Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1894 — A Good Audience. [ARTICLE]

A Good Audience.

The Rev. Lyman Beecher was once engaged to preach, by way of exchange for a country minister, and the day proved to be very cold and stormy. It was mid-winter, and the snow was piled in heaps all along the roads, so as to make the passage very difficult. Still the Doctor urged his horse thiough the drifts, till he reached the church, put his horse into a shed, and went in. As yet, there was no person in the house, and lifter looking about, he took his seat in the pulpit. Soon the door opened and a single individual walked up the aisle and took a seat The hour came for opening the service, but there were no more hearers. Whether to preach to such an audience or not, was only a momentary question with Lyman Beecher. He felt that he had a duty to perform and that he had no right to refuse to do it because one man only could reap beuetlt; and accordingly he went through all the services, praying, singing, preaching and benediction,, with one hearer. And when all was over he hastened down from the desk to speak to the “congregation,” but he had departed. So rare a circumstance was, of course, occasionally referred to, but twenty years after, a very delightful discovery came to light in connection with this service. Dr. Beecher was traveling in Ohio, and on alighting from a stage in a pleasant village a gentleman stepped up to him and called him by name. “I do not remember you,” said Doctor Reecher. “I suppose not,” said the stranger, “but we spent twoliours together in a house alone, once, in a stortn. ” “I do not recall it, sir,” replied the old minister; “pray where was it?” “Do you remember preaching twenty years ago, in such a place, to a single person?” “Yes, Ido indeed; and if you are the man I hive been wishing to see you ever since.” “I am the man, sir; and that sermon made a minister of me, and yonder is my church. The converts of that sermon are all over Dhio." In telling the story Doctor Beecher would add: “I think that was about as satisfactory an audience as 1 ever had."