Carthage courier. (Carthage, Tenn.) 1913-current, 1921-03-03
Fifty Years In The Ministry.
PART VI.

While on Fifth Sunday meetings 1
am reminded of many amusing Incl
dents at these meetings as the SER
mons and essays on the program were
Tor criticism. We all took in our sad
die bags Testament and dictionary.
At meeting at Smithville / was on
program to preach on SauPs CONVEX
sion. When / finished Bro. J. H.
Crime arose and said he once heard of
preacher who said Paul was brought
up at the feet of "Gambell's hiIl.'' and
Bro. Oakley told us to-day Paul was
brought up at the feet of Gam-a-li-aI.
have always thought he was brought
up at the feet of Ga-ma-li-aL Bro.
Gr1me had punctured my sermon and
all the good things / said ran out at
the puncture. The next day Bro. Crime
read an essay on baptism and in quot
ing sentence from DIR. Tucker read:
Baptism is the ep-i-tome of the doc
trine of Christ. When through I
asked him to read fuckers quotation
again which he did and inquiredwhat's
wrong with it. said nothing with
Tucker but you didn't read it correctly.
Why rot he said? Why Tucker said
baptism is the e-pit-o-me of the doc
trines of Christ not ep-i-tome, as you
read 1t. viii you take Webster on it
SAID Bro. Crime? | guess so, said l.
he went to his saddle bags and drew
out his dictionary, turned to the word
and gazed at it in silence for some
tinfe5 when l said, how is it? Bro. |
Crime folded his book and said: Its /
e-plt-o-me here but it ought to be t
epltome. Well, we were then even. +
These criticisms were beneficial in t
way, but | am satisfied my sermon all
leaked out through my Gam-a-Ii-al 4.
and all of Crimes essay evaporated
through his ep-i-tome
Everybody knew Ed. ]. c. Brien.
once pastor at Monoville He had it
IN for young preachers who were at
tending school or had been in college.
He was honest in his convictions,
though unfortunately unlearned, and
glad of it. Soon after l came home
from school a fifth Sunday meeting
was held at Liberty, In DeKaIk county.
Quite a crowd of preachers and breth-
rem IN attendance Bro. Brien was al
ways on hand and nearly always on
ms feet in the discussion concluded
as 1 was fresh from school / would
Kill two birds with one stone, trim up
brother Brien's grammar and let the
people know | had been to school. |
rose up with the dignity of a Solo
man and said" Bro. Brien. your
speeches would be more dignified and /
forceful if you would use better gram
mar and quit saying, Il seed man
and many people is fools" As / took
my seat the old man came to his :
feet and pointed his finger at me and
said: Young man, all in God-o-migh-
tvs world you are fit for is to set on
a gate post and chaw wool" The
crowd reared with laughter and then
it broke out fresh again and turned
red in the face, then pale, and then
spotted. l got to sweating.
couldn't see a thing but fool on a
gate post chawing WOOL I chawed
wool all that day, and when | went
to bed that night / began to chaw
wool and chawed wool all night and
for long while. i was picked up by
that old man and stood on my head
wherever enc could see me. After
wards | was always careful about
criticising old men. The center shot
from old Brother Brien's gattling gun ;
silenced my criticisms at that and ,
many other meetings tbs true his |
grammar was bad but he couldn't ,
help it then, but it can be helped now. {
One of the saddest things in the
world IN our day and generation is
the misfortune on the part of any
public speaker with no knowledge of
correct language. Gods name be- s
glorified for the power and influence Q
II our unlettered fathers who I
wrought well in their day, but the day y
low IS when every young minister }
should avail himself of a good .
English education. Years passed and T
3ro. Bflen and were best of friends c