The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-10
OUR POOR KIN,
AS VENTILATED BY THE REV. T. T.
EATON, OF KENTUCKY,
In Bis Lecture at the First Baptist
Church Last Night-A Goodly Audience
Much Satisfied and Somewhat Amused
Music by Way OF Prelude and Finale.

| The Rev. T. 7. Eaton, OF Louisville, KY,
lecturcd at the First Baptist Church on Sec
ond street, near Adams, last night, his theme
being ''Our Poor Kin" The subject was
treated in somewhat humorous sense by
the reverend gentleman, yet while he seemed
TO please his auditors, and some were seen
to smile at intervals, they did not do 50
audibly. The reason, perhaps, was because
achurch was selected for the lecturing place,
the slcred nature of the cdifice being calcu-
lated to inspire listener with sentiments
not Of levitous description.
However, the lecture was listened to with
marked attention. 1t occupied about an
hour and a quarter in its delivery, and the
audience, which included many of our very
best people, together with numerous stran-
gers now here In attendance at the Southern
Baptist Convention, in all several hundred
persons, was held well in hand by the dis
tinguished lecturer.
Tho exercises began with vocal music by
Mrs. w. Z. Miller and Miss Daisy Castleman,
their duet being Jesus Saviour ofMy Soul"
| Mrs. Branham accompanying on the organ.
| This was followed by bass solo, "from the
Depth" by Mr.. Jas. II. Griffith. Mrs. w.
u. Cage gave a soprano solo, Nearer My
God TO Thee" after the lecture.
The pastor of the church, the Rev. W. A.
Venable, introduced the lecturer but men
toned that the visiting Daptists would meet
in convention ut 10 o'clock this morning in
the audience room OF the church wherein he
spoke, and that the ladies of the denomina-
ton will hold convention in the First
Presbyterian Church on Second and Poplar
streets at the same hour.
Mr.. Vcnable then said: ut is my pleasure
to introduce Dr. Eaton OF Louisville, Ky,
who will perhaps tell you more about your
family affairs In the form of poor kin than
many OF you will love to know"
The lecturer stood up, presenting tall
and stately figure, with an intellectual face
and plcasingcasto of features. His hair and
whiskors were slightly tingcd with gray, and
he seemed 10 be man OF thirty-iye or a
few more years. lie went right at his theme
in very vigorous way speaking 50 rapidly,
and at times indislinctly, that only a slSele-
ton sketch Of his remarks could be caught.
at may occur TO many of you that poor
kin is q disgrace, but all mankind IS more or
less interested in them, but they have been
wholly neglected by literary people. Only
one article was ever written ON poor kin that
has held its place In literature, and that was
by Charles Lamb. To the rich poor kin are
the mosquitoes Of life" Tho speaker dwelt
becomingly. not 10 say lovingly on mosqui-
toes aud similar pests, aud while trcaIing
these bury tormontOrs he reminded his
| llHtcnefs OF george Nll~ont OF 'NulL Mc
Again" lecturing fame. He then took n run
In cats, which he termed another class Of
poor kin, which purrs and news around
ones house, rs much as 10 say, What would
become Of you all II | were TO leave the
prcmisesg Verify the rats would gnaw you
out Of house and home. Apes and monkeys
are additional species Of poor KIM kind, how
ever, very handy to have In the house, as
they will not gossip aud tell your ncighbors
/ haty hmrut u0IwpFg
table at the last breakfast. They belong 10
the dumb tribe, therefore are better than
your gossipy kindred OF dependent kind.
Since the fall Of man poor kin have been
about and among mankind. Adam and
Eve had none 10 worry them. but since
their expulsion from Eden they have
swarmcd around his progeny like butter
flies
The lecturer alluded TO the efforts of those
who have poor kin on their hands 10 shove
them on among the public schools as teach
ers or school commissioners, or into some
other soft place, then feeling that his mis-
sion has been performed. They often drift
back again, because incompetent 10 do their
duties. "One Of the most trying things on
earth j. the utter inpossibilty Of satisfying
your poor KIM said the speaker. and lac
then drew picture Of the difficulty one cx-
pcricnccs IN making presents 30 this class Of
people. zone may give 10 the poor kinsInan
wooden, tin, china and silver weddings. half
fortune, yet IL isn't good enough and
would never satisfy the expectation Of the
recipient
The story o. the handsome brass "'and-
irons" carried home by wcll-todo house.
holder, and being out ~ place among dingy
surroundings until finally 81 so worth u
new carpets, rugs, wall paper aud other . "
menis went To set of the and-irons was re-
lated by Mr.. Eaton and IL had good effect.
| The ttssNta aud uflNF library frUIl0
fond Of joking old maids and the like, but
OF coursc there arc no old maids here. They
have all located In Virginia, Massachusetts,
MARYLAND Louisville aud other distant
lands. but old maids are good subjects be-
cause tho ladies afford bright cx-
ample for anything A minister once
married oil whole family OF old maids cX-
cept the eldest. As the ceremony was being
performed on the youngest of the tribe the
solcmuitics Of the marriage vow was alluded
60, Marriage may be solemn, but not be
married Is much solcmner," said the one
who was left. Many men who do not de-
serve wives are old maids a. butt Of ridicule,
but they have an object In H. They merely
, want 90 scare the single girls into marrying
some undcscrying individual Of the male
gender.
The only chance q rich man has 60 rid
himself Of his poor Kin u 60 20 North-to
the North pole, climb the pole and pull the
pole up after him" Tho speaker told many
equally good things related how poor kins-
men would vow you were spirit
uaiist or lunatic or anything else,
10 get n plum or two when your
estate Is ready for distribution, aud he
closed his remarks with a strong appeal 10
worldly minded men, aud women, too, 10
think kindly OF their fellows, aid them
In bearing their burdens, aud live a little
for other, instead Of being too selfish Ia do
unto Others as you would that Others should
do unto you.
Veterans Call ON the President
MAanINnrnN MnY n.-Ihc Association Of