The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-22
Mr.. sMITHERs OF WASHINGTON.
UnoiericaI and Suspicious Actions OF an Al
legged Evangelist.

UnciericaI and Suspicious Actions OF AL
legged Evangelist.
In a handsome little city, about two
hours ride from Indianapolis, Mr.. Smith
ers recently oficiated at the Christian
church. He made an eloquent address. a
fervid prayer and oficiated at the com
munion service. He was not known by the
young pastor, but he said he was sent by
the Christian evangelical society OF Wash
ington. Brother Smithers was attired in
a brand-new clerical suit OF black CLOTH
with cassock vest and white cravat. He
made wonderful impression upon the
elders OF the church and received a num-
Der of invitations to dinner. These were
smilingly declined. and he returned TO
his hotel, where there was also stopping
lady of commanding appearance, whom
the evangelist introduced as his
betrothed wife. who had come
from her home in a neighboring
town TO spend the Sabbath with him. She
accompanied him TO church in the evening
and received many intrOductions among
the church people. Their landlady at the
hotel gave up her private parlor to Mr.
Smithers and his fancee that evening,
where they sat billing and cooling in
hushed and reverentiai tones until mid
night, when a relative of the bride-elect
appeared and carried her reluctantly away.
There was broad-grinning and irreverent
person In at this time who declared
he had met Brother Smithers in Indian
apolis under very different circumstances
He was quite reioiced to find he had
changed his calling and profession-in fact,
he thought Gabriel might blow his horn
now.
some of the church members thought
this sounded like suspicious reflections
cast upon the trumpet-tongued evangelist,
and they did not encourage the person TO
say any more upon the subject.
AhoZt two weeks after this a theatrical
Om4ny visited the city, and one of the
ladie1became so III that the mother was
teieeraphed for. The mother, who lives
in indianapolis, arrived promptly, portly
dame with a face good for q joke or a
combat On the next train the same day
that the mother Of Miss Adelaide Ire
lsvney arrived, Brother Smithers came
also, but so changed in appearance that
he could scarcely hope to be recognized.
re was closely shaver, his hair was not
the same color, he now wore a shabby,
light business suit, and the shining
silk hat was replaced by wide-rimmed
that Uncle Toms Cabin" was to be
PLAYED in -, and run in to see that
ever-affecting drama. He would evidently
have preferred not to have been recog-
nized as the evangelist, but being cor
nered, did not deny it. His confusion,
however, can better be imagined than de-
scTibed, when IN the hall, he ran against
a portly female, who gave an ecstatic
scream of delight at sight OF him. She
sat on the stairway a mug of beer and a
mustard-plaster she was carrying upstairs,
covered him all over with her fat arms,
and explained, over his shoulder, to the
others present that he was her husband,
and the father OF the sick daughter up
stairs.
What Was she really the wife OF Mr..
smithers, the evangelist" inquired the
landlord.
NO, she really was not, but she was the
wife of Mr.. Blank, the drummer, standing
there"
And didn't they reside in Washing
ton >"
Washington-nothing They resided
In Indianapolis. and not four squares from
the Circle"
'Who. then, was Miss Watkins, the
mans Retrothed ?"
"Watkinsi Betrothed?" screamed the
lady. ''Now what did that mean? She
would be pleased TO know"
The landlord thought it probable she
would not be pleased to know, and he
suffered Mr. Smithers to draw him into
the Office by the coat sleeve, where, after
2 brief conference, the former was left
alone. Smithers had taken the train for
parts unknown
II IS too bad TO shut down upon this
IL
but there is little to tell. The proprietors
OF the hotel, for prudential reasons, were
willing to keep the affair quiet. Miss
Adelaide Trelawney said very peremptorily
from her sick bed that there must be nc
racket between pa and ma there, else II
might injure her professional prospects.
And Mrs. Blank kept ominous silence,
only remsrking that she was waiting until
she got him home
Miss Watkins. the betrothed, when
heard from, expressed the noblest senti-
rnents. She said she would forgive them
all for their attempts to injure an limo
cent girl, and she hoped the dear Lord
would not forget 70 set it all down to Their
account IN the fife to come.
But a SENTINEL reporter, who recently
met Brother Smithers in Terre Haute, has
q sequel to add. He was confdentially
lniciulcA W 7iuA1hcl1t mhch IN a "a eic
larry garrulous condition of mind, that he
was on his way 10 Oklahoma, where, after
divorcing the old woman. he intended to
marry Miss Watkins and settle down &c
an evangelical career. He added, thought
fully, that some points of the Christian
faith he could not reconcile to his con
science as orthodox, and ne thought o.
starting a new sect with broader and
more liberal views Pure religion and
indebted he pronounces at a low ebb in
Indiana. where the church is completely
in the hands of infants, who are ever
ready to be taken in by any long-faced
humbug that comes along. "And such
religion as that does not suit me-" quoth
Brother Smithers.