Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-29
and Turned the corcourse into . shout
ing, singing unit Of emotion.
guv nov NM scttrp


/ far rs have heard him / do not even
men that the Methodists call exhorters.
have not heard him appeal TO the reli-
gious instinct effectively or eloquently.
fio does not open up to the vision
those beatifc vistas OF eternal love
that have melted sinners in all
ages to tears and repentance. He
seems to take IL for granted that his lis
teneIs know all about these things. do
not need any further arguments or rea-
sons, but have simply been waiting for
the opportunity to break out in public
acceptance. And the opportunity be
presents. His eagerness, his want of re-
pose. his colloquial familiarity, his simple
disconnected rambling discourse, make
him unique. He has reduced all the
distractions OF spirituality TO the con-
crete, Now, Here, Glory
How EE BREACHES.
He moves rapidly and ungracefully up
and down inside the altar rail, without
any preconceiyed plan Of discourse his
| speech is therefore disconnected mass
of calculations, bits OF conversation, per-
sonal references, bursts Of emotion, mar
rations of his work, congratulations and
unexpected outbreaks OF song. The very
impatisnce of his action and the familiar
character of his talk have their effect.
lie gets very close to the listener, who is
unconsciously following the nervous ac-
ton alphabetically.
II he were to stand perfectly still his
power would be lost But he makes
earnestness take the place Of elocution
and eagerfess ELL the hiatus OF thought.
The expression OF rather worldly friend
of mine exactly but not very elegantly
summed him up. "He is, said he, ga
religious hustler"
The moment Mr.. Harrison appears he
begins to work up the feelings Of his
audience. 81 tell you, my friends, We
are going TO have a glorious exhibition
Of Divine power tonight. l feel it. Let
it cone Let it come now Right away.
There never was better time. o, l tell
you, We are going to have an outpouring
here. 1t is in the air. Hungry souls are
coming in from all Sides They are
coming right up here to this altar. Why
there was man converted here last night
in Just thirty seconds. Glory be to God
Thirty seconds only, and he was landed
SAFE"
IMPAssIoNED GESTURES.
The effect of this kind of talk accom-
panied by impassioned gestures is to
make everybody feel that something is
going to happen. 1t is impossible for
the most apathetic listener to avoid the
feeling that something in the way of an
emotional demonstration is impending.
And having once created this condition
of nervous expectancy, the speaker plays
upon the feelings OF his audience at
Will.
1 utterly refuse to attempt for the
secular reader an exposition OF the
psychologist mystery involved In these
scenes. take my hat off to the earnest
ness, the honesty, and the purpose of
these workers. The elation of the as
semblages is not always conformable to
a cultured sense OF propriety. But the
results / believe are good. If men are
made TO lead better lives, to adopt a lofty
and unselfsh ideal, and to lay aside some
OF the egotistic arrogance which is the
bane of modern life, for one shall
not attempt TO measure the means en-
ployed by philosophic standard OF my
own.
One thing is certain men of all grades
and conditions are drawn into this little
church. Bankers, beggars, buns, mil
lionaires, mechanics, tramps. Strange
democracy Of finite helplessness. Side
by side, they sit and join in the quaint
ditties that make this little old church
shake.
THE OLD ROMANS HELPMEET.
Mrs. Allen u. Thurman was Mary
Dun before marriage. She came of q
rich Ohio family, and was Mrs. Thomp-
kins previous to her last union. When
she married Judge Thurman she had
one daughter, who since died. She Is
an old lady, dressing in the fashion OF
half q century ago, wearing a quaint
round bonnet tied firmly under her chin,
her face shaded by an old-fashioned dot
ted veil, depending from the head-gear.
She does not attend church, but is known
as woman of broad charities During the
war when on q visit TO Camp Chase,
which was located just out Of Columbus,
she was anxious to assist the soldiers
without regard to political bias. With
this idea before her she consulted the
Roman Catholic Bishop Fitzgerald as to
which of the poor fellows most needed the
luxuries of life. The Bishop informed
her that the Union soldiers had every
thing. while the Confederates suffer
ing for the necessities of life, whereupon
she daily supplied the latter lavishly
from her own table. In conversation
Mrs Thurman is witty, full OF comical
stories, and is known throughout the fam
ily as an inveterate talker. 1t is a usual
Joke with them how tho old lady berates
her spouse publicly on account
of bis indifference to his health. A
friend once dining there tells how Mrs.
Thurman once began on this fruitful
theme, celebrating that the ex-Senstor's
i'll health was entirely due to his persist
ent carslessness. 1t seemed that she
waxsd quite eloquent, after her fashion,
keeping up running comment for some
ten minutes. The old Roman sat inpas-
siye during the harangue, apparently re-
ceiving the rebuke humbly. When.
however, she ut last reached period
he said in a gruff voice:
Mary, will you have some meat ?"
Judge and Mrs. Thurman have two
daughters-Lizzie, Mrs. Governor Rich
ard Mccormick, of Montana, whose
husband is in bad health, and Mary,
Mrs. Lieutenant Coles, of the navy.
LOVE OF DOGS.
Mrs Coles is q handsome, gifted wo-
man, who in her early life had decided
dramatic talent. Her natural fondness
for animals developed after her childless
marriage into mania for poodles. Two
in particular were treated like children.
There were nurses for them and every
possible attention. One doggie died
and was cremated; another, spe-
cial idol, was as we'll gathered
TO its fathers. This pet was also
cremated, and for long time
was carried about by Mrs. Coles, the
ashes being carefully incased in brass
urn. Columbus society was torn in
tuaip uban tho lady onpearad there VICAR