The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-11-09
A nrItlsh View OF neecller,

Saturday Review Octob0i ~
Mr.. BeeCher is man OF many words but
few thoughts. He is rare master OF ad.
jectives, and can yoke them on to one
poor noun just as an Esquimaux Jokes a
dozen pairs Of dogs to one rickety sledge.
He tells us, Tor instance, that mems minds
are magnets. In tho next line he rather
jumbles up his metaphor by adding that
The mind seeks that which shall feed
its strongest faculties. He then describes
the different kinds OF filings that different
classes OF minds draw, and so he comes 10
mind which "bas an inward want OF q
conception that is all beaming and genial,
and sweet and tender" He delights, too
in using as big word as he can lay hands
on. Big words would seem TO be the ill.
inRs that his magnetic mind draws. He
tells, for instance, how father, in answer
to an intelligent child who should
ask him "What is a storm on the
cceHn?" osCiaates a pail OF water. He
describes Christ as one who has control OF
the ierraqueous globe on which the nations
tread. This, We imagine, may be his eX.
pansion OF "ThG earth Is the Lords" We
are Temined how Johnson once picked up
a Paraphruse Of the Gospels. and found
the words Jesus wept" sweiled out into
"The Saviour Of mankind. melted into
flood OF tears" "Puppy," he said in his
indignation against the author, and sent
his book flying to the other side OF the
room. Mr.. Beecher Iiges very frequently
into the high regions Of the modem poet,
"What," he aske, "are clouds TO your"
He does not give time for an answer but
exClNimB, ITO me they are babies
baskets" "Did you ever" he asks on an.
other occasion" "did you ever so by
rose bush ia the morning when the dew
was on it and it wnB saying its prayersW
II theTevelened gentleman's chapel boasts
OF clerk the only proper response that
he could makeio such question would be
Fudge" Now and then we come across
o passage which has in 1t something OF
that kind OF humor in which Mr.. Spur.
geon is strong. He tells in one place Of
people who say that they make it q rule
to read the whole Bible once year, land
/ have no doubt that they skate over it
once u year" He describes q man start
ing for business and being reminded by
his wife that "they hsd not had pIayerR,
Back he goes and takes his Bible and
turns to the Twelfth Psalm. He chooses
that because it is short. Blessed be the
Psalms; they are OF all length and shapes
to meet every emergency" In one pes
cage he reminds us Of u story told oil Lord
Eldon, though the preacher by no means
improves on the Chancellor. He is
writing about what the people call the
awful responsibility" OF being a minister.
People sometimes say to INC /,
should think you would Rhuider when
you stand up before your congregation !
shudder? What should | shudder for?
Do you shudder when yon stand up be.
fore garden Of illowers?" Lord Eldon,
when one day he wAs going to speak at
city feast, said that be felt very nervous,
as he always did when he had to speak
before an unfamiliar audience. "Do you
not feel nervous" some ono asked him,
"in addressing the House OF Lords2" "So
more" he answered, than II were
speaking to row OF cabbages." II MIR.
Beecher knew the story and borrowed the
thought, be may have found It needful to
give It little polish 80 as TO render 1t pre-.
sentable to his polite congregation. No
assembly could be offended at being com.
pared to garden OF flowers; but a row OF
Cabbages, even though golden CLEANS were
allowed to fall on them, would have been
scarcely fitting term to address to the
mcst select congregation in the States.