The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-11-18
GOSSIP ABOUT SAM JONES.
The Famous Southern Eysnpe,ist.s u,x.
hood-How He met Gov. stephens,

hoo"-ho" he met Gov. stephens.
As we sat under the huge canvas last
Sunday and east an eve over the thous-
ands who filled the entire space it eoy-
cred, the thought occurred to MS
''What brings this crowd here?" The
question was as pertinent as when John
ate locusts and wild honey in the wilds
of Judea.
We watched the eager, restless
throng, and we began to investigate
our own mental inquiry. The Rev. Sam
Jones was poor boy, raised right
here among us, wild, rafting chap
that nearly everybody had ten hard
words for to every good one spoken in
his behalf. He was the very SYNONYM
OF mischief and audacity. with a modi-
cum of sharp, native wit, that has
grown with his growth in succeeding
years. He cared precious little about
his books, as our experience will testi-
fy IN short term of pupilage in our
school directly after the surrender. To
his credit we will say he never forgot
his respect or obedience to us, and an
earnest request or a calm statement of
the case would cause him to desist from
vietimizing the smaller boys with his
tobacco juice or from playing clown in
the pantomime on the sly, during school
hours, which was neyer-ceasing temp
tation to his keen sense of the ridic-
ulous. His good nature always cropped
out when suffering or trouble were
present.
The writer will never forget a visit
he made to our house in the most rat
Ting period of his boyhood, TO tell us
he was thankful and eomforted to know
we were convaleseing from serious
illness, in which our lie had been des-
paired of, and even at the time men,
toned we were not fairly out of danger
of an early and untimely grave. The
weather was severe, bitter, extremely
cold, but the young man brought his
frank, bright, face into the sick-room
like yeritable ray of sunshine, to tell
us that our school-boys were all so
glad we were still alive. There was in
him the germ of something noble and
elevated, and when he joined the church,
within half mile from our own door,
at a little country chapel. we felt that
the germ would expand into something
that would be peculiarly his own-he
would either make spoon or spoil a
horn" How much spoon" last Sum
days crowd can tell.
Eight years ago, when he was peg
ging away on little poor circuit, he
came again to see us. to pay his re-
spects to the late Gov. Stephens. We
watched the two, as Mr.. Stephens
rolled to and fro on the back veranda
in his invalid chair, and listened to
(sar. II ltNfI Of Il 4,1-tN
had fallen under his observation. There
was magnetism in both that quickly
found play, and after the visitors re-
tired Mr.. Stephens was very eulogistic.
He inquired minutely into his history,
and predicted future from that rough,
native wit, which had evoked hearty
laughter, to the veteran statesman's 5
great enjoyment.
The crowd on Sunday came partly
to laugh, but many tears came also
with the laughter, and it was both fun
ny and affecting to see laughter and
tears mixed up so rapidly and indis-
criminately. If we had to diagnose
the attraction carefully, we would say
the secret OF his success lies in the fact
that he makes clean breast of it, "a
sinner saved by grace. If he once
convinces you that he is entirely ear
nest and honestNand true in fitting his
religion to his own life and character,
the citadel of your unbelief will fall.
His wit goes far toward attracting the
crowd, but he holds them by confessing
his own feelings SO honestly and cry
ing aloud, Nothing in my hand 1
bring, simply to Thy cross L cling"
How God loves honesty in every shape
and form!
When the record is written on high,
that soul will receive the welcome
plaudit, well DONE" which has kept
its way clear td. Gods favor by strict
honesty to both God and his fellow
man. = CQrtersrtlke (Ga.l C0nrnnk