The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-08
UNF1MILIIR WORDS.
DIR. Hidden Shows why 1t Is Dangerous to
Fall in Love with Them.

In the Religious Herald If June Ath
Rev. j. c. Hiden. ID. d., has the follow
ing Notes and Comments:
1t is dangerous thing to fan in love
with word, when you do not know
its meaning. Rev. Thomas Hume. the
father of the present accomplished pro-
fessor of English in the University Oh
North Carolina, gave me one OF the Desl
illustrations OF this that l nave ever
heard. He was once preaching at Bap-
fist church. whose pastor was very
ignorant man. In the course OF MS ser
mon, he had occasion 10 use the Woid
"turpitude" When Bro. Hume closed,
the pastor arose and very earnestly eN-
horted his people 10 give their most
serious attention Ito the glorious tulp-
itude of the gospel OF Christ After TINS
exhortation, Mr.. Hume demonstrated with
the pastor, saying. You ousnt not 10
have spoken of the turpltuue OF tne
gospel. There Is no turpitude III lhe
gospel. Turptude means baseness. me
good old brother took his rebuke very
meekly, but rejoined: well, l thought
it was a pretty word. But, Bro. Hume,
it don't make no difference what say
my folks understand me.
To large number or the younger
generation of readers. Elias Dodson Will
be a mere name. without any significance,
but to some of the older people the
name will be fill of meaning. The Bap-
lists have but one Elias Dodson. ana
what the mathematicians call the theory
of probabilities" is decidedly against the
hypothesis that they will ever nave an
other. | had the honor TO know MN
well, and l can truly say that nave
never known a more thoroughly con.
secrated man. He was one Of the most
utterly unselfsh and unworldly human
beings that l have ever encountered
and, though he was one OF the greatest
oddities that I ever knew. l never
heard anybody call him "a crank. HIS
head was a reservoir OF the oldest std
tistics about the most out-of-the-way
things. The late Theodore Whitfield
was about to enter his own pulpit one
SUNDAY. when Elias Dodson Unexpectedly
entered the church. Whitfield. who had
a great reverence for him, asked him TO
preach. NO" said Bro. Dodson, Il VIII
not preach: but ] will follow you with
some remarks" Whitfield preached
warm. glowing sermon, which greatly
stirred the people. He took his seat
when Dodson arose and began as tollohS'
There are 5000 people killed IN lndia
everv wear by snakes and tigers Inc
effect as the reporters say. can be
better imagined than described.
A writer in THE Thinker a London
monthly. refers TO Professor Cheyne' OF
Oriel College, oxford. who In his Ramp
ton Lectures on The origin OF the
Psalter," holds that David wrote none
of the Psalms. The idea Is not new 10
me. Wellhausen sets it forth In his arti-
Gle. Israel" in the Encyclopedia BTU
annica. and Professor q. II. Toy, OF
Harvard. in his History Of the Religion
of Israel" said that II was not probable
that David wrote any Of the Psalms. sun
a broad-minded man, who wishes 10 looh
at all sides Of "A question, may possibly
imagine thp the testimony OF Jesus
Christ ought to have some weight anu
by consulting Matthew xNii ~. i3' Mark
xii. g 81, and Luke xiii. iZ-ii. ana COM
pairing Psalm cx. !, he VIII see that
Jesus credits David with the authorship
of that Psalm. I'm Acts ID. 81. 80, he Will
find the apostle Peter making the same
statement. We can hardly wonder at the
remark Of the old gentleman who Is re-
ed to have said some years ago. 1 nave
heard all the hampton Lectures That
have been delivered here IN my day ana
yet. thank God. l am still Christian.
Even a seasoned "campalgner' may
find some lessonse Of practical politics
in the following sketch OF local poll
tlcian. who was a man Of mark In ms
day:
Somewhere in Virginia there once
lived a politician named CockyDye. tie
was an igrant man. but. though ire
quently opposed by the ahlest men In the
county. he always managed TO get him
self elected to the Legislature.
when asked the secret OF his uniform
success. he tersely replied; 1 never
makes no speeches. never writes no let
ters. and votes agin all laws. why
asked the querist. how does such
course insure your success Well said
Mr.. Dve. IL | never speaks they can
bring no speeches Of mine agin me. II
7 never writes no letters. they can't show
none of my letters agin me after We
done forgot all about EN- and ! votes
agin all laws because | don't know wheth-
er the law is good or bad. But. II
good law passes. the people is satished,
and thew don't look 10 see who voted
aein il: but | ia bad law passes. they
looks at the ayes and noes. and they
saws See thar, Cocky Dye was agin
that law" so I votes agin EN- all
Cocky Dye is no myth. he was very
real character, indeed. l cannot voucn
for the truth-of the story quoted above,
but it sounds true. I heard from Nir-
ginian politician in "the fortles.