Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-08-15
vERo VERIoUs QUID SIT AUDI.
BY JOHN SYLVESTER.
written for theChronicle !

Written for theChronicle.l
1t happened in 1880. II you will
deduct this from 1885, you will have
just 55 years. 1t was on the night oi
the 10th of September. There had
been preaching at Mt. Zion church
that day in the forenoon, either by
Warield, Rutherford, Watts or Boone
this chronicler cannot at this late date
say which, as all of them were noted
Baptist preachers at that time. / think
the time antedated the great religious
divide between the Armenians and
Reforners, in other words the split
between the Baptists and the Cambell-
ties, which event took place if my
memory serves me right in the year
1882.
Mt. Zion church was situated about
one mile and half from my fathers
house in Todd County, Kentucky, on
the head waters of West Fork. On
the evening in question goodly
number of young ladies and gentle
men had met at my fathers for pleas
ure and enjoyment, together with a
few older and more sober heads in
order to discuss the religious problem
which was likely TO vex the church
in the near future. Among the for
mer was young man by the name of
William Warren, who was on a visit to
relatives in that part of kentucky.
This William Warren was SEEM
ingly affable and kind, though really he
was imperious, dictatorial, and arro-
CANT. During the evening and nights
entertainment the subjectof fear and
daring came up for discussion, and of
course, ghosts, hobgobblins, sprites,
.spooks and spirits were discussed with
many pale and quivering lip War
rem took octasion to remark tllitt he
had never seen a ghost nor spirit, that
he did not believe in such foolishness
and that he would do and dare any
thing in order to convince the assem-
bly, of his nerve, will power, and faith
in his declarations; a mind reader
and physiognomist could easily
"Marlz the Jeers, the gibes, and the nota-
That dwelt in every region ofhis tace.',
and he dared them to put his prowess
n, tbo to,t II nv, sa,,0uoStaJ I,, o,,o
that he be sent on mission to the
aforesaid church, inasmuch aS it was
said in the venacular of the day to be
haunted. Of course the incredulous-
like William Warren, will scoH and
sneer at the bare mention of any place
being haunted, and when | say haunt
ed Imean in its liberal and latitude
nous sense. A place haunted" is
place subject to the visitation of spirits
being either or both, good and bad.
The question naturally came up il
Warren should go into the church by
night with no one as witness, how
would they know but he would de-
ceive them upon his return. The
clerk OF the aforesaid church being
present, stated that he had drawn up
the proceedings of the church III Con-
ference that day, and had left the man.
uscript in a heavy oaken table with a
heavy lid and draw of like material
and that ii Warren would bring to
them that manuscript, it would be
proof positive of his visit. must
be candid with the church clerk, he
did not favor the enterprise and tried
to dissuade the young man from max
ing the test, as no possible good could
result from it, but merely suggested
the bringing of the manuscript as Il
means by which to aid the young peo-
pie in their perplexity.
/ must take occasion here to state
that my father and mother both
with Warren from
the visit, and SO did all the
sober-minded ones present,
as no conceivable good could possibly
result, and harm might be the result
mt. Nothing however would deter
Warren and he picked up his hat and
stepped out alone and in the direction
Of the church.
After he had gone believe that all
Of them realized the truth, and that
hey were in error for encouraging
him in the test. Some few stated that |
ne would not go, while others stated
hat it was only moral and reasoning
est and that no harm could possibly |
Defall him.
While Warren is on his way to the
Did church, the reader will pardon us
or short depression. Our reasoning
teach us that we would be
free from any harm in any
church yard, or grave yard,
1t any and all hours either day or
night; but these lonely visits are
somehow mixed up with fear, tremb-
ing and horror; these emotions being
argely developed if not entirely, by
wrong education in youth. The writer
when mere boy has sat in the cabin
1t home and listened to the weird and
yhostlv stories OF some otherwise
rusty and faithful servants, until he
would be afraid to return alone to his
leeping apartment These fears, these
and these impressions win /
ling tenaciously to us through life,
whether it will be long or short, and
will embitter and make existence
tself intolerable in great many in
tances.