News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-05-07
Vacation Notes.
BY w. A. B.

1t is fortunate law OF human ma
ture that change of mental action is
mental rest. And so change of pur-
suit may operate as a recreation.
Were it not so, a vacation of going,
visiting, seeing and hearing, would be
doubtful benefit to one needing rest.
1t is refreshing after being in the har-
ness year, to go away from ones
own work and see how others do the
same things. 1t is restful change,
after being long deprived of these priv
ilege, to be one of ''other folks and
sit with them under the preaching of
their minister. But if it is refresh
ing change to hear the old gospel
from other lips, it is very stimulat-
ing and healthful recreation for a
tired pastor to hear specimen of the
radical 10Th century gospel from the
lips of that gifted apostle of unbelief,
Col. Rob't G. Ingersoll. Seeing the an
nouncement that this eminent speaker
was to hold forth at Lows opera
house in the city of Providence, on
the evening of April Goth, at only a
dollar a ticket, accepting the invita-
ton of friend, a PARTY of US went
from AttlebOro to hear him. The
bulletin at the door announced that
the amusements began at s o'clock
an appropriate announcement of the
lecture. The spacious audience room
is said to seat about four thousand.
There were, perhaps, twenty-five hun
dred present, most of whom, except
few ignorant and benighted ministers,
who were there to get light on the
mysteries of Moses, had evidently
come for mere entertainment. Mr..
Ingersoll was greeted with applause as
he came upon the stage, and with
marked ease and grace entered at
once upon his theme, "The Two
Ways, that is, Ingersolrs way Us.
the Bible, or Christian Way. Mr.. In
gersoll is apparently nearly 60 years
of age, hair nearly white, with full,
smooth face, and somewhat portly
physique. He looks like man who
meant to make the most of life in the
physical sense; who could enjoy a
good dinner and digest it well. His
fund of wit and satire are well-nigh
exhaustless. He has a fine command
of language and a graceful utterance.
He beguiles his hearers by the witch
cry of his wit and rhetoric, rather
than convinces them by sound argu-
ment. Indeed, l should be surprised
if No. s in a certain bible school l
know of, could not see through and re-
flute much of his superficial and So
phistical reasoning. Mr.. lngersolPs
mind is not overstocked with rever-
ence, and he does not seem to have
conscience that troubles him much
with its scruples. He processes to
state facts of bible history, but he
gives them such a wrong perspective
and puts them in such false relations
as to make them appear ridiculous.
He sometimes displays such an inge-
nuity of misrepresentation and per-
version as is not creditable to his can
dor. He is bound to produce an eff
feet, and everything is sacrificed to
the demands of rhetoric to create {
sensation. A striking instance of his
suiting his facts to his purpose was in
his criticism of the divine dealing with |
the Children of Israel when they came
out of Egypt. He said if he had
been allowed to be present he thought
he. could have suggested some i'm
provement on the course pursued by |
Jehovah in his treatment of the Isra-
elites, as the multitude, just out of
Egypt, stood before the thunderings |
and lightnings of Sinai. The speak |
er referred pathetically to the Hebrew
mothers standing there with their
hearts still bleeding in sorrow for the
murder of their little ones in Egypt. |
The ignorant and bigoted ministers
whom Mr.. Ingersoll regarded as SO
narrow in their prejudices as to be I'M
fit to sit on jury, have supposed,
with most bible readers, that it was
not the Hebrew, but the Egyptian
mothers, who mourned the death of
their first born on the dread night of
the exodus. But perhaps this is one
of the cases where Mr.. Ingersoll |
would make an improvement on the
procedure of the Almighty in the con-
duct of his affairs.
One of the side hits the Colonel is
fond of giving, occurred when he was
treating ministers with some choice |
bits of sarcasm and ridicule, and |
speaking of the uselessness of prayer.
He said he presumed if all the prayers
offered the previous Sunday should be
answered we should all be dead men
and the world would be reduced to a
chaos of ruin. Ministers often pray
for what never has nor could come to
pass. AS an illustration, he stated
that he was in Washington last year,
and was present when Congress was
opened with prayer by the chaplain.
With an inimitable air of sarcasm
The speaker said that the chaplain
prayed that God would give wisdom
20 Congress. After the ripple of
aughter had subsidized, with impertur-
oable gravity he added "That prayer
las never yet been answered, as far
Is l know" The satire is little sur
orising since Congress is not COM
posed of ministers.
AS panacea for poverty and hard
lines, Mr.. Ingersoll, near the close
If his lecture, advised his hearers to
top supporting the useless case hir-
NC theological lawyers to plead their
ases before God. Gracious counsel,
indeed, to give to an audience which
lad just paid such a theological law
ear as was standing before them
nore than two thousand dollars for
pending two hours in using all the
rtifices Of rhetoric to demoralize
hem, by treating with misrepresenta-