer, he pushed his line OF
departure toward the nearest outrageous
thicket, and appeared no more upon the
scenes of hoped-for victories. nor do camp
meeting chronicles make any further lnen-
ton OF him.