Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-08-28
A TEACHERS EXPERIENCE.
fnE PHILADELPHIA woxAssEEs MORE TEAM
DAZZLING CLAN SHELLS.
Description Of Ksthetic Decorations, q
Trying ordeal For the Stranger
and q Curious Sermon.
Following is the third paper by Geo. R.
vandalear to the New York Epeninr Post

after break fast, to accompany tho family
ito meetin' 10 see the folks and git
'quainted. This was giving the church a
sphere Of usefulness not new, indeed,
though seldom so frankly acknowledged.
But Mrs. Zeke never minced matters.
Bein' rs you're the teacher, +" she said,
"you'll be much looked up to an carried
high. The preacher and the preachers
teacher. Youth see all tho folks at meetin'
this mornin', guess, bein as they're all
mighty curious To SEQ you. They do say
that twas Mark Hale rs had you 'lected,
an that he 9 Jess that tickled bout II as a
boy with new tin horn--don't say moth.
In to nobody without laughin'. But he
knows what he's about, kin tell you, an
is rich, too. Why, he kin Jess buy and
cell any half-dozen Of 'om round these
parts, an of course he's respected &c.
cordin. An l Jess believe, +" she added,
that he's got more book-rarnin' than the
It new rains but It pours, thought, az
] iistened to Mrs. Zeke lively tongue.
50 San3ersville was not without Its social
hierarchy, In which the teacher came next
- the preacher an his woman" Quito
datterlng, to be sure. And all the people
would bo at church, and "inighty curious"
to see me. Somewhat embarrassing, GER
tainly. But that Mr.. Halo had secured my
election, that he did not speak of 1t ITO
nobody without laughin'," that he was a
had more "book -rarnin' than the preacher"
lit would not bave spoken very. highly
Tor my insight not TO have gathered all this
from my experience Of tho day before.
But what touched me more closely were
those mighty curious'' people.
"poes everybody In tho district attend
church every Sunday7"
Yes, most every one, but, of course.
they don't all come to 2ekes church. He's
perfesser, you know. l allus goes to
mees!iin. si still, whenever they is any, but I
hardly over goes any place else. / amt
one of them as goes much. I amt been
visitn' any one this year past, lessen It's
Mary Lichliter maybe, an p'rhaps I've
been In TO Sophy Dresry's now an then.
When preacher fust como hero ho couldn't
never remember Sophy Dreary's namo, but
was always callin her Miss Chesrless, or
Joyless, or somethin' like that, still. But
fvixt You, an mo, an the gate-post,
pfeacher'sa poor shote, fer all he kin preach
without readin', an with tho Bible shut"
II was with much hesitation, not un-
mixed with curioitv, that started out
with the Hogenl ant family 10 go "to
meetln." Mr.. q, ga fne, sleek horses
drew the family carriage along tho smooth
summer road ut great pace. Tho fresh
spring breeze famed my cheeks, and I
breathed with JOY the exhilarating ooun.
try air. What beautiful land 1t was, but
how vilsly marred by the execrable taste
OF Its inhabitants! II some witty artist,
architect, or house decorator should visit
Lncaster, and take ride through tho
conntry-say from the county seat to the
village of Now Holland-what funny let-
tefs he could write about what he saw OIL
I'll wayl All the colors Of tho rainbow
frequently are ssen upon the pallngs Of a
front fence; no half shades, but the most
pronounced red, blue, yellow, green, scar
Gus juxtaposition. a barber's pole be-
comes rare piece Of most delicate esthe-
ticism compared to n Bareville fence- post
And then the houses and barnsl think
single glance at them would give John
Ruskin the dciirin'n .tremens. They all
appear to be patterned after the l.ttle toy
houses, painted in all colors, which ere
placed around the foot Of children's Christ
mas trees. Now and then, but very rarely,
you SEQ plain, inotfensive dwelling, or
pretty vine-clad cottage, surrounded by
neat whiowashed fonce. This, however, Is
seldom to be attributed to the owners
taste. but rather to his want or love of
money. In nearly every. case he looks
upon tho gaudy colors plastered "thick
and slab," like the cruel of lfac5e.Hs
and fences as upon thing of beauty. 1t
Is precisely what he would like to have If
he could afford 1t or make up his mind 10
part with tho dear dollars which 1t would
cost.
After short but very pleasant ride we
arrived at the church. 1t was plain brick
building, standing somewhat back from
the road, and was surrounded by hitching
posts, In front of which were great many
horses and vehicles In the rear was Gods
Acre, the poor, neglected headstones point
Ing heavenward In US many different
angles as could possibly have distinguished
IN w the characters OF those who slept
beneath.
4Av open mouthed, wlde-eyed staring 10
which was subjected as entered the
n1,nrah 60 tr,r fhot 7 fe1f fNr q
moment as dizzy as Shaksperes drunken
sailor on the mast. Tho now teacher the
new teachorln were the loudly whispered
exclamatons which greeted my ear a the
way down the AISLE A shaggy little farmer
oponed tho services by singing hymn,
"Oh. whs, arc you going to do, brother2"
tho congregation Joining in towards the
CLOSE of the first stanza. Another brother
then "led In prRyer"-a prayer which
recognized before the first sentence was
ended. had learned 1t by heart like all
children of Protestan. parents, in my
earliest infancy.
But ii the prayer was trte, tho sermon
was not. All the sermons bad ever hoard
hitherto had been preached either by edu-
GATED men or mon of great natural power.
Doubtless, many of tho formor were weak !;
but If the language of the homilist was
meaningless, IL was, ut least, grammatical; |;
1t he lacked the grace Of he orator, ho also
lackoi tho coarsenoss Of tho political
stump speaker. II was, therefore, with
something moro than surprise that heard
tho low-browed, red-faced gentleman In
tho pulpit roar forth inn voice like noar
t,lunder-a voice that nearly deataned me-
his notions of "tho need of to day" EN-
hardly decide even now by which W
the moro odihed--tho purity of his Ian
g1ago, the grace of his style. tho elegance
Of his sentiments, or the profundity Of his
thought. For taste:
"Wot we need to-day" he bawled, sis
tho young man with energeticness, the
young man that don't smoke, the young
man that don't drink, the young man that
freQuents the Sunday school, the temper
anco society, and the Y. NJ. c. a. That
ths great need OF to.dayi It's the only
hope OF the United States OF America, to-
day tho only hope Of
Aa home 0: the slave,
as the poet puts IL! Wot was 1t saved our
country from the iyrents sway? The
| Young man of enerEotirnesS! An although
the war cost US hundreds and perhaps even
| thousands uf good dollars, II was beneficial
In its results, an IN It's consequences, an,
may say, In its effects ginorally." After
the peroration. "lhe pitfalls along life's
journey" snid the preacher, 'are not few
and seldom, but many and oft--yea, verify,
they are frequent. Neither are tho sinners
that fall therein seldom or few, or far be-
tween; but, on the contrary, my brethren
an sisters, they too, are many and oft,
and, TO nut It briefly, they ara frequent
In heln' converted. The onconyorted
man amt got nothin' 10 60 on. With.
out bein' converted, life desert Isl
No oasis appearelh thereinlh he continued
waxing louder at every word, and in his
arms waving as we might fancy those of q