Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-04-13
"IIarp of a Thousand Strings"
Century MagaEIne for April.

| LlOn ana teCuTeu Niuo SuiiShSy' ~
was at once recognized as genuine
transcription. 1t purported to have
been delivered by volunteer preach
er, who, making his livelihood as cap
tain of hat-boat, happened to clay
up" over Sunday by n Mississippi
landing. An idle crowd being collect
ed he organized an impromptu con-
gregation, and produced discourse
which has obtained standard place
in our comic literature. He began
81 may say to you, my brethering,
that am not au edicated man, an |
am not one o them as believes an edi-
cation is necessary in minister of the
Gosple; for | believe the Lord edi-
Gates his preachers jest as he wants
em to be edcated and although |
says it as ought not to say it, in the
State of Alabamy, where | live, there's
no man what gifts bigger congrega-
shuns nor what gits.
There may be some here to-day,
nv brethering, as don't know what
persuasion | am NV. Well, | must say
to YOU that am Hard-shell Baptist,
Thar is some folks as don't like the
Hard shell Baptists, but, as fur as
sees, it's better to have hard shell
than no she'll at all. You see me here
to-day, my brethering, dressed up in
fine clothes; you mout think I'm proud.
But am not proud, my bretherlng.
For, although I've been n preacher
of mighty twenty year, an am captlng
of that fat-boat at your landing, | am
not proud, my brethering.
II am not a.gwine to tell you ad-
zactly whar my tex is to be found (;
suffice it to say it's in the leds OF the
Bible, and you'll find it somewhere be.
tween the first chapter of the book OF
Generations and the last chapter OF
the book OF Revolution and ct you
90 an search the scripters, you'll find
not only my tex thar but n good
many other texes as will do you good
to read, and when you shall find my
tex you shall find it to read thus:
IAN he played upon 4 harp OF a
thousand strings-sperrlts OF just men
made pertick.'
MY tex, my brethering, leads me,
in the iust place, to speak of sperrIts.
Thar is a great many kinds OF sperrlts
in the world. In the fust place, thars
sperrits as some folks calls ghosts and
thar : sperriis of turpentinc, and thars
sperrits rs some folks calls liquor, an
I've got as good Il article of them
kind o sperrlts on my ilat-boat as was
ever fetched down the Mississippi
River but thar's n good many other
kin o. spirits, for the tex says he play.
ed upon a harp OF thousand strings
sperrits of just men made periick.,
But, III tell you what kind Of
sperrits as are ment in the tex, my
bretheriug. Its FIRE. That's the
kind of sperrits as is meant in the tex,
nv breathering. Now, of course thar
is a great many kinds Of fire in the
world. In the tust place, there's the
common sort of fire you light your
pipe with. and there's fox fire and
campfire, fire atore you're ready and
fire.an'. fall-back and many other kinds
of fire for the text says he played
upon a harp of thousand strings
sperrits of Just men made periick.
"But III tell you the kind OF fire as
is meant in the tex, my brethering.
II is Hell-fre An that's the kind of
fire a good many of you are coming to
ef you don't do better nor what you
have been doin' he played upon a
harp of a thousand strings-sperrits OF
Just men made pertick.
Now, the different sorts o FIRE in
the world may be likened to the diff.
ferent persuasion of Christians in the
world. In the fust place, We have the
'Piscopalians. And they are a high
sailin' an hifaluiin set, and may be
likened onto a turkey.buzzard a.Hying
up in the air, an he goes up, an up,
ontil he looks no bigger'n your
fnger.nail' an the fust thing you
know he comes down aud down, and
il a.flin' hisself on the carcass Of a
dead hoss by the side of the road, for
the tex says he played upon harp of
thousand strings-spirrets Of just
men made perfck.'
"Then thar is the Methodist and
they may be likened unto a squirrel a
climbin' up into a tree, for the Meth
odist believes in gwine on from grace
to grace till they gifts to perfection
an so the squirrel goes up an jumps
from limb TO limb and from branch to
branch, and the fust thing you know he
falls, an down he comes. kerAumix,
for they is always falliD' from grace
for the tex says he played upon harp
of thousand strings-sperrits of just
men made perfick.'
"An' then, my brethering, thar's
the Baptists, ah. An they have been
likened to a 'possum on q simmon-tree