The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-05-31
THE MINISTER AND THE BRICK
TPeek's Sun-l

Considerable excitement was created in Rev Dr. Newman's church in New York last Sunday. There had been a great deal of ouareling in the church. from an effort on the part of portion Of the congregation to drive the doctor out. the matter had got into the courts, and the church had become a good deal like a Five Points caucus. The opponents of the minister were calling him names about the streets, and the doctors friends expressed their opinion of the other fellows, and they were having a monkey and a parrot time. Last Sunday the reverend doctor appeared in the pulpit. took brick out of paper and laid i, on the bible. The appearance of the brick was a signal for some of the wicked opponents of the doctor to get down be- hind the pews, and there was such ducking of heads, and putting up of el- bows, and dodging as IS not often seen
 around, raised it up as though testing the weight of 1t to see If he could hit bald headed brother in a middle pe%, who had abused him. and then laid il down again. The congregation looked at each other, and some acted as though 1t would be we'll to have policeman present. The guilty ones showed in every expression of their faces that they felt as though they had gone too far Tn their abuse of the doctor, and some removed to seats further back. The minister said '' Let us unite in prayer" and he folded his hands over the brick and uttered a prayer that made the sinners pay atten- ton, but many of them only closed one eye for fear II was a pu, up job to get them of their guard so he cosld shy a brick at them, and there was much ner- vousness all through the prayer But when he got 10 the amen there was a general feeling of relief. and the men got up .nd dusted the knees of their pants. keeping an eye on the brick. The doctor gave out the hymn. A charge to keep have" and when the congregation rose to sing, the doctor fondled the brick in a manner tha, made several sinners believe he had got them up so as to make a raking shot in the flock. and bring down enough for a mess. But he did not throw ii, and at the conclusion of the singing they sat down with enc eye on the man with the piece of brick house Then he announced that a collection would be taken up, and while the deaoons were going around with the peppers the doctor stood up in the pulpit with the weapon in his hand and a wild light in his eye, as though he would lei the brick fly at the first man that dii not put up freely to the cause. The collection over. the doctor announced his text, which was something in reference to the Tower of Babel and then took up the brick held 1t at arms length. as though about to let it fly, and when a number Of the meanet and guilties. of his opponents, who had said the meanest things against him, had dodged their heads down be- hind the backs of their pews in iron, of them, and were evidently praying 10 be spared from the wrath to come. the doctor announced tha, the brick which of the Tower of Babel, and had been a portion of that edifioe for all the cen. turies that the tower stood. There was a feeling of relief when the announcement, was made, and the doctor went on with his sermon. After the close of the exer- oises, many of the congregation came up to the pulpit to look at the brick, ii be- ing an interesting relic, but the oppon- ents of Dr. Newman went right out into the open air. feeling that it was safer out doors They were willing 10 take their views of brick from the Tower of Babel, in the hands of aheir religious enemy, from a distance. They expect next Sunday the doctor will produce a shot gun trom Missouri, and there will be light house.