1807.] 
testant country, yet the practice of exhi- 
biting the symbols or emblems of Bacchus 
at our festival of Christmas, is still gene- 
rally observed. Our elderly females are 
yet extremely zealous in keeping up the 
eustom of decorating the houses with ivy, 
or other evergreens; and I remember 
hearing one of these good matrons lament 
that the introduction of sash-windows 
would in time destroy this holy custom; 
after which, she feared the church itself 
would be in great danger! But what 
chiefly contributes to keep it up, is the 
great care and attention of our ghostly 
fathers. A clergyman wouldas soon read 
the daily prayers without his surplice, as 
read the office for Christmas day without 
looking through an ivy-bush. It may 
therefore be hoped that the prognustica- 
tion of the good old woman just alluded 
to will not come to pass in our days; 
and that we shall still enjoy our annual 
Bacchanalia. 
Your’s, &c. 
A PLAIN CHRISTIAN. 
P. S. Permit me to inform your ** Occasional 
Correspondent” (p. 439) that no direct motion 
has been made in the House of Commons for 
preventing cruelty to animals, except that 
made by a worthy member'a few years avo for 
suppressing bull-baiting. Your correspondent 
cannot have forgotten the fate of this motion, 
nor on what patriotic grounds it was opposed. 
Whatever causes we are fig ghting for Row, we 
at that time were fighting for Christianity, 
and it was proved that if bull baiting, &c. was 
suppressed, it would damp the ardour of our 
youth among the lower orders, and tend to 
prevent them from stepping into the ranks as 
fast as their comrades were “* killedoff.””. An 
acute logician would therefore easily prove 
that bull-baiting tended to support Christia- 
nity so called, that is the Christianity of a 
late heaven-born minister and Co. Let not, 
then, your Occasional Correspondent revive 
the subject, lest he be suspected of sedition, 
privy conspiracy and rebellion. 
SF 
ABSTRACT Of @JOURNAL kept in Mary- 
LAND, during « lale rouR in that 
COUNTRY. 
HAVE been to the Methodist cha- 
pel in Reister’s Town, in the morn- 
ing; toaseminary, where a Mr. Arm- 
strong preached in the afternooon, and 
again to the chapel in Reister’s town at 
night. It was a watch-night. ‘Vhree or 
four elders exhorted in turns, and from 
the accompaniments of sichs, groans, 
gesticulations, and ejaculations, Tam at 
a loss for a comparison, to give my Eng- 
dish friends any idea of it. Ne public- 
Abstract of a Journal kept in Maryland. 343 
house, or even Bedlam, can equal the 
noise, nonsense, and extravagancies [ 
heard and saw exhibited. Ten years ago 
I was in the Methodist chapel at Balti- 
more ona watch-night, and there were 
two conversions; however, they had not 
proceeded far, hef ‘ove 1 was hterally 
frigltened away: but it was nothing to 
what I now saw exhibited. I thought, 
in the general uproar, to hear distinctl 
the, words “ hark forward: hark for- 
ward !” from a ruddy old man, in a night- 
cap, probably an old fox-hunting sluoer. 
A young woman soon after began te feel 
the spirit of conversion, and then a 
young man, whom I had observed in the 
fore part of the day to be in strange con- 
vulsions. The tunes to the hymns would 
suit pigs and reels, and they worked 
themselves into such a phrensy by sing- 
ae and stamping, that at last they lite- 
rally danced, taking hold of each other's 
hands. ‘The young woman, who could 
not have had a better opportunity of - 
shewing her attractions at the opera, was 
at lust totally exhausted; but alittle rest 
enabled her to rejoin the duet and fan- 
dango! Gracious Godt said I to my- 
self, do not these people thus quality 
themselves for Bedlam? I believe this is 
more rarely the case than at first sight 
one should be apt to think. he con- 
version is the most dangerous crisis to 
women; but that got over, they are per- 
fectly at ease respecting their salvation. 
All this enthusiasm and extravagance 
may be intended to call together a con- 
course of people, and multiply as much 
as possible the chances of gaming mem-~ 
bers amongst the weak and credulous, 
I understand that the propriety of such 
proceedings has been taken into consi- 
deration at one of their conferences, and 
that the votes were for their continu- 
ance. 
A Mr, Bisodgood preached in the 
forenoon at Sek town. He had 
been a dancing-master, and certainly the 
transition to this present calline sould 
im one respect make him feel quite at 
home. ‘The Seeiti at the seminary, 
who’ hadbéen ‘an out-Mder fora York. 
shire house, and hen an unfortunate 
shoe-merchant in Piite ine talked of 
cistereens of running w and made 
other grammatical errors Corie enn 
ber. He was, however, reckoned a fine 
man, and the ladies called him very pret- 
ty. As for the matter, one methodist 
sermon is a good sample of a thousand. 
Tam told that it is a principal ebject with 
most of the round preachers to get snug 
¥ 
