Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-06-06
MARK TWAIN breaches ON
GOSPEL OF GOOD CHEER

Mark Twain Americas foremost
humorist, preached the first sermon
in his life at the Fifth Street Baptist
church, at Hannibal, Mo-, Sunday
morning. The large edifice was fill
ed to its utmost capacity, there
being over 1000 persons in the vast
audience. Mark Twain was late in
arising at the hotel, and after eating
a hasty breakfast of coffee and bread,
hurried to the church and took his
seat near the front with Mrs. Laura
Frazier, the sweetheart of his boy
hood days.
After the usual song service and
prayer, Rev Everett Gill, pastor of
the church, preached a sermon of
about fifteen minutes, taking as his
text, "Garlands for Ashes" In the
course of his remarks he paid an
eloquent tribute to Mark Twain by
speaking of his sterling character,
the life work of siXty-seven years.
On closing he asked the humorist to
take the pulpit.
Mark Twain, filed with emotion,
arose from the pew in which he sat,
with all eyes of the immense au-
dience turned to him. The occasion
was a most impressive one. The
veteran writer, with is long white
hair hanging in curly locks, was to
preach to the people of the city
where he had spent his boyhood days.
The theme of his sermon was 1.-The
Gospel of Good Cheer" The remarks
were listened to with intense interest.
Mark Twain spoke as follows:
ilege which he has offered by per-
hitting me to say a few words. l
will not take the pulpit for l should
be embarrassed with unsancitfied
tongue if l did. 1t might be well for
to stand there on Il week day, but on
Sunday | think the place for the lay
man is in the pew, so with your per-
mission / shall remain here at my
seat and tell you what / have to say.
Here any one can talk without re-
proach. Even here in this humble
capacity | am doing what you are
always doing-preaching. The art of
preaching is to influence you. From
the pulpit and from the mouths of
all of you the preaching goes on all
the time. Our words and acts are
They are like the tidal waves of the
seas that encircle the earth. They
are heard about us when they are
uttered. We are preaching all the
time, even if we do not know it.
We forget that we carry influence.
We ought to remember ii. however,
and make it constant reminder.
We had better see that our conduct
is of favorable nature.
MY mother lies buried out in the
beautiful city of the dead, on the
hill south of the city. overlooking
the waters of the mighty Mississippi.
At this age of mine she cheers me.
She was a support to me during her
life. Her preaching did not perish
when she passed away, but goes on
and on with me. Although there are
many long silent in the grave, they
have not ceased to so preach. They
did not stop when their mouths were
closed in death. See that your
preaching, when alive. be of the
character that, when you are dead.
others may reap the secondary effort
of what you did. Let it be good, not
bad. Preaching, when dead, is not
lost. Washington died over 100
years ago, but he still breaches. His
character. service and words still live. !
Every day nations striving for liberty |
fully appreciate what he did. Words |
sometimes perish, but conduct is
lasting"