lar, brushed up his hair, as if a little embarrassed, and said that his business in coming to see me was to get me to become a preacher. Of course I started at this; but he was fully prepared to urge the matter, and he told me how much good I could do with my learning, how souls are perishing, and how the harvest is ripe. All I needed to start with was a little more knowledge of the Scriptures, which I could get by reading them, and from the preachers; in fact, he himself would tell me all he knew; and if I would only try, in a few months I would become one of the first preachers in the country. need men in that town, thinks I to myself, and says I, I must show 'em what a sarmon is, and I will, and if for nothin' more than to do honor to old Union County, and I picked out my tex, airly Monday morning, not intendin' to do a lick o' work all the week, and I didn't, for every mornin' I went out away off into the woods, and into a big sink hole, and I said, this rock is the cheer, and them trees is the lawyers, and I took my tex, and then I preached, sometimes one way, sometimes t'other, till I got the fust part as I wanted it, and I said, You're all right; I'll preach you; and so I went on till I got 'em all right; I told him I had read of One who beside be- then I put 'em together and preached 'em toing a Preacher was also a Doctor, and I al-gether, and I thought I had 'em as they orways thought it would be an honor to any one to imitate him, but I was afraid that if I should try to do so I would get into trouble. "I guess not," said he; "but if doct'rin's a part on't, you've got a heap o' that already. Did he live hur, in Eelinoi, or up to the Northud, whar you come from?" ter be; I thought I had the best garmon as ever was preached, and I don't know but I had; but, you see, when I got into the schoolhouse, which was chock full, and I'd prayed and gin out the himes, and took my tex, and got a little way, jest as I had it, things got kinder tangled, and I made the fifth part come afore the second part, and I told a part of an antidote I'd told afore, and they was a beginnin' to laugh, when, secing what a scrape I'd got into, I jest threw it all away, and preached as I'd allers preached, when I felt free, and I never was so happy in my life; and when I got through they was so solemn you could a heard a pin drap. But I don't want to interrupt you with no long stories. Go on about the Preacher." "Yes. In doctoring he made out well enough-nobody found any fault with him; but in preaching he got into difficulty. More than this, he was poor and had no influential "That is not known, for his medicine sel- kin folks to help him, so that only the poorest dom was seen." people cared much about him; and in all his preaching there were only two or three large planters who liked him, and these were afraid to have it known. To show you what kind of doctrine he preached I will say that in the first sermon of which the book gives an account, he said that the Lord's Spirit was upon him, that he had been anointed to preach to poor folks, so that he could cure those whose hearts were broken, that he might preach liberty to the captives, to cure sore eyes, and set at liberty anybody that was hurt.” "Just as I expected," interrupted the preacher," a preachin' liberty to the captives, which means slaves. We had them kind down in Alabam, and every one on 'em was an Abolishioner-a black-hearted Abolishioner; [one night, they got a hold of him. They but they soon got enough on it. That's the had a kind of a trial right away, and, though way they all talk. Only think of a man call- the law was on his side, they took off his ing hisself a preacher, and a sayin' he's an- clothes and spit on him, and whipped him, inted to preach sich stuff, when the Bible and then fastened him up to a trce till he ваув, 'cussed be Canan'-which is niggers, died." which God made to be slaves-slaves allers. What did you say his name was? May be I hearn of him down in Alabam." "Sarved him right! sarved him right!" said the preacher. "All sich orter swing. They've done wus nor that down South; they burnt 'em; yes, they burnt 'em. It kinder seems to me I hearn of this very feller afore I come away. Was't Woods, or Larkins, or 66 "In course I don't think nothin' of him. Henshaw? One or t'other, I reckon." But what become of him.' "" Yes, you must have heard of him. It would be singular if you had not. His name was Jesus Christ." "Well 'he preached this kind of doctrine two or three years, and a good many got to going to hear him, and he kept doctoring, The preacher started up, red with rage; too, and going to see whoever sent for him; he seized his hat, and, departing, said,— but it was the sermons which made disturb- "I don't want to have nothin' to do with ance, and so much disturbance that they you! I don't want to have nothin' to do with wouldn't let him preach in the meeting-you! I don't want to have nothin' to do with houses, till at last, as he was camping out you!" N. C. M. CHINESE CRUCIFIXION.-The following account of a recent crucifixion in China is by Mr. James Jones, of Amoy, who witnessed the execution on the 28th October. The victim was a well-known thief, whose principal offence was that of stealing young girls and selling them for prostitutes. On his trial before his judge he refused to criminate himself, although repeatedly scourged until his back was raw. If a female witness fails in giving satisfactory evidence in a court of justice, she is beaten with a leather strap across the mouth. His wife, desirous of sparing her husband, refused to give evidence, but after two or three applications of the strap her courage gave way. She confessed his guilt, at the same time admitting that two hundred dollars of the money so derived was hidden in the sea near the beach. Officers were sent to search, and finding the dollars in the place indicated, the prisoner was sentenced to decapitation-deemed by the Chinese the most severe of punishments, because they imagine that if a man leaves this world minus any of his members, he appears in the same condition in the next. The culprit therefore prayed to be crucified instead of being beheaded. The cross was of the Latin form, the foot being inserted in a stout plank, and the criminal, standing on a board, had nails driven through his feet, his hands stretched and nailed to the cross-beam. His legs were fastened to the cross with an iron chain, and his arms bound with cords, and on the cord round his waist was inserted a piece of wood on which was written his name and offence; a similar piece on his right arm contained his sentence-namely, to remain on the cross day and night until he died; another on his left arm had the name of the judge, with his titles and offices. The criminal was nailed to the cross inside the Yamun in the presence of the magistrate, and then carried by four coolies to one of the principal thoroughfares leading from the city, where he was left during the day, but removed at night inside the prison, for fear of his friends attempting to rescue him, and again carried forth at daylight in charge of two soldiers. He was crucified at noon on the Wednesday, and Mr. Jones conversed with him at five in the evening. He complained of pain in the chest, and thirst. On Thursday he slept for some hours when the cross was laid down within the gaol compound. No one was allowed to supply him with food or drink, and during the day there was quite a fair in front of the cross, people being attracted from a distance, and the sweetmeat vendors driving a large trade. On Saturday he was still alive, when the Taotai was appealed to by a foreigner to put an end to the wretch's sufferings and he immediately gave orders that vinegar should be administered, which he expected would produce immediate death, but the result was otherwise, and at sunset, when the cross was taken within the gaol, two soldiers with stout bamboos broke both his legs, and then strangled him. Mr. Jones says that all the Chinese with whom he has conversed assert that crucifixion is a modern punishment; and looking at the similarity of passages in the execution with the narratives of the New Testament, he conceives the idea may have been introduced through the Jesuits. THE SOUTHERN CHURCH. [In one of William Gilmore Simms's poetical works, occur the following rather striking stanzas expressive of the present state of the Church in some of the rebel towns.] THE Church, like some deserted bride, The foe is thundering at her gates. No crimson berries deck her walls; In summons to our sacred home; Proclaims the God within the dome. Nor do the fireside's happy bands Assemble fond, with greetings dear, While Patriarch Christmas spreads his hands, To glad with gifts and crown with cheer. MARCHING SONG OF THE "FIRST OF ARKANSAS." [The following song was written by Captain Lindley Miller of the First Arkansas Colored Regiment. Captain Miller says the "boys" sing the song on dress parade with an effect which can hardly be described, and he adds that "while it is not very conservative it will do to fight with." Captain Miller is a son of the late ex-Senator Miller, of New Jersey.] OH! we're de bully soldiers of de "First of Arkansas," We are fightin' for de Union; we are fightin' for de law; We can hit a rebel furder dan a white man eber We heard it in de riber goin' rushin' to de sea, As it went sounding on. Father Abraham has spoken, and de message has been sent; De prison doors he opened, and out de pris'ners went, To join de sable army of de "African descent," As we go marching on. Den fall in, colored bredren; you'd better do it soon; Don't you hear de drum a-beatin' de Yankee Doodle tune? We are wid you now dis mornin'; we'll be far away at noon, As we go marching on. Goodrich's Landing, La., January 18, 1864. ་ SHORT ARTICLES.-Anglo-Africans, 461. Arsenic in Paper, 475. To Kill Weeds in Ponds, 475. True to Instinct, 475. NEW YEAR'S PRESENTS TO CLERGYMEN.-Our text will be found on the front of several of the late Nos.; but we now ask our readers to apply it to a single class of persons, while the price of every article of food or clothing, and of all the necessaries of life (excepting The Living Age), has been increased, little or nothing has been done to raise proportionally the salaries of clergymen. They are obliged to lessen their comforts, in order to meet this pressure. Reader, if you wish to refresh the mind and the heart of the man who "ministers to you in holy things," present him with mental food once 2 week, and do not give him The Living Age if there be any other work that will do him more good. ADVANCE IN THE PRICE OF BINDING.-The Covers for The Living Age are made up of Cotton Cloth and Pasteboard; and the manufacturers advanced their prices nearly doubled themsome time ago. We ought then to have increased our charge for binding, but neglected to do so. 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