The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-05-30
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
The Talmage EnfsrtainmentS- a Graph
&c Desc rfptiOn Of the Great MOanIe



&c Desc riptiOn Of the Great MOanIe
bank.
The edifice q won't say ''church') built
just like theater, and has one semi
circular gallery, but there is no drop cur
tain, no boxes" and you do not buy
tickets, though you are made to pay be-
fore the sermon begins. The stage or
platform is a long, narrow extension,
projecting from the organ which is
stretched out the entire length of that
side of the building, and above the pipes
arc painted in loud alterations of red,
blue and gilt. These last efforts were
evidently thought beautiful, for the chan
deIiers, suspended about at intervals, are
the bluest and redest things / ever saw,
the gilt being of course supplied by The
blazing gas-lights. The carpet is red,
and red cushions are on the seats. The
organist sits below the platform, and
plays lively airs while the audience as
sembles. After time a door opens on
the right hand, apparently below the or
gan. A shutting figure of medium
height and build emerges, and with a fur
tive air ascends u flight of steps and seats
himself in the solitary chair standing
beside small table, which is used as a
support to a 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 COM
binatiOn with pair of dried brown
whiskers. The latter are a frame work
to face in which may be noted an enOr-
nous mouth, IL nose in keeping, eX-
tremely small eyes, set very far back
under Overhanging eyebrows, receding
forehead and paid complexion. There
is kind of Uriah Heap air about him
and ] think the world has lost much
from the fact that Dickens never saw him.
If he had Chadband would have been no.
where, and the pastor of the Brooklyn
Tabernacle would have been immortal
Zed. Uriah was remarkable for a pecul-
lar use of his hands, so is Talmage, for
he necessarily claws at everything about
him; usually clutching the air, for he has
no reading desk or pulpit to pound For
the latter purpose, however, his left hand
is constantly made to do duty, spread
wide open and the recipient of innumer-
able blows from the long fingers of the
left. These performances are added to,
also, by numerous grimaces, the precise
object and market value OF which was
unable to determine. His voice is harsh
and croaking, his pronunciation very
bad, nor has he the slightest claim to elo-
quence. His amen is the most remarka-
bic sound l ever listened to, and may be
classed as a cross between a groan and IA
below. But words, such as they are,
trundle out rapidly enough, and this fact,
perhaps, together with the gesticulations
and grimaces above mentioned, (the
whole being seasoned with a strong flavor
of vulgar irreverence and fiippancy)
may cause some persons to regard him
as an orator. should set down the ma
jority of his listeners as BOwery clerks
and sewing girls. A more ignorant as
semblage of faces never beheld, and if
there were any cultured, well dressed
people there, did not see them.
Taking the Bible from the stand, he
begins to read, but evidently suppOsing
that the simple variations of the gospel
would be improved upon by variations
of his own, he reads a verse and then
makes some Impudent observations: go
ing on afterwards to another verse, and
so on. AS an example of his peculiar
style, l will quote his opening sentence,
in something which was probably in.
tended as prayer: "Oh Lord, we thank
Thee that Thou hast not turned us out
on the commons to die" / must &C.
knowledge l was unmoved, nor have l,
after much reflection, been able to dis
cover the point. The music has as little
OF music in il as any to which have
ever been condemned to listen. sup
pose it would be classed as "COngrega
tiOnal," though the sound of the voices
was almost drowned by the piercing
tones of the cornet, which combined dis
agreeahly Tor rather don't cOmbine) will
| the organ. The music stand is placed
on the platform at the left of the organ
| list, and Arbuckle, the cOrnetist, emerg
ing from some unknown depths, place.
his music therupOn, giving a signal will
his right hand for the congregation t.
arise and follow him. He certainly lower.
himself by having anything to do will
such performances, but then he is a mar
ried man, and one has To look out fnl
dollars and cents.
A badly shaped urn of flowers abou
four feet high stood ON the right hanC
of the stage; this doubtless in limitation
of the Plymouth arrangements. A
Plymouth church, however, the flora
decorations are very tastefully disposed
Fortunately, Talmage did not tumbl,
the urn over. Sometime, in consequence,
of his exhuberance of spirits, 1 expect Il
hear that he has wrought devastation 4
everything within reach.
Altogether the whole thing impressed
me as a coarse and unattractiye parod,
on Beecher. A desperate attempt at i'm
itation. Lucy CARTER.