Daily Republican., 1881-04-15
QUAINT AND HUMOROUS.
The Lectuve Delivered by the Rev.
II. w. Todd. r. r..

Dover District, delivered his lecture
entitled The Quaint and Humorous OF
Peninsula Methodism,' last evening.
in the lecture room of the Union NJ. +.
church. There were about fifty persons
present. The lecture was very interest
ing and contained many amusing ancr-
doteS
He alluded to Rev. Thomas Ware. who
preached on the Dover District in the
year 1888 Mr.. Ware, in 1890, came to
Wilmington This was his first station.
In short time he began to sigh for the
backwoodS, which" he said, "wrrr a
paradise compared with this sitting
borough" The reverend gentleman af-
forwards proceeded to Cecil Circuit.
Mr.. Todd said that the first camp
meeting, which was held on this Pen
insula, was located about three miles
below Smyrna, on the road leading TO
Dover. One day there was a terrible
storm. DIR. Chandler called the people
toget her and then prayed that the rain
would cease, In order that the camp
meeting might he continued In a short
time the rain had ceased falling over
lhe camp ground, bur continued
TO fall on either side Another
camp-meeting was held near Dover the
same year Mr. Beam in his writings,
says the people did not 20 for pleasure
or social intercourse, hut tor the saving
of souls. At this meeting 400 persons
We're converted and 800 were sanctitird
ave have more culture than our IA
thcrS. said MIR. Todd, "hut then"
The lecturer alluded to Bishop As
bury as being > feet, 9 inches in height,
aad weighing 80 pounds. He wore Il
low broad-rmmed hat, and a dark suit,
consisting Of short pantaIouns and leg
gingS. In the year 1910 some Of the
ministers began TO wear long pantaIoOns
and the Bishop on this account drclar-
ed that the church was going to ruin.
"What, "queried Mr.. Todd would the
Bishop think now, could he see some of
the preachers wives with their coats,
hats and vcstS?' The bishop, said the
speaker, was a genial and pleasant spir-
it, but rarely was witty in his writings.
Mr.. Todd, Just here, took occasion to
rcbuke a writer in the Conference Work
cr, who asked "i' it was right for pre-
siding Elders to lecturc"' He referred
the qucstioncr to the words contained
in the writings of Beam "BislIop
ASbury lectured.
The lecturer then alludrd to Harry
Enncls praying for the Hon. James
Bayard. "Why are you shaking your
birthstone bags at me- asked Bayard.
'"ro save you from hell, " answered En-
nells.
Several incidents were related of Rev.
William Bishop. Once Mr.. Bishop took
tea al the residence of Mrs. Comb, at
Camden, Del. The reverend gentle
man asked her 10 give him half cup
Of tea. The witty lady told him that
she could not very well do so, as she
did not care to break her cups in half.
Mr.. Bishop, thinking that turn about
was fair play, remarked, when she ask
ed him to have another cup Of tea, that
it was unnecessary for her to get him
another cup, since he already had one.
A number of baptiSmal sketches were
related.
Bishop Asbury provided in his will
that Il Bible should he presented to each
one of his namcSalles who had been bap-
tized. About & 0 or GJ0 Bibles were
thus distributed.
Rev. John Henry who was located on
the Maryland side Of the Penisnla, once
created considerable mirth at baptis-
NAL service. 4 lady, who liSped, pre-
Sentcd her child at the chanccl for bap-
tiSm. Mr. Henry, in his rich Irish bro
que, asked the lady what was the cIild's
name. "Lucy," she lispingly replied.
The minister suppoSing that she
had said iucifcr, gazed ut her for u few
seconds in utter ama2cmcnt, and then
determined to substitute a name him
self "Jom Wesley said the preacher,
81 baptize thee in the namc" Stop,
said the lady's servant who was stand
ing in the gallery, he's girl" The
amused congregation was unable to fur
ther remain quiet and burst forth into
peals of laughter,
Several camp-mceting stories were re-
lated, and incidents happening in the
lives of "Billy" Hibhard, Joshua
Thomas, John and Xachariah Crockett, |
Father Wilson, Rev. John Collins, Rev
NJ. Barnes, Philip Dixon, "Daddy"
and others were told.
The lecture was highly appreciated |
md should have been heard by many
more people.