The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-11-20
THE HARP OF A THOUSAND
STRINGS.

The following rare and unique pro >
duction in the way Of sermonizlng
CHANGED to come into our possession a
short time ago, together with some of
the attendant circumstances which ac-
companed its delivery. The :locale of
this Apostolic effort was the small vii
lagc OF Waterproof, on the Mississippi
in the adjoining State of Louisiana.
Our readers reed not hastily infer, from
the name, that Waterproof was local
ity on the Father of Waters, high and
div under all circumstances, for the
general impression is that it was over
flowed once at the time of NOah's de-
luge, and the Oldest inhabitant having
some distinct recollections of snndry
times, even in the present century,
"when through the deep waters their
path did lie. Though Waterproof
may have been, from these circum-
stances, thought to be part of the
tt ttrritory commonly called the lower
srorad ot sorrow and iniquity, if not
entirely Gospel proof, there is no ques.
tion that it might be denominated
rather Il hard place, at least morally
speaking; and if not specially named
and embraced in the provisions of the
Northern Benevolent Society to furnish
Gospel privileges to the Sonfh. us Il
part of the theatre of its operations, it
may truly and empllaticallY be said to
be a part of the Lords moral vineyard,
where the pruning knife of .he Gospe!
had not Topped off the grand and lux>
uriant shoots of sin and wickelness.
In proof of this we need no higher
evidence of these facts than there had
not been "sarmint" preached in the
place for half a-tlozen years. 1t is
therefore not matter OF surprise that
when free missionary came along.
preaching spiritual privileges OF all
kinds SO cheap, that he shouid have
engaged the attention and sympathy of
the natives We must also give a
brief view of the history of the preach
er. and his appearance, and for this
suffice it to say, that he came down the
river on fiat boat from the Wabash,
in the interior of the Hoosier State,
tied mp at Waterproof, gave them to
understand that he was preacher; and
they. not having had anything IN that
line for several years, thought it'wonld
be favorable opportunity to take a
benefit, and as Brother Z"ke seemed to
be rather on the verdant order, they
expected to have little amusement
mixed mp with the exercises. The
b'hoys rustled up house for the ser
vices to be held in, and on Sunday
morning Brother Zeke rugged himself
mp in the finest tackle, his Sunday s
best, and rolled up to the "place
where PRAYER was (noD won't to be
made" His dress consisted of pair
of Kentucky jeans pants, very much
too short, and fitting tight to the. SKIN;
corduroy vest; red neck cloth, and a
blue cloth coat, the style Of which
reaches back to bygone period that
knows no recent date. p
The collar was stifiy braced with
buckram and coarse flannel, and mount
ed up very nearly to the top of bis
head-the skirts projected below the
calves of his legs. and set off each
other, like the prongs Of boot>jack.
/ These we're the leading features, of the
costume, whole tOut ensemble person.
mel of the fiat boat Apostle, presenting
the extreme converse and opposite OF
our modern Shanghai gentleman.
Rising in the pulpit he delivered him
Self as follows:
81 may say to You, my breethering,
that am not edicated man, an l am
not one of them as believes that edeca>
tion Is necessary fur q Gospel minister,
fur | believe the Lord edecats his
preachers just as he wants 'em to be
educated, and although | say that l
ought not to say it, yet in the State OF
Tndianny, whar / live, thar's no man as
glts a bigger congregation now what l
gifts.
Thar may be some here to-day, my
breetbering, as don't know what per-
suasion / am NV, Well. / may say to
you, my breethering. that l am Hard
Shell Baptist. Thar's some folks as
| don't Ike Hard Shell Baptists, but I'D
,uther have hard shell as no shell at
all! Yon see me here to>day, my
breethring, dressed up IN these fine
ciothes; you mought think was proud;
but | am rot proud: but | am not
proud, my breethripg, and althongf
I've been preacher of the Gospel fol
twenty years, an although I'm Captinp
of the fiatboat that lies at yonr land
ing. / am not proud. nay breethring.
I'm not agwine to tell yon ddzncHt
whar my text may be found; snffice i
say. us in the leds of the Bible, and
vou'll find it somewhere between the
inst chapter of the book OF Genera
tior and the last chapter-of the book
of Revolutions. and eff you'll go and
sarch the scriptures as | hav sarched
the scriptures, you'll not only find my
text thar, but great many texes rs
will do YOU good to read; aud my tex