Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1901-07-03
ARP QUOTESBEECKER
Philosopher Quotes the Words of the
Famous Preacher
The HOT WEATHER CAUSED IT.
oagc OF Barlow Has Melting Collar
And Is Not at All Pleased With 1t
Some Remarks.

The horrid, torrid weather reminds
me OF what Henry Ward Beecher said
In his church one sweltering day in
July. He took no text. He wiped the
perspiration from his brow and look
Ing solemnly at the large congregation
sald: 1t is hot today. II is damned
not. 1t is as hot as hell" Everybody
was amazed and shocked until he ad-
ded, That is the language 7 heard two
young men use at the door of the
church as l passed them. My young
friends, it is not as not as hell" Then
in low. earnest tone he pictured tho
torments of hell and the certain fate
OF the wicked until atmosphere OF the
church seemed to be cool and pleasant
In comparison. The ladies' ceased to
move their fans and everybody was
still and solemn as a funeral. 1t was
something like Jonathan Edwards at
Northampton when he got his hearers
so wrought up and alarmed that they
groaned In fear and grasped the posts
and braces to keep from sinking into
hell. and another preacher in TIA pull
pit begged Mr.. Edwards to stop. SOP
Mr.. Edwards; stop now and tell them
OF the mercy and love OF God" What
wonderful power is in the words of an
eloquent, earnest man. Mr.. Beecher
was all OF that-a gifted. eloquent man
i heard him preach twice before the
war and was profoundly impressed.
looked upon him as the impersonation
of the man of God. Later on. when he
began his vindictive war upon the
south and said that Sharp's rifles were
better than Bibles for John Brown in
Kansas and it was a crime to shoot at
Shareholder and miss him. wonder
at my infatuation with the man and
exclaimed with Isaiah, How are the
mighty fallen And still later when
Tilton charged him with alternating
and seducing his wife and it took two
months TO try the case and the Jury
two days to make up a verdict. which
virtually said. He is not guilty, but he
must not do so any more" was NOR
tilted at my own weakness in becoming
his idolater and resolved to worship
mo man again while he lived A great
mans character cannot be made up
until after he is dead.
But was Illuminating how easy il Ia
for young man to say damn and
damn 1t. I'll be damned and even to
take the name OF God in vain. Damn Ia
more convenient and expressive wori
than dogon or dingnation or blamed
and IL shows defiance OF the devil and
self-conceit in the man who uses it.
But 1t is very handy expletive and
when young man gets in the habit of
using IL he rarely reforms. lie knows
that 1t is not good manners. for he
does not use il in the presence OF ladies
or preachers or his parents. Neverthe-
less there are some good people who
think damn II without saying it,
heard good story the other d;.y on
Colonel Livingston. our member of
congress from the Atlanta district.
Last summer he was sent over to Yves;
Virginia to speak and help the demo
Gratis in their canvass. He ventured
into a pretty hot republican town and
was haranging and electrifying a large
audience. and while scar!fy!ng the re-
publicans and this fighting admlnistra-
tion soft half done irish potato took
him kerzip right between the eyes. Ii
knocked off his spectacles and flattened
into mush all over his classic counte-
nance. 1t surprised and shocked him
OF course. Recovering his glasses he
wiped the sticky stun from his face ami
said with excited tone" My friends. ]
have been-I have been n consistent
n consistent member OF the Presbyte
rian church-the Presbyterian church
! say for more than-morS than fifty
years-yes, fifty odd years. and have
tried to live-tried to live in harmony
with ali men-with all men. but II the
dirty. dogond. dadblamed puppy who
threw that potato will stand UP or raise
his right hand I'll be--I'll be dadb,ast-
ed II I don't stop speaking long enough
10 come down and lick the hair All
hide off OF him in two minutes by the
clock" AS nobody rose or raised hand
the colonel resumed his broken re-
marks. but declares that he never cam.
as near cursing since he joined the
church.
This thing OF cursing Is OF very an
cient origin. Som etimes II was done by
proxy. Balak. the kink OF Moab. hired
Balaam TO curse Israel. and some OF us
veterans remember when we. too
wanted to hire cussin man TO expend
our wrath upon the yankees. Peter
cursed and swore when accused OF b.
ing one of the disciples. 1t is probable
that he said "Ill be damned If | am ."
or perhaps worse. Soldiers and sailor.
have in oil ages been profane-the very
class that are IN greatest peril and
should have the greatest revesarce for
their maker. Uncle Toby says "Our
army swore terribly in FLINDERS" AMI
Uncle Toby himself swore an oath
when he found the sick soldier lying
and dying at his gate. He shall rnt
1ie, by God" he said. and the accusing
spirit flew up to heaven with the osth
and blush ed as he gave it in. The rec
ording angel as he wrote ii down drop
ped tear upon the word and blottei
Il out forever" ThR h beauurlD. iseat