Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-24
The Talmage Entertainments.

The edIfce Il won't say "church) is built Just
like theater, and ha one mi-ctrcular gal
and you do not buy tickets, though you are
made to pay before the sermon begins. The
stage or platform, Is long, narrow, extension.
out the entire length Of that side Of the build
alternasions Of red 6lSe and guilt These last
delierS suspended above at intervals, are the
bluest and reddest things 1 ever saw; the
g1t BENG c Of course supplied by the olaz
cushions are on the seats. The organist
sits below the platform, and plays lively
airs while the audience assemblies. After
entity below the organ. A shuffling figure OF
medium height and build energies with afurtive
ar as, ascends flight OF steps and seats himself
table which is used as a support to bible.
This Is Talmage. His unkempt brown hair re.
fuses 3; 10 grow on the top Of head, but comes
qul.e cohceals the ears and forms combna-
ton with pair Of dried brown whiskers. The
latter are a frame work to face In which
may be noted an enormous mouth, nose
IN keeping, extremely small eyes, set very
laI Dack under overhaugtng eyebrows, a re-
Gee Ing forehead and pallid complexion. There
Is KIND 81 Uriah Heep about him and think
the world has lost much from the fact that
Dickens never saw him. II he had Chadband
would have been nowhere. and the pastor OF
the Brooklyn tabernacle would have been i'm
morts LIED. Ur1ah was remarkable for a pecll-
liar use Of his hands So is Talmage, for he
1nces sanity claws at everything ABOUT him;
usually clutching the air, for he has no reading
desk or pulpit to pound. For the latter pur-
pose, hov ever, his left hand Is const antiy made
to do duty. spread wide open and is the recip-
lent OF IL Vulnerable blows from the long fingers
OF the left. These performances are added to
also by numerous grlmaceS, the precise object
and arket value of which, was unable to de-
tel mine. II s voice Is harsh and croaking, his
pronunciation very bad, nor has he the Slight
est aim to eloquence. His amen Is the mos
sound ever listened to- and may
below. But words, (such as they are,) bundle
out rapidly enough, and this fact, probably, to-
esIn 1e Win the eeStlculations ana grimaces
with strcng flavor of vulgar irTeVerence and
flppancy. may cause some persons to regard
jority OF his listeners as Bowery clerks and
sewing girls A more ignorant assemblage OF
faces never beheld, and IL there were any Gull
tured, well dressed people there, Gid not see
them.
Taking tie bibe from the stand, he begins to
read, but evidently supposing that the simple
upon by variations Of his own, he reads verse
ard then makes some Independent oD5ervatiO
going on afterwards to another verse and SO on
As an example OF his peculiar style, will quote
his opening sentence. In something which was
probably intended as prayer: "Oa Lord, we
thank thee that thou has not turned us out On
was uDmOved, nor have after much reflection
been able to discover the point. The music has
rs HUT VI uluSlc III IL dS any 10 WHICH nave
ever been condemned to listen. I suppose it
would be classed as congregational" though
the sound Of the voices was almost drowned by
the l1ercirg tones Of the cornet which combined
disag reeably Tor rather don't combiIe) with the
organ. The music stand is placed on the plat
form at the left Of the OrganiSt, and ArbucSle
tie tOrnettst emerging from some unknown
dept! 8, places his music thereupon, giving
signal with his right hand for the congregation
TO ar sc and follow him. Ee certainly lowers
himself by having anything to do with such
peri, FINANCES, but then he is married man,
and one has to look out for dollars and cents.
A badly shaped urn OF flowers about four feet
high stood on the right hand OF the stage; this
doubtless, In imitation OF the Plymouth ar
rangement AT the Plymouth church, however,
the floral decorations are very tastefully dis
posed. Fortunately Talmage did not tumble
the urn over. Sometimes In his exuberance Of
Spirits, l expect to hear that be has wrought
devastation TO everything within reach. Al
together the whole thing impressed me as
coarse and unattractive parody on Beecher
desr crate attempt at imitation.-[N. Y. Cor
LcuiSton {Me) Gazette.