In South Carolina. 327 



wonderfully prompt and retentive; everything lie had 

 read or heard that could be made available in his holy 

 calling was safely garnered for future use. His dis- 

 courses, though delivered extempore, were well elab- 

 orated in his own mind, and his words seemed to now 

 forth as the effect of a constantly kindling inspiration. 

 His voice was shrill and penetrating, and its tones 

 were somewhat of a feminine type. His articulation 

 was so distinct and perfect as to render it easy for the 

 most distant hearer, in such large assemblies as were 

 common at our early camp-meetings, to understand 

 perfectly every sentence that he uttered. His ser- 

 mons were admirably divided between the argument- 

 ative and the hortatory, and he was equally at home 

 in the one as in the other. His supremacy as a 

 preacher in his day was never disputed by any com- 

 petent witness. 



The following incident was related by the Kev. Dr. 

 Elinn, of Charleston, himself one of the most eloquent 

 men in the Presbyterian Church: The Doctor, in the 

 early part of his ministry, was carrying forward, in 

 a country church, an interesting protracted-meeting 

 without help and quite exhausted. Mr. Dougherty 

 passed through the neighborhood, and hearing that 

 Mr. Flinn was in need of help, called upon him and 

 tendered his services for a short time. Ministerial 

 comity demanded that he should accept the proffered 

 aid, but he did so regretting the necessity that seemed 

 to be laid upon him. When the hour of service came, 

 the Doctor conducted him to the pulpit and took his 

 seat in a distant part of the church, fearing and rather 

 expecting that his Methodist brother would make a 

 grievous failure. Mr. Dougherty began the service 

 by reading a hymn in a style of great impressiveness 



