The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-08-31
HOW GEN. JACKSON MISSED
BECOMING A MErHODI5C.
Dr.. Fitzgerald, in the Nash. Christian Advocate.

to make fire pleasant. AS we gather
1 ed about it, the central figure wss a msl
of four score, in whose face and form
kindness and dignity were mingled as
we seldom meet them. Care was for the
time worn off, while memory and voice
! flowed out in purling stream of enter
tainmcnt. From the personal reminis
cences Of the EVENING" beg pardon
Of the privacy of the hour-one is here
reproduced for the benefit of the reader
We cannot bring before you the face,
the voice, the man, and you lose much
thereby, we give what we may. Said
the speaker
"My first year in the Methodist itin-
Grant work | was sent as junior preach
er to Nashville Circuit with the venera-
BILE Mr.. H., preacher in charge. The
Circuit included large part of what
goes to constitute four presiding elders
districts, and is served by about thirty
preachers-so has Methodism grown. 1
had reached the house of Sister c.,
one of our preaching places,a log house,
two rooms and passage. While await
ing of the people, the good lady was
| chatting away to me. She soon dropped
the remark that she expected that Ra-
! chel jackson would be at preaching
she liked Rachel, She was mighty kind,
and often helped her by dividing with
| her the burden of taking care of the
preachers. The remark impressed me;
l was not long from home; was a tsimid
boy; tbs idea of being burden TO any
one had Il sting IN it. InOw found that
we were not far from the e idence of
| Gen. jackson, who was at the time alb
sent in command of the army just be-
| fore the battle of New Orleans, and that
Rachel Jackson was his wife. Sure
enough, Mrs. Rachel Jackson came to
preaching, renamed after preaching to
class meeting, entered heartily into CON
versation as to her teligious experience,
which was both vivid and joyous, invit-
| ed me home with her, where, during
this and many other visits, met with
all hospitality and kindness. The Con-
ference year had somewhat advanced,
when, during one of these visits, she
said to me that she desired to join the
Methodist Church if I would receive
her Her sister was Methodist, and
she thought she could more likely inlu-
ence the General to join the Methodist
than any other church-that he seemed
to like it best. He had written to her
that he had a good many Methodist sol
diers in his army, and they made good
soldiers, and he.cOuld hear of Methodist
preachers at home praying for him and
the army. l told her that we would be
glad to have her join she understood
our doctrines and usages, her sister was
member of the Methodist church, and
could furnish her u Discipline if she
Eeeded to know more of our rules. But
there is just one trouble, abe said, and
l want to speak to you about it. Gen
eral will be at home soon, and when he
comes his fashionable friends in the city
will probably compliment him by many
entertainments, in which dancing will
be sure to have place. Then he will
want to return their kindness by invit-
ing them our here Now, do not want
to dance myself, and am perfectly will
ing to promise to have nothing to do
WI il it, if the church requires not to go
to parties where they have dancing. The
General, high spirited as he is, aud oc
casionally sharp with other people, is
always kind and gentle to me, and 1
have never in all our married life said
to him, No, when he has wanted me to
do anything, and don't want to do that
now. What l want is simply to be al
lowed to say to him l will do ali that is
necessary to please him and his friends
in preparing the entertainment, and if
he wants dancing that he must do just
what he pleases about il, that will not
have anything to do with it,
After thinking minute, | replied t.
her: L am stranger almost t. Method
ist usages in such matters myself. was
brought up in different church, and
have only been IA member of the church
short time. l will have to get you 70
talk the matter over-with the preacher
ia charge, Brother NJ. H.
%, no. she said; 4 can't talk to him
he always looks so solemn AID far-off
and talks so hard somctiines-I can't
talk to him
after some persuasion, however, she
consented Wien | came round to my
next appointment at sister C-'s the
mcment l saw her face knew things
had gone wrong with her. She confirm
ed mA fears as soon as she could speak
with me. Brother II. had told her that
the Methodist church would make no
compromise in such matters She wept
as she told me the result She still at
tended my appointments, and remained
uniform in her kindness.
'About :his time the General came
home. Ipreached in the neighborhood
on Il week day the next was at the ap-
pointmcnt just before was to begin
preaching Sister c. came to me all in
hutter \ Onder comes the General
and all his big officers was boy,
did not know how to preach, had moth
ing 10 say and poor way to say it.
Looking down the road did moi help
me. In front rode the officers in epau-
let's, next the Generals coach and fine
grays, followed by other outriders and
three carriages! In they came. | did
the best could, and poor best it was
dismissed the congregation. All of
the Generals party retired except Mrs
j and himself. She remained for class
meeting as usual. He kept his seat un
til all others wishing to go had gotten
out, then rising, with one cndrtly aud
graceful bow, which all who knew him
will remember, he retired just outside