The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-25
OLD TINES AND NEW.

DR.. Laffsrtys Lecture at Wesley
| Monumental Church Last Night.
! A large crowd greeted DR.. Lafferty at
I Wesley Monumental church lecture room
I last night His discussion of "Old Times
and New" was heartily enjoyed by all who
attended. He began his discourse by &
retrograde analysis Of mankind in general /;
am 00g other things he said: It is a matter
! of common consideration that in the past
! generation was the golden age, and in the
/ present the iron.
The old ideas Of education were like the
/ prescriptions on salve boxes, "lay 1t oa
| thick and rub it in well" that was the
| opinion Of the old pedagogues. In the
| spring Of the year IL YVES customary TO
| bleed man very freely from the arm and
SO strengthen his Constitution for the ad-
versities OF the coming summer. Churches
were taxed for a very curious expense.
They received stipends from the state for
Their support To encourage pastoral visits
the proceeds of this went to provide drink
rum and molassesl for the parsons.
How much are people willing toilet out Of
their purse to attest their religionl The
test Of christian IS a question OF money.
When | was boy church services were
observed in little old shanties, not on ac-
count Of the poverty Of their members, for
they would come to such places Of worship
in coaches and on thoroughbred horses, with
cleaning harness aud trappiugs, and enter
the church q in 'ashes and sackcloth.n
But alas, the sacks were velvet and the
ashes were the ashes of roses. They would
come from baronial residences and lordly
mansions, aud invite their Col to such a
place as they hardly cared for their feet to
touch.
There is only one lottery in America; it
is forbidden the mails, not allowed to adj
vertise, and can hardly continue much
longer. Not so 100 years ago. They we're
dispersed all over the country, and we find
President Monroe writing with his own
hands patent for lottery for some gen.
tleman who wished TO establish one No
member Of the old church would be allowed
to treat, etc. on a pain of expulsion, but
finding that the law was too rigid the
trainers of it established a loophole of
escape, inserting the clause, Except on
special occasions" as if all occasions here
after would not De very special.
At q religious meeting once fourteen or
fifteen ministers congregated in a room, in
which, for the sake Of just little con-
VITALITY, was a table on which a decanter,
etc, and sugar, lemons and water were
spread. A very palatable punch was quickly
brewed, and each reverend brother was soon
tasting and slipping with Anticipated ances
trail spoons, and the business Of the meeting
progressed very pleasantly. sWell, on in the
largest hours OF the night the presiding elder
arose and stated that it was customary to
close such revivals with a prayer to the
Lord, but if any Of that crowd could get
down on his knees, ''let him lead"
The old~time Episcopalians. whatever else
they might be, were always strict church
goers, invariably attended service on Sun
DAY, and il man failed TO do so he estab-
iisued his reputation as a rascal.
The mail system of the present day is one
vast perfection of mechanisns, aud letters
are transferred with lightning-liEe rapidity
from point to point. In former times it
took three weeks for letter to go from one
state to another and even then it was a
matter Of chance if it arrived safely at its
destination. To the lovelorn swain waiting
to hear from Chloe across the water it was,
say the least, a rival of the inquisition.
DR.. Lafferty went on and amused his
audience for some time, the ludicrous being
iuterspersed with many sage remarks and
much important information.
After an extraordinarily good-humored
anecdote, DR.. Lafferty brought his lecture
to close, after having held his audience
spell-bound for two and half hours, and it
was with regret that the audience realized
that he had finished.