River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-07-18
BROTHER ANDERSON.
BY REV. THOMAS K. BEEcHER.


/ was to preach for Brother Anderson
He was a good pastor. Almost the last
time saw him he had just called on a
lamb of his flock to ask after her spiritual
welfare a11 City cents toward his salary.
He had left his tub and brushes at the
foot of the hill, and he resumed them
when he had made his call for, like the
great apostle, he used to labor, working
himself along slowly toward his home,
after day of work on walls or ceilings,
few took him for preacher. Splotches
of whltewash showed finely on his face;
they were his business cards. Nature
had done little to beautify him the tailors
nothing. He was short, broad, large
headed, and seemingly without neck. His
cravats could never get under his chin.
His eyes were faaii ~ ~. spolsz
whites and slack lids. He was numerous
ly clothed. His great breadth and small
height caused many rents and wrinkles
in the layers of his clothing. What was
given him, though well-worn and tender,
he put on and went about his work with
out pride or apology. For years ! had
met him, but had not known hin, he was
so silent and contained. He mayer seemed
to know, much less resent, the caste pref
udite that weighs so heavily on his race.
Ali this was long ago. He has preached
bis last sermon, and is, doubt not, rest
fully awaiting the resurrection of the lust.
Twas to preach for Brother Anderson
one Sunday afternoon. As | stood caves
dropping by his little wooden church,a and
waiting for the hour to come, | heard
strange noise inside--not the confused
and voluminous noise of crowd excited
as in revival times, but single wild cry
now and then, or one heavy stamp, or a
ringing clap from a pair of big tough
hands-the creatures of will, and not the
outbursts of feeling. 1t was the corpse
of starved "class-meeting, and the
noises sounded as if jerked into being by
the occasional galvanic shocks of some
experimenter. Punctual to the hour,
Brother Anderson came rolling across the
street and up to the door, and we went in
together. After the usual songs and
prayers, took for my text Paul's coun-
sci to the Corinthians as to t cir disord-
erly meetings and meaningless noises.
The sermon was in the main reading of
fourteeth chapter of Paul's first letter,
with comments and applications inter-
spersed. / spoke for half an hour, and
while showing consideration for the noisy
WAYS of my Audience, exhorted them to
cultivate intelligence as well as passion.
'sWhen you feel the glory in you, let it
out, of course. Shout Glory clap your
hands, and all that; but stop now and
then, and let some wise elder stand up
and tell what it all means. Men and
bows hang round you. windows and laugh
at YOU and at religion because they don't
understand you. Some men. you know,
have religion all in the head-clear,
sharp, dry, and dead. Others, all in the
heart. They feel it in their bones Now
| want you to have religion in your heads
and hearts. Letall things be done de-
Gently and in order"
| was very well satisfied with my effort
at the time; it seemed success. AS |
sat down, Brother Anderson got up and
stood ON the pulpit step to give out a
hymn,
'Iet saints below in concert sing
am not certain that he could read; foT
he stood, book in hand, and seemingly
from memory gave the number of the
hymn, and repeated the first TWO stanzas
with deep and glowing feeling. of the
third he read three lines,
zone army OBJ de livin' God,
To his comman' we bow;
Part of e hosO 'vecros Ter flood,
An part"
He stopped, and after swallowing one or
- ~ lrktra
Brudder Beecher / love to hear him
preach this afternoon. He's tot us a
good many things. He's our good fren.
An he SEE, SEE he, dat some folks goes up
to glory noisy n shoutin', an some goes
still. like, n ii they's ashamed of wot's in
'em. An be SEE we'd better be more like
de still kind, an white folks more like US
An den | think faint much count no
way wedder we goes up still-like or
shoutin', cause heavens mighty big
place. brudders; an when we all goes
marchin' up to see de Lord, an Use so
full oh de Tub and de joy ana de glory
that / mus clap my hands an shout, de
good Lords got some place whar we
won't 'sturb nobody, ami we kin shout
GLORY Gloryl Dress de Lord I'm safe,
I'm safe in de glory at last tell you,
brudders an sisters, that heavens a
mighty big place, an dar's room for
Brudder Beecher an us too" :.
;. OATS so! Bress de Lord Anae,e!
Gzorgln from the people,.
& An Brudder' Beechcr SEE dat 'tisn't
de folks as makes mos noise dat does de
mos work. He says the ingins on de
railroai onlv puff-puff regular breathin'-
like. wen dey's at work a haulin' de biz
loads. an, dat de bells an de whistles don
do no work; d y .osly make noise,
Guess dat's so. | don't know bout ingins
much. and don know wcdder Is l,uff
huff inoiu, or 4eddeI / blows de
whistle an rings de bell. fees like
pofen with a chuckle) =" sometimesl An
/ tell y1u what when the fire Is burn
in, an gets de steam up, don't dri6e no
cattle on de track; dc angiR's comm! Ctar
tfe truck \" This with voice that shook
the little house, and magnetism that
thrilled and fixed me. OF course his
hearers we're by this time swaying, shout
ing and amen-ing splendidly)
!. An de boys IN gals, an DE- clarks
an Young lawyers, Gey come up var
wasC night, an dey peek IN de windows
an stan roun' de doors; an' dey lat an
make fun of 'Iig'n, An Brudder Beecher
SCI Why d9n't we stop dc noise now'n
den an 90 out NJ tell EN- bout it-splain
it to 'em. An member wo' de Bible says
bout de outer darkness, an de- weepin'
an de wail1n' an de gnash:n' oh teeth.
An'-if desc boys an gals stan dar out
side lafin', bi1nebY dey'll COM to de
wailin' an de weepin fus dey know. An
den wen dey stan roun' de great tempt
Of de Lord az SCI de glory shinin' out,
and de harpers harping, an all de music,
an de elders bowin', an all de shoutin