Off-Hand Sketches

Off-Hand Sketches

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Title: Off-Hand Sketches, a Little Dashed with Humour
Author: T.S. Arthur
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
Release Date: November, 2003 [Etext #4624] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on February 20,
2002]
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OFF-HAND SKETCHES
A little dashed with humour
By T. S. Arthur
PHILADELPHIA:
1851.

PREFACE.

THE reader cannot but smile at some of the phases of life presented in
this volume. Yet the smile will, in no case, the author thinks, be at the
expense of humanity, good feeling, or virtue. Many of the incidents
given, are facts embellished by a few touches of fancy. In all, lessons
may be read that some, at least, will do well to lay to heart.

CONTENTS.

THE CIRCUIT-PREACHER THE PROTEST RETRENCHMENT;
OR, WHAT A MAN SAVED BY STOPPING HIS NEWSPAPER
HUNTING UP A TESTIMONIAL TRYING TO BE A GENTLEMAN
TAKING A PRESCRIPTION THE YANKEE AND THE
DUTCHMAN; OR, I'LL GIVE OR TAKE A TIPSY PARSON MUCH
ADO ABOUT NOTHING; OR, THE REASON WHY MRS. TODD
DIDN'T SPEAK TO MRS. JONES ALMOST A TRAGEDY THAT
JOHN MASON A NEW WAY TO COLLECT AN OLD DEBT A
SHOCKING BAD MEMORY DRIVING A HARD BARGAIN OUT
OF THE FRYING-PAN INTO THE FIRE; OR, THE LOVE OF A
HOUSE MARRYING A COUNT JOB'S COMFORTERS; OR, THE
LADY WITH NERVES THE CODE OF HONOUR TREATING A
CASE ACTIVELY

OFF-HAND SKETCHES.
THE CIRCUIT-PREACHER.

THE Methodist circuit-preacher is in the way of seeing human nature in
many rare and curious aspects. Under the itinerating system, the United
States are divided into conferences, districts, and circuits. The
conference usually embraces a State, the district a certain division of
the State or conference, and the circuit a portion of the district. To
every circuit is assigned a preacher, who is expected to provide himself
with a horse, and his duty is to pass round his circuit regularly at
appointed seasons through the year, and meet the members of the
church at the various places of worship established on the circuit. Every
year, he attends the annual conference of preachers, at which one of the
bishops presides, and is liable to be assigned a new circuit, in the
selection of which, as a general thing, he has no choice--the bishop
making all the appointments; and so, term after term, he goes to a new
place, among strangers. Before any strong attachments can be formed,
the relation between him and his people is severed; and he begins, as it
were, life anew, hundreds of miles away, it may be, from any former
field of labour. To a married man, this system is one