Mr. Walker

“ A small man, physically, Mr. Walker, minority leader in the New York State Senate: a demi-tasse among legislator: more at home with mustache cups. His face is thin; his features sharp, and his cheeks have the perennially youngish tint of the juvenile who bounds onstage as the chief chorine shrills: “Oh, girls, here comes the Prince now.” Along Broadway he would past unnoticed, or in an Equity meeting. ”

“ Mr. Walker was married to Miss Violet Q. Franklin, of Hephzibah, Ga. To them four children were born. Three children are dead. One son is still living—Master Jonathan Walker, a lad yet in his teens. One daughter, Mrs. Alberta Walker Hughes, left a daughter at her death, and this grandchild is pet of Dr. Walker and wife.
Dr. Walker remained in LaGrange for nearly three years. While there he was a busy, active, energetic, influential and successful pastor. It was while there that he gave promise of his future eminence as a soul-stirring, soul-saving evangelist. ”

“ A man’s voice he could not distinguish in the distance. Now a word from a woman equally indistinguishable. Growing impatient, he shouted aloud.
“Mr. Walker. A word with you on Mr. Rich’s behalf,” and repeated this twice in vain. The street was empty and quiet on the Sunday night and the people at their suppers, but he spied a big hulking fellow at his door, watching him with some curiosity and the Duke marches straight up to him.
“My good sir, I want that door burst in, and there’s a guinea for any man will help me to do it. Are you that man?” ”

“ Sprague's gaze was centered on the white square of window. It was now quite dark, and the cold had increased, for the snow clung to the glass without melting. Presently he turned from it to the fire.
“Look here, Mr. Walker,” he said deliberately, “we dislike each other for our own particular reasons; we're thrown together as long as this storm lasts; let's make the best of an uncomfortable position. Avoid personalities; if you must talk, as I've said, talk about money. For instance, how is Walker's Forest progressing?” ”

“ Another good friend and business associate was Thomas R. Walker, who in 1849 was mayor of Utica, New York. Mr. Walker's wife was the half-sister of Mrs. Griswold, Morse's mother-in-law, so there were ties of relationship as well as of friendship between the two men, and Morse thought so highly of Mr. Walker that he made him one of the executors of his will.
In a letter of July 11, 1849, Mr. Walker says: "The course pursued by the press is simply mercenary. ”

“ Croix valley as a hale, hearty, well informed man, prompt in fulfilling his engagements, and liberal in everything that pertains to the general good. Mr. Walker filled many public positions. He was county commissioner ten years, postmaster twenty-five years, and represented his district in the house of the Second Minnesota legislature in 1859-60. He was married Sept. 16, 1848, to Mrs. Georgiana Lockwood, of Prescott, formerly Miss Barton, a native of Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania. ”

“ After which, I kissed her, shook hands with the major, kissed Matilda’s hand, and laughed prodigiously, as though I had done something confoundedly droll,—a sentiment evidently participated in by Sparks, who laughed too, as did the others; and a merrier, happier party never sat down to supper.
“Make your company pleased with themselves,” says Mr. Walker, in his Original work upon dinner-giving, “and everything goes on well.” ”

“ Mrs. Walker was a lady of great beauty, of rare accomplishments, and distinguished for her modesty and womanly bearing. Mr. Bache, the father of Mrs. Walker, emigrated to Texas, was in the Senate of her Congress at the time she was received into the United States, and was the only man who voted against the union. He represented Galveston, and, after his death, that young city, in honor of his services, erected a monument to his memory.
Walker was of ardent temperament, great abilities, strong will, intense application, and was soon, at the Bar, among the first lawyers in the State. ”

“ And exhorted us to pray for faithful ministers to ourselves, and never content ourselves without them; for we would not continue long sound in the faith and straight in the way, if we wanted faithful guides. And, for all the respect that these divided parties of dissenters, or rather schismatics and separatists, pretend to, Mr. Cargill, Cameron, Shields, and Renwick, and every one of them to be their successors, and maintaining the testimony which they sealed with, their blood: how little do they notice the sententious writings and sayings of these worthies? ”

“ There were three or four of us, counting me. My working place was established in a corner of the warehouse, where Mr. Quinion could see me, when he chose to stand up on the bottom rail of his stool in the counting-house, and look at me through a window above the desk. Hither, on the first morning of my so auspiciously beginning life on my own account, the oldest of the regular boys was summoned to show me my business. His name was Mick Walker, and he wore a ragged apron and a paper cap. ”

“ Shortly after that sad stroke at Bothwel, he went to Ireland, but did not stay long at that time; in his travels through Galloway, he came to a house, and looking in the goodman's face, he said, They call you an honest man, but if you be so you look not like it; you will not long keep that name, but will discover yourself to be what you are. ”

“ When he told Mr Peden, he said, "Rejoice John, that you are cast out of the devil's count-book." After this, he was preaching privately in John's house; in his preface he said, "Our Lord has been taking great pains on you in Ireland, to get you to learn your lesson per quire; and few of you have been brought to say your lesson off the book. He has got a goodly company in Scotland, that he is learning to say their lesson off the book; and they are brave scholars: But ere long he will try some of you with it also. ”

“ And there will never a man of the name of Stewart sit upon the throne of Britain after the Duke of York, whose reign is now short, for their lechery, treachery, tyranny, and shedding the precious blood of the Lord's people: But, oh! black, black, black will the day be that will come upon Ireland! so that one may travail 40 miles, and not see a reeking house, nor hear a cock crow. At this he started up to his feet, and clapt his hands, and with a ravishing voice cried aloud, Glory, glory, to the Lord, that has accepted a bloody sacrifice of a sealed testimony off Scotland's hand! ”

“ Sir, slavery is the theme of declamation, as if the slave holding states were contaminated with a leprosy, which infects the whole republic; a contagion that will overspread the western hemisphere. Sir, that slavery is an evil we all admit with one breath, and that little or nothing can be said in favor of the principle, but something may be said in mitigation of damages, as it respects us in the present existing state of things. ”

“ About this time, he and John Clark, who ordinarily was called Little John, were in a cave in Galloway, and had wanted meat and drink long: He said, John, better be thrust through with the sword, than pine away with hunger; the earth and the fulness thereof, belongs to my Master, and I have a right to as much of it as will keep me from fainting under his service; go to such a house, and tell them plainly that I have wanted meat so long, and they will willingly give it. Said John, Sir, I am not willing to leave you in this place alone, for some have been frighted by the devil in this cave. ”

“ Being in this strait, he said to Robert Wark, an old worthy Christian, worthy of credit, Robert, go and take such a man with you, and the first bark ye can find, compel them, for they will be like the dogs in Egypt, not one of them will move their tongue against you. ”

“ Have your friends now in Galloway any thoughts or fears of the French, or other Foreigners coming upon you? They said, No. He rose and went out, being a desart place, to a moss-hag, being the best chamber oft-times that he, Cameron, Renwick, and Shields had in those days, who displayed the public banner of the gospel, after Bothwell-bridge. It was but a short time that he staid in company and converse These two Galloway men said to other friends, in that bounds, who were my very dear acquaintance, who told me, why does the minister speir such a question at us? ”

“ Mr. Cargill, after that, was never heard to pray for him in public. His unhappy birth and restoration day, May 29th 1660 which was enacted to be an universal Thanksgiving day, became a trial to some, and a land-sin and snare to many, and observed to this day, by castle-guns roaring, though even upon the Sabbath, at twelve of the clock; which day was Mr. Cargill's ordinary weekly sermon-day. His kirk being very throng with tears he said, Do you expect more or better preaching this day than other days? Or, is it upon account of your king? It is like that is many of your errands ”

“ David Cunningham, minister there, in the meeting house, on a Sabbath day, broke out in very great reflections on Mr Peden, and them who hard him; one Mr. Vernor one of Mr Cunningham's elders, was very much offended thereat, and told Mr Peden on Monday, what Mr Cunningham had said; Mr Peden walking in his garden, took a turn about and came back and charged him to go and tell Mr Cunningham from him, that before Saturday's night he should be as free of a meetinghouse as he was ”

“ In the beginning of the year 1681, the devil began a new project at Borrowstounness upon a few of those whom he could not drive to left-hand defections, by injecting into them demented enthusiastical delusions, driving them upon wild unheard-of right-hand extremes, with a spirit of division and unwarrantable separation from all that would not or durst not go up with him in every jot; which began in Holland a year before, which I have already given a true account of; and which remains rampart in Scotland to this day, and I sadly fear will outlive me. ”

“ He stood up and said, Lord, we hear tell that thy enemies and ours are coming upon us, and thou hast hid thy hand of affliction on old John, have pity upon him, for thy enemies will have none; his blood will run where he lies! ”

“ After this, the troop of dragoons came to quarter in the parish of Cambusnethen; two of them were quartered in the house of James Gary, my aquaintance; they being frighted in their sleep, started up and clapped their hands, crying, Peden, Peden! These two dragoons affirmed that out of their curiosity they opened his coffin to see his corpse, and yet he had no smell, though he had been forty days dead. ”

“ There are four or five things I have to tell you this night, First, A bloody sword, a bloody sword for thee O Scotland, that shall tear the hearts of many. Secondly, Many miles shall you travel, and shall see nothing but desolations and ruinous wastes in thee, O Scotland. Thirdly, The fertilest places in Scotland shall be as waste and desolate as the mountains. Fourthly, The women with child shall be ript up and dashed to pieces. ”

“ And for the profanity of England, the formality and security of Ireland, for the loathing and contempt of the gospel, covenant breaking and innocent blood-shed in Scotland, none of these lands shall escape, ere all be done. But notwithstanding of all this, Ill tell you good news, keep in mind this year, month and day, and remember that I told you that the enemies have got a shot beneath their right wing, and they may rise and fly like a shot-bird, but ere this day seven years, the strongest of them all shall fall. ”

“ If thou hast any more work for us in the world, allow us the lap of thy cloak this day again: And if this be the day of our going off the stage, let us win comfortably through, and honestly off, and our souls will sing forth thy praises thro' eternity, for what thou hast done to us and for us. ”

“ And what would all wicked law inventors, enactors, and executors do? And all iniquitous law-obeyers and keepers do? Where would they flee for help? And where will they leave their ill-gotten glory?
From the Bendry-bridge he went to Fife, and baptized many children; and preached only one Sabbath at the Lomond-hills, and hasted back to Clydesdale, and came to Bentyrig in Cambusnethen parish, where two friends were sent from the Societies in Galloway to call him back to preach and baptize there. ”

“ I have seen when meal was all sold in markets, women clapping their hands, and tearing the clothes off their heads, crying, "How shall we go home and see our children die in hunger? they have got no meat these two days, and we have nothing to give them." ”

“ But I greatly fear these wild tares of delusions and divisions will spring and grow, and never be rooted out in this land; which has sadly come to pass.
And this, in preaching and conference, he was most sententious and plain in discovering and giving warning of the snare, sin, and danger of these wild extremes: nevertheless, the indulged, silent, and unfaithful, lukewarm, complying ministers and professors, made no distinction betwixt him and Gibb, but made it their work by tongue and pen, to bury him, and his faithfulness in the ashes of these vile extremes ”

“ Good Lord, spread the lap of thy cloak and cover the poor lad. And in this he was heard and answered, in that there was a dark misty cloud parted him and them.
26. About this time there was an honest poor wife brought him and them some bread and milk; When seeking a blessing, he said, Now, in this bloody land, this poor Woman has endangered her life in bringing bread to support ours; we cannot pay her for it, but Lord, it is for thy sake she has brought it; and there is no need that she should be a looser at thy hand: Thou givest plenty of bread to many that are not so worthy of it. ”