Show source of HIS eloquence in the early days of methodism la in the west a circuit rider if be he had bad a large field to cover was sometimes permitted to have a colleague just beginning to preach the rev john thompson waa was a circuit rider in a somewhat thinly settled part of central illinois more than fifty years ago the colleague assigned to him was wals brother james smith an excellent your g man but with very little experience aa as a preacher t ono sunday mr thompson had an appointment at a email small meeting house bouse in the country but having a severe cold he asked his assistant to igo go along with him and preach the ser I 1 on and the latter as in duty bound obeyed orders brother smith had never under tak ien ion to preach in the presence prez ence of his cacao experienced and whon when after the opening services he arose and gave out his text he was visibly embarras sed he stammered through a few sentence sentences hesitated made another at tempt wid id camo came to a dead stop the use brethren lie said bitting sitting down 1 I cant pre preach acht t brother thompson saw that the case was one in which heidle measures were necessary young man he sternly in his ear you get up again and preach that sermon or ill take you out in the grove after this mooting mewing la s over und and give you a lard spanking aa As sure aa as your namo name Is an electric shock could not dot have operated quicker brother smith rose to his feet again his hesitation all eone gone and in ringing tones ho he preached a sermon that Is still remembered by aged survivors of that old time congregation as the most fervid and eloquent discourse they ever heard no young a man deliver youths companion |