The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-15

I
have had an occasional request to.
,.oduca and save from oblivion a sermon
that went the round of the Southern
press some fifty years ago and was
known ms the Harp of Thousand
Strings, Not long ago l quoted para
uranh from it and a friend writes me
from East Feliciana. La, and says that
tho author of that quaint old sermon
lived and died in that parish anu h's
daughters and grandchildren live there
now and are his near neighbors. strange
tn saw the author was minister OIL the
GOSPEL. sober, serious, solemn ana oe-
voted to his calling and for long time
II was not known that the humorous
writings over the signature OF Aeaehiah
the Scribe" came from his glfted pen.
But some preachers can't help seeing anu
enioying the ludicious side OF human
nature. Sidney Smith, the famous Eng
lish divine, was as solemn as the grave
on solemn occasions. but he 1nnaleo
great deal of merriment without smile.
He provoked others to the most conVui-
siye laughter, but gave no sign save III
the twinkle of his eyes. Judge LoustreeI'
the eminent jurist, the learned preacher,
the dignified president of two colleges
and a university and the author OF Geor
gia Scenes" was of similar type. met
him often during my youth, and 90 not
recall that he INDUCED in humorous
anecdote The last time met MIN was
during the war in the office OF me
Columbus Enquirer, when he lndulgeu III
bitter sarcasm against some Georsiah'
whom he called traitorous obstructlon-
lists. | could hardly imagine that ne IL
was who nodded the inimitable charac-
tiers of Ned Brace and Ramsey EnLhe'
Johns Hooper was not preacher, DuI
always a sedate and very dignlneo gen
tleman. He was secretary OF the eLloiyo
Confederacy that assembled IN mont
gomery and there was no sign of Simon
Suggs" or Taking the Census In ms
solemn department. My observation has
been that the best story tellers and con-
yersationalists have the least inclination
to write or publish their own scintills :
tions. 1t was common to say of my old
mariner. "Oh! rare Judge Underwood
but could never induce him to put pen
to paper in that line. He said that a.
good story or flash of wit and hunor
lost its relish by writing it, for the tone
of voice the accent, the piquancy, the
facial expressions could not be recorded.
When the Rev. j. T. Lewis wrote TINS
sermon it was not uncommon Tor anna
teur preachers to perform up and down
the western rivers and thus advertise
their business, which was principally mai
boating and peddling their produce Lo-
renzo Dow took continental Journeys
from Maine to Texas, but he was pref
ty good orthodox preacher. These nal
boat preachers were rough and tumble
set and tangled up the scriptures awful
ly. but they could draw the crowds and
their whisky was a good card. 1t was
an orthodox product then and preachers
and the people were as fond of 1t as
old Father Noah, who was preacher OF
righteousness. Rev. Mr.. Lewis does not
give this preachers name but his SER
mon has been sent me by my friend and
/ give it to your readers as it was given
to me- When it first came forth we
thought it inexpressibly funny. 1t is not
so funny now to the old people, but the
younger generation are more easily
amused than the veterans and for theiI
sake 1 append it. A pretty school girl
rected it last week at the commence
ment exercises of our public school and
she did it we'll and brought down the
house.
This sermon was said to have been
preached at Port Hudson, where the am
ateur divine had tiled up" for the double
purpose of observing the Sabbath and
selling whiskey. 1t is as follows:
l may say to you, my brethering that
/ am not an edicated man. an am not
one of them as believes that edication is
necessary for a gospel minister, for
believe the Lord edicates His preachers
jest as He wants 'em to be edicated; an
although say it that outghtn't to say it,
yet in the state of Indianny, where
live, thar's no man as gets bigger con-
gregations nor what / gifts.
Thar may be some here today, my
brethering, as don't know what persua-
sion / am NV. Well, l must say to you,
my brethering, that I'm Hard Shell
Baptist. Thar's some folks as don't like
the Hard Shell Baptists, but had rather
have a hard she'll as no she'll at all.
You see me here today, my brethering,
dressed UP in good clothes; you mout
think l was proud, but l am not proud,
my brethering, and although l have been
a preacher of the gospel for twenty years,
an although I'm capt'in of the fiat boat
that lies at your landing, I'm not proud,
my brethering. ah.
1 am not gwine to tell edzactly whar
my text may be found; suffice it to say
it is in the leds of the Bible, and you'll
find 1t somewhere between the first chap
ter of the book of Generations, and the
last chapter of the book of Revolutions,
and eff you will go and search the scrip
lures, you'll not only find my tex thar,
but a great many other texes as will do
you good to read, and my tex, when you
shall find it. you shall find it to read
thus. ah:
And he played on a harp Of thou
sand strings-sperits of jest men made
perfeck."
My tex, my brethering, leads me to
speak of sperits Now. thar's a great
many kinds of sperits in the word-in
the fuss place, thar's. the sperits some
folks call ghosts, and thar's the sperits
of terpentine, and thars the sperits as
some folks call liquor, and I've got as
good an artigel of them kind of sperits
on nv fiat boat as ever was foch down
the Mississippi river; but thar's a great
many other kinds of sperits, for the tex
says: HE played on harp of Thou
sand strings, sperits of jest men made
md hop pc