St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-11-29
SAM SMALL'S STORY.
A Masterpiece of EIoquence and Patho

A Masterpiece of EIOquence and Pathos.
The fourth entertainment in the Y.
M. G. A. course last Friday evening
was a lecture by Rev. Sam w. Small of
Atlanta, Ca, entitled, "From Bar
Room to Pulpit" The address was
an autobiography of thrilling interest
closing with the story of the CONVEX
sion of Mr.. Small, conversion almost
as remarkable as that of st. Paul's.
Rev. T. P. Frost, in his happy way,
introduced the speaker by announcing
"that the display of Frost on this plat
form would be Small"
The address opened with a beautiful
story, most beautifully told, of a
stranger who purchased all the singing
birds in market place and one by one
liberated them from their prisons and
gladly saw them homeward fly. Mr..
Small said he came here as one freed
from the worst slavery ever instituted
to tell them how he purchased his
freedom. Then followed a running
sketch of his early years of dissipation.
The boy who left his home followed by
his mothers prayers and tears, who
went through college graduating with
high honors, found himself in large
Southern city where public sentiment
countenanced the social glass. The
blessings of a happy home, lucrative
position in the courts of justice, and
the entreaties of his wife did not stop
his downward career. A journey
abroad and the attendance of the most
skilled physician in Paris could not
check his appetite. AS last resort
his wife had notice served ON every
bar-keeper in Atlanta forbidding them,
in accordance with the public statutes,
to sell any liquor to Sam Small. These
notices, wet with the hot tears of his
wife, were the laughing stock of every
topper in Atlanta.
This fragrant violation of the law
furnished a golden opportunity, which
was quickly grasped, for a plea for the
better enforcement of the temperance
laws and for a sharp rebuke to all who
are content with the present condition
of things. In the scathing criticism
and ridicule which followed like hot
shot neither saint nor sinner was spar
ed nor the minister who straddled the
question lest by its introduction he
should divide his church. Some of the
audience squirmed under his probing,
others wished he had not called a
spade Il spade, but the majority prais-
ed him for his fearlessness and courage
"Why didn't they obey my wife's le-
gal notices ?" he asked. "Tell me why
they don't obey the law in your state
and | will tell you why they didn't in
Georgia. They didn't do it there be-
cause they didn't dare do it. If your
officers won't enforce it here they are
either towards or in league with the
saloons. What is a license2 1t il
blood money laid on dead cOnsciences
to beautify the corpses. [ have PAID
IL of the best years of my life ano
S20,O00 for license to preach agains
the saloon. We have enough public
sentiment on this question to run sever
worlds. What we want is organized
action. Call me a cranl12 When | wa'
the drunkest fool in Atlanta and Il ter
ror to my wife and children nobody
called me crank. Everyone said
was 'hale fellow, we'll met Since
have become converted and begun t.
preach temperance am called a crank
When | get to Heaven [ am going t.
say to my Saviour, Here, Lord, is you
crank. He has done what he could
The story of Sam Smalls conversion
brought tears to many an eye ant
thrilled all his hearers as only true elo
quence and pathOs can. The vlvlt
word pictures introducing scenes il
his home life will never be forgotten
by those who heard the story. HI
took his children to hear Sam Jones t.
enjoy the Sabbath in kind of picni
style. He was convicted of sin ant
fastened to drown his conviction il
liquor remaining intoxicated for two
days. The crisis came on Tuesda.
and the picture was then presented t.
the audience of man drunk in the
morning, contemplating suicide a
noon, converted in the afternoon ant
preaching salvation and temperance il
crowded public square in the even
ing, with his little children as his Onl
hackers on the temporary platform
The graphic details of that story ca
never be told on paper; to be impres
sive and convicting they need the pres
ence, the charm and the magnetism c
the hero. Those who heard it will al
ways remember it. The lecture close
with one of those fiowery peroration
for which Southern orators are SO f;t
nous where a beautiful allegory forme
the basal figure of speech.
Academy Notes.
Many of the students have gOn
home to spend the Thanksgiving vaca
tion.-The senior exhibition will b
given on Tuesday evening Dec. IL
Frank p. Dawson '97, who is teachin
school in Hartford, was in town thi
week, his school having closed for
: short vacation The Adelpbian SC
ciety have elected the following offie
GERS for the next term President