The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1879-06-04
miscellaneous.
90
For THE HERALD.
TIE TALHEAGE ENTERTAIN
NENTS.

1he edlhce won say "cnurcn J
is built just like a atheatre, and having
one scmicircular gallery. But there
is no drop curtain, no ''boxes," and
you do not buy tickets, though you
are made to pay before the sermon be-
gins. The stage or platform is long,
narrow extension, projecting from the
orgao which is stretched out the en-
tire length Of that side Of the build
ing, and above, the pipes are painted
in loud alterations of red, blue and
gilt. These last efforts were evidently
thought beautiful, for the chandeliers
suspended about at intervals, are the
bluest and reddest things I ever saw :
the gilt being Of course supplied by
the blazing gaslights. The carpet is
red, and red cushions are on the seats.
The organist sits below the platform,
and plays lively airs while the audience
assemblies. After time door opens
on the right hand, apparently below
the organ. A'shuAaing figure Of me-
dium height and build emerges, with
furtive air aseends a flight of steps
and seats himself in the solitary chair
standing beside small table which is
used as support to bible. This is
Talmage. His unkempt brown hair
refuses to grow on the top of his head,
but comes out in long shaggy tufts at
the sides which quite conceals the ears
and forms a combination with a pair
of dried brown whiskers. The latter
are a framework to face in which
may be noted an enormous mouth. A
nose in keeping, extremely small eye,
set very far back under overhanging
eyebrows, receding forehead and a
pallid complexion. There is kind
of Uriah Heep air 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 Brook
lyn Tabernacle would have been i'm
mCrtalized. Uriah Was remarkable
for peculiar use of his hands, so is
Talmage, for he jucessantly claws at
everything about him: usually clutch
ing the air, for he has no reading desk
orApulpit to pound. For the latter
purpose, however, his left hand is con-
stantly made to do duty, spread wide
open and the recipient of inuumerable
blows from the long fingers of the
right. These performances are added
to also by numerous grimaces: the
precise object and market. value Of
which, I was unable to determine.
His voice is harsh Ind croaking; his
pronunciation very bad, nor has he
the slightest claim to eloquence. His
amen is the most remarkable sound I
ever listened to, and may be classed as
a cross between a groan and below.
But words (such as they are) trundle
out rapidly enough. aud this fact pro-
badly, together with the gesticulations
and grimaces above mentioned, the
whole being seasoned with a strong
flavor of vulgar irreverence and flip
pancy, may cause some persons to re-
gard him as an orator. [ should set
down the majority of his listeners as
Bowery clerks, and sewing girls. A
more ignorant assemblage Of faces I
never beheld, and if there were any
cultured, we'll dressed people there, I
did not see them.
Taking the bible from the stand, he
begins to read, but evidently supposing
that the simple variations of the gos-
pei would be improved upon by varia-
tions Of his own, he reads a verse and
then makes some independent obser-
vations; going on afterwards to ano-
ther verse and 80 on. AS an example
of his peculiar style, I will quote his
opening sentence, in something which
was probably intended as prayer
"Oh Lord, We thank thee that thou
hast not turned US out on the commons
to die" I must acknowledge I was
unmoyed, nor have l after much re-
hection been able to discover the
point. The music has as little Of mu-
sic in it as any to which I have ever
been condemned to listen, suppose it
would be classed as "Congregational," "
though the sound Of the voices was
almost drowned by the piercing tones
of the cornet which combined disa-
greeably Cor rather don't combine)
with the organ. The music stand is
placed on the platform at the left of
the organist, and Arbuckle, the cor
netist, emerging from some unknown
depths, places his music thereupon,