The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-08

It was the Monday morning aftei
the installation Of Rev. David COrnyr-
hwrdd Davies as pastor of Ebenezei
Independent chapel, Cwmcoed. AZ the
men fingered over their pipes around
the lamp-station at the bottom OF Gaze
garw pit. their uneven talks suddenly
took an animated turn.
Thomas Cwmtwrch. the leading
deacon OF Ebenezer, was in "A very COM
municative mood that morning and the
new. young minister was his main
theme. He was Tomos' favorite, and
Tomos had downed considerable oppo-
sition-mainly on account of his youth
in furthering his candidacy. Tomos
had. In fact. constituted himself the
young preachers champion against al
corners. which was fortunate for the
preacher.
HE Is too young" observed Card
Mawr. between puffs.
THAT Is no objection" said Tomos
"ln order to succeed in any line one
can't begin too young. Besides, we
Ebenezer people. believe in keeping oui
ministers with us as long as they live
We want them to grow with us and
die among us of good old age. 1t Is
like marrying exactly. 1t Is wise to
marry young. Though my old woman
and have travelled the wilderness to-
purposes, we don't mean to give each
other w this side of Jordan. So Is the
marriage between the church and q
pastor. We don't believe In falling In
love with a comely newcomer every
two or three years, and send the old
ones to tramp the country like pack
men. as you Methodists do"
The men smiled and looked at Cardi
Mawr. He felt now that he was In
honor bound to make good his case.
He took another tack. however. and
asked:
But why does he talk so fast? He
rattles away at the rate of nineteen to
the dozen. / like preacher who gives
you time to think between the words.
like old Blaenanerch. But l can't make
head nor tail Of what these young men
have got to say. 1t is like looking at a
merryg o-round. all noise and glare.
They read the text like cutting open a
sack of oats with knife, and then turn
1t upside down on the people"
Never mind the style" said Tomos.
"if the oats are good. Don't you see? ?
A young preacher has more ideas than
experience. He comes fresh from
books. his mind IL quick and nimble.
and he is full of the fire of youth. lie
Is like the rpountain brook, racing
down the valley, like child running
out of school in high spirits and laugh
ing at obstacles. He thinks he must
make up in speed what he lacks in body
or force. BY and by. he will grow into
a deep river, as big as your big Metho-
dist men,"
1t may be necessary to remark here
that TOmOs referred to the Calvinistic
Methodists.
Cardi Mawr. who was now bent on
scoring point. took up another line OF
argument which he thought was a
crusher.
Where in the name of everything.
did your new man get that middle
name OF his-Cornyrhwrdd? Did you
ever hear the like of 1t. boys? / war;
rant 1t no minister ever baptized him
with it,"
perhaps he was q haulier once and
the name got stuck to him like mine. "
(This was said by Shoni Rachel, who,
since his marriage, had sought means
of earning more wages than he earned
as haulier. He was growing fonder OF
the company of soberer and wiser
up threat of the conversation. In
such a company. also. he was addressed
as John Thomas. which name Shoni
thought as good as a college degree.
Il have not heard" continued Cardi
Mawr. that your man Is a bard, and
why should he wear such a name" The
bardic names are much different from
his name. They are mostly the names
of animals that are now seldom seen
In Wales. except In menagerie. The
names are silly enough in all conscience.
Why. you can't find a crag without an
Eagle" bush without Lion" or
meadow without q Nightingale" or
q "Linnet." If a sporting foreigner
happens to see II full list of our bard $
names, ne would say: why the dick
ems must I go to America or Africa to
hunt big game? Why, here in Wales
there is plenty of It," Our bards had
better look out when they seea stranger
with a gun. But after all there Is
something pretty in bardic names. But
when these young preachers can't wear
proper bardic name, they must go. II
you please. and run in a piece Of their
native parish between their Christian
and surname. While our bards furnish
list OF animals that are not found
here. our young preachers must furnish
map of the whole country in their
middle names.
1t is convenient, l suppose. to carry
ones address In ones name. The mid
die names. also. may be useful in re-
they had been hewn and the pit out of
which they had been dug"
With this Cardi Mawr rested his
case. smiling grimly at the company.
There was no mistaking the sarcasm
Of his remarks, and Tomos was OBJ
served working himself into "hwyl'
to answer him. But a man seldom
loses his temper when championing an
other man.
During the discussion the men had
been sitting on the heels. but TOmos
now shifted his position and straight
ened himself up on his knees before
Cardi Mawr, with his lamp on the
ground by his side. ShOni Rachel
nodded significantly on Cardi Mawr.
"William Jones'" began Tomos. ad-
dressing his antagonist by his proper
name. ''let me put some ideas into your
head and clear out some of the blind
prejudices which crowd that lumber
room. Let me tell you. first, that David
Cornyrhwrdd Davies is q bard of no
mean order. He Is. like nearly all our
great men, the child OF the Eisteddvod.
He can handle the twenty-four metres
as well as YOU can handle your man.
drel. He has won many prizes in the
smaller eisteddvOdau. He is smart
fellow at cynghanedd (alliteration).
Why. the other day he and l were
crossing field. and we came to a