San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-12-27

Anecdotes About oho E0thc1
Of His Country.
James Parton III the Magazine Of American His
| tory.
Toward the close of the last century
an eccentric bookseller, Weems b,
name, used to ride about in the South
ern States with an assortment of liter
ature in his little wagon and a fiddle
under the seat. He sold in the day
time from house to house and from
county to county, and 10 the evening
when he put up for the night at some
plantation house, he was ready with
his fiddle, either to amuse the family
or 60 into the negro quarters and strike
up o tune for the servants to dance to
Heiseems to have been good -natured
easy going man. with talent tor tell
ing stories-a talent which makes al
most any man welcome almost any
where l have called this man book.
pedler, but that was by no means the
title he gave himself. IF he had had
such thing as card about him, il
would have borne the words, Rev
Mason Locke Weems." He had fig
ured in the pulpit in his time, and il
has recently been ascertained that be
was ordained in Maryland a clergyman
of the episcopal church. In early
manhood we find him hanger on, or
curate unattached, in Pohick parish
near Mount Vernon, the church which
was for many years attended by Gen.
Washington and family. Bishop
Meade, of Virginia, who knew him in
his own boyhoo |, intimates that the
idea of M. L. Weems being the in
cumbent Of parish was preposterous
II acknowledge" wrote the bishop.
that he was in TIE habit of having
the servants assemble in private
houses, where he would spend the
night, and would recite a portion of
scripture (for he never read it out Of
a book and perhaps say something to
them, or in the prayer about them;
but then it was in such way as TO
produce merriment." The bishop add
ed that he had been an eye witness to
Weems's ludicrous exhibitions, both
at his mothers house and his own,
and he does not think that Weems
could have long made any serious pre-
tence to be a settled rector. 1t is pos.
sible he may have oficiated in Pohick
church in presence of Washington,
and. doubtless he han often gazed up.
on the general with sincere veueration.
Bishop Meade makes jocular allusion
to Weems's very enlarged charity in
all respects" He knew no sect, but
in his preaching days delighted to
preach in any church that would re-.
ceive him, and in any parish where he
could get chance to recommend his
books. Wherever there was to be an
election or court Weems was very
likely to be found with bis stand of
books on the piazza of the tavern. On
one occasion, when the bishop found
him thus established at Fairfax Court
House, he noticed that he had among
his books copy of Thos. Paine's Age
of Reason. Taking it up. the clergy
man asked: us it possible you sell
such book?' Weems instantly took
from a shelf the bishop of Landoff's
answer to Paine, and said: Behold
the antidote. The bsue and the anti
dote are before you" He even went
further than this. He preached one
day for Meade while the rector was
absent in another parish. and in the
course of his sermon he pronounced a
high eulogium upon Thomas Paine,
and one or two other conspicns persons
of similar belief. He said, among
other things, that if their spirits could
return to the earth. they would be
shocked to hear Of the falsehoods that
were told Of them. This is highly
probable. and we can hardly agree
with the bishop in prououncine the re-
mark "a spurious kind Of charity
On Monda-. when the yourg rector
had returned home, his mother took
Weems to task for this remarkable
passage in his sermon. and / well re-
member" said the bishop, that even
he was confused aud speechless.
Among the polite readers Of this reri-
odical. / presume there are many sbo
have never so much a. heard the name
of this singular genius. l contirually
meet well informed people who knou
nothing Of him. aud who gaze with
incredibly when they are told that he
was not ouly a vOlumioous suthor, bat
one Of the most inAaeEtial that ever
lived in the Uaited States. Take one
;,s..,re- II u.s Weerrs-.