raise. Somehow plaster and
mortar seem more confinin'. Though I d'no as it really makes any
difference. Heaven is over all, and the soul's wings can pierce the
heaviest material, bein' made in jest that strong and delicate way,
but yet it seemed more free and soarin' somehow, and as if the path
heavenward wuz clearer.

The breezes kind of hung off and didn't come in. Josiah said they wuz
afraid to land on Thousand Island Park for fear of bein' fined for
travelin' on Sunday, but it wuzn't so, they didn't come because it wuz
so sultry and kinder muggy.

I'd hearn that the man who wuz goin' to preach wuz a dretful smart
man, a Evangelist and Temperance Lecturer. A man so gifted and good
that folks would go milds and milds to hear him, he seemed to hold the
secret of inspirin' men and wimmen, and rousin' 'em out of their cold
icy states, and drawin' 'em right along towards the mounts he
habitually stood on. He'd done sights of good, sights on it.

And anon I see a stir round the preacher's stand that made me know the
speaker of the day, the great Revivalist and Temperance worker had
come. And most immegiately a tall figger passed through the crowd that
made way for him reverentially. There wuz a smile and a good look on
his face for all the bretheren round him, some like a benediction,
only less formal. As he come out on the stand and stood before us I
could see that there wuz a light shinin' on his face as if ketched
from some heavenly and divine power. His eyes wuz soft and deep
lookin', as if he knew jest how mean and weak humanity wuz, and wuz
sorry for folks, and would like to tell 'em the secret he had found
out, how to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, specially
the devil.

His smile wuz sad and sweet, jest about half-and-half. His features
wuz good, and his hair, which wuz light brown to start with, wuz
considerable gray round his forward. His voice wuz like the sound of
deep waters that penetrates through all lighter voices and that you
hear through 'em all, jest as you hear the voice of the great River
through all the murmurin's of the trees and bird song on the shore. He
gin out a him in that sweet melogious voice that wuz as good as
singin' or better. The him told how, though we could not climb up into
Heaven to bring the Lord Christ down, yet how love had still its
Olivet and Faith its Galilee. And one verse wuz:

The healing of that seamless dress
Is by our