Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-05-17

J
not to make jackasses Of yourselves.
EMERsoN's TRIBUTE.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his essay on
eloquence, without mention of his name,
paid Father Taylor this tribute: "Or you
may find the eloquent speaker in some
lowly Bethel by the seaside, where hard
featured, Scared and wrinkled Methodist
becomes the poet of the sailor and fisher
man, whilst he pours out the abundant
streams of his thoughts through Ian
guage all giittering and fiery with imagi-
nation; man who never knew the look
ing glass or the critic; man whom col
lege drill Or patronage never made, and
whom praise cannot spoil, a man who
couqners his audience by infusing his
| sou. into them and speaks by the right
OF being the person in the assembly VINO
hHe the most to say, and so makes all our
SPEAKERS appear little and cowardly be-
fore his face
"Fur the time, his exceeding life throws
all other gifts into shade-phi'osophy
spGcuating on its own breath, taste,
learning and sll-and yet, how every lis
his presence. and to share his surprising
emanation and to be stepped and ennobled
in the new wine of his eloquence!"
Nor was Father Taylor lacking in the
appreciation of Emerson. OF him, he
said: s'lf the devil got him, he would
never know what to do with him. There
seems to be a screw loose somewhere,
oil n
| listen as close as | might, | never could
hear any jar in the machinery"
Although he was ever on good terms
| with his Unitarian friends, he was not
| always complimentary to their school OF
| theology. Being asked one day what he
was going to do with the Unitarians, he
replied: II don't know; II they go TO hell
they'll change the atmosphere"
| He said OF Emerson: "Raiph Waldo
| Emerson is the sweetest soul God ever
| made, but he knows no more of theology
than Balaam's ass did OF Hebrew gram
mar" James Freeman Clarke said that
was good specimen OF "where more is
meant than hits the ear.
On another occasion, when asked " by
he associated with Unitarians he said; II
associate with Unitsrans because they
are the only people go among where
am in no danger eli her of hearing NY
religion nsuted or Of having my morals
| Corrupted
/ But Father Taylor vas on friend '
terms with men and ministers OF all DE-
nominations in Boston. He and Rev.
Baron Stone, and Rollin IL. Neae, tn"
celebrated Baptist divine, were very
warm friends; but when some sailors con
verted ut the Bethel joined PhIuess
stoves church Father Taylor Mas not
! pleased.
| Meeting one OF them he said: "N hy
did you forsake the Old Bethel church
and unite with the Baptist B.tnei?' Tn
sailor answered: Sir, | was not satisfied
with baptism, unless | vent down I'LL
| the jordan Faths Taylor having il
mind That the VA er in the baptlstrs It
| Mc.StoH.'s church WAS artiticially heate l.,
made reply: eyes, Jack, billed J"rGHL, -
and passed on his way.
! Harriet M4rtineau heard Father Taylur
at the Bet bel in 1880, and in her Ret ro-
spect OF Western Travei', has narrated
her Impressions OF the great Bethel
preacher. or his prayers she said this
"On the Sunday before the great fire in
New York, he prayed for rain in fear oi il
coat .srat on. Par; NJ this prayer No
Give us water, waite! rhe brooes re-
fuse to murmar, and the realms siesf,
Break up the fountains, open tue secret
springs that Thy hand knoweth, and
give us water, water. Let Us not peri>h
by famine of water, or de.uge of coI.-
hagration; for we dread tne cate.eas
wandering spark"
Hon. j. silk Buckingham, a member of
parliament, a lecturer and traveller If
note in his day, attended Father Taylor S
Bethel in 1888 and said of the occasion
ellis discourse was one OF the most
thrilling and heart piercing TINT it vas
ever my lot to hear. The big tears rolled
down his furrowed cheeks when he spo;e
of the Offering OF his brother mariners
as though they were his children; while
the robust and manly forms of the sea-
men, to whom he addressed his discourse
alternately swelled with sobs and melted
with tears as they heard his touching
tones, and looked upon his beamIng and
benignant face. The land part of his
congregation were as deeply affected as
were the seamen, and at times there was
not a dry eye to be seen in the whole as
sembly"
DICKENS OPINION.
Charles Dickens, in 1913, heard Father
Taylor at the Bethel and has left his i'm
pressions of him in his American Notes
where he describes the man as follows
"He handled his text in ali kinds Of
ways, and twisted it in all manner Of
shapes; but always ingeniously and witt
rude eloquence well adapted to the com
prehension of his hearers. Indeed, if be
not mistaken, he studied their sympa
thies and understandings much more
than the display of his own powers. His