Abe's Titles and Troubles.
It is time we said something on this subject, as we are come to the
stage in his life when he began to be known by various dignified
ecclesiastical titles. He loved his own plain name, Abe Lockwood,
better than any other, and therefore wanted no improvement. That was
the name in the roll of the Church, and that was the name written in
the Lamb's book of life; he wanted no other. If any one addressed him
as Mr. Lockwood he would often break in, "They call me Abe Lockwood!"
and this was no pretended humility on his part, but the expression of a
sincere preference for the name by which he had always been known among
his friends: but the time came when it was impossible for him to resist
the universal custom of saluting him by some title, so he had to yield
to the inevitable.
A story is told, how that on one occasion a parcel of clothes came to
the house for his wife and children. It was wrapped in strong brown
paper, and on the address-label was written "Abraham Lockwood, Esq."
Soon after this, he was taking part in a public meeting in the place
from which the present was supposed to have come, and in his speech he
thanked the unknown donor; and having done this, he proceeded to
correct a mistake which, he said, had occurred; the person who sent him
that parcel had addressed him as Esquire. "Naa," said he, "I doan't
stand much upon titles, but if I am to have ony, I think I ought to
have what falls to me by my birth. Yo' know, I'm a Prince of th' Royal
Family, I'm a King's Son, my Father is th' King of Glory, and no man
can say that, unless he is born of God, and I am, Hallelujah!"
Although there may not be anything original in this, yet the happy way
in which he worked it into his speech, and the use he made of it to
show the necessity of the new birth, was exceedingly pleasing.
The title of "Bishop," or "Bishop of Berry Brow," was one of those by
which he became familiarly known. This arose out of the position he
held in the society there, almost like that of father among the
members, and also from the amount of preaching he did all over the
Circuit. Although this very reverend title brought him no increase to
his stipend, nor any change in his social standing, it helped to show
the general feeling with which he was everywhere regarded.
But the designation by which he was most familiarly known was "LITTLE
ABE." This came into every-day use, and was unconsciously adopted by
almost every person either in speaking to him, or speaking of him.
Even the little children in the streets and in the Sunday Schools,
hearing it from their elders, insensibly fell into the habit of styling
him "Little Abe."
As this title is somewhat expressive of size, it may be well to convey
some idea of
ABE'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE
He was below the average height and of slender build, yet withal a
tough little man, and capable of performing as much work, and enduring
as great fatigue, as men who are much bigger and stouter made. Abe
used playfully to say, "Good stuff is mostly wrapped in small parcels."
"A penny is a great deal bigger than a sovereign, but yo' all know
which to tak' when yo' have your choice." "I'm nobbut a little un, but
bless God, I'm big enough for th' Holy Ghost to dwell in." "I doan't
tak' up much room in th' world, but I'm as happy as if I were as big as
Berry Braa Church." "I'm a little un mysen, but my Father is greater
than all."
His face was one of the happiest it was ever our good fortune to meet
with. A smooth, round, ruddy, comfortable face, over which the razor
had almost unlimited sway; his mouth was always in shape for a smile;
his eyes were of a light blue colour, and twinkled with life and
vivacity; his hair was always brushed back behind his ears, terminating
behind in a pretty little natural curl and whether it had the black
gloss of his younger days, or the snowy white of old age, it was always
neat and orderly. In early life he was very proud of his hair, and
bestowed a great deal of care in its cultivation and arrangement. When
he became converted, Abe's hair underwent a marvellous change. The
beautiful locks which had been so much admired and preserved with such
care, were roughly taken off by the family scissors and thrown into the
fire, and while they frizzled into smoke, Abe felt he had done the
right thing in casting down every idol and putting away every mark of
pride. Many and many a time in after years would he say to his wife,
"Naa then, lass, where's th' shears? Thaa mun clip my locks agean.
Samson gat clipt by his wife, and he were worth nought after, but thy
shears mak's me strong." Then Sally would gently snip the ends of the
curling fringe all around, while Abe, by way of encouraging her, would
put in, "We mun shun th' appearance of evil, thaa knows; cut a bit
more, lass;" and then she would very reluctantly sever another lock or
two, until he could be persuaded enough was taken off.
Abe was in the latter part of his life particularly neat in his attire,
wearing an orthodox suit of black cloth, and cut in the Methodist
preacher style. He wasn't at all sparing in white neckcloth, for he
wore one that travelled around and around his neck in such profusion,
that it might have been intended as an extra security against the loss
of his head. Altogether he was quite the type of an old-fashioned
Methodist preacher. In the pulpit his appearance was exceedingly
prepossessing; he always had a smile on his face while talking, as if
he thoroughly enjoyed the good news he was telling to others. In
beginning to speak, or when about to say something which he thought
particularly good, he had a way of holding his head a little over on
one side, and clapping his hands together. These movements,
accompanied with an occasional shrug of his shoulders, were among the
general signs that the "Little Bishop" was having a good time, and when
Abe was happy in his work, everyone that heard him had a liberal share
of enjoyment and profit as well. But of course, like other men, he
sometimes felt the misery of preaching in what he quaintly and
appropriately called
"THE TIGHT JACKET."
Taking into account the want of education from which he suffered, the
disadvantages he was at in preparing for his public duties, as well as
other occasional depressing circumstances, we cannot wonder that he
should sometimes have been the subject of the most painful restraints,
likened by him to a "tight jacket." There was a wonderful difference
in his preaching when he had one of these "hard times," and when he
enjoyed liberty. If in the latter mood, as was generally the case, his
tongue was like the pen of a ready writer, and streams of beautiful
truth, sparkling with pious humour and accompanied with striking
original illustrations, would pour from his lips; but if he had the
"tight jacket" on, he could scarcely say anything, and it was a pain to
listen to him.
Poor Abe had one of these "pulpit fevers" in Salem Chapel one day, and
Sally, his wife, was there; she sat all the time in a nervous torment,
and as soon as he had finished, she rushed off out of the place ashamed
of him. Dear woman, her homely criticisms were sometimes very severe
upon him, partly because she was jealous for his reputation, and partly
because she so loved him, and that was her way of showing the ardour of
her affection; she used a liberty which by some universal law falls to
the right of all affectionate wives whose husbands are preachers, and
she occasionally said some very terrible things to him about his
sermons. On this particular day, therefore, Abe knew pretty well that
when he got home he would get something besides his dinner. He winced
as he thought about it, and made the walk home as long as he could, in
the hope that something might cool down a bit; however, he had to go
in, so, shrinking into the smallest possible dimensions, he glided
silently into the house, hung up his hat, and sat down. Sally was in a
flutter, she was full, it must come:--"What hast ta been trying to do
this mornin'?" she began, looking hard at him.
"Why, I couldn't mak' her goa a bit somehaa," meekly replied her good
man.
"Goa! No, haa does th' think she could goa, thaa niver gat her on her
feet."
Abe made no response, but sat mute in his misery, and poor Sally felt a
reaction setting in, which made her feel as if she had allowed her
ardent affection for him to carry her too far. Meanwhile, she was
bustling about preparing the dinner, and when all was ready, she went
over to him, and kissed his forehead, adding, "Naa, lad, come and get
th' dinner, and don't moind what folk say; thaa'll do better next
toime, th' Lord help the'." Abe was healed by a touch.
Ah, but he didn't like those dry, hard times, when he couldn't find a
handful of green-meat to give to the Lord's dear sheep, and it would
trouble him deeply to think that he had led the flock to expect green
pasture, whereas he had only brought them to feed among rocks and
stones. Then the old enemy would beset him, and say what an old fool
he was to think he could preach; that the people only laughed at him
and made sport of his sayings, and that he had better give up
preaching, and try no more. But Abe would say, "Why, devil, thaa 'rt
vary much troubled abaat my praaching; if I'm such an old fool as thaa
mak's aat, I canna do the' so much harm." But all the banter and
strife he had with the devil did not conquer that arch-enemy; talking
to him is mostly waste time and ill-spent breath; there is another way
which a good man has of finding relief; he can go to God in prayer.
This was Abe's sure refuge; here he vented his trouble, here he got
comfort, here he gained fresh strength, and when he came warm from the
closet struggle to the pulpit work he was another man. After passing
through one of these temptations, he was almost sure to tell the
people, the next time he preached, how the devil had harassed him, and
wanted him to give up preaching, but how the Lord had bidden him to go
on, and on he would go and did; his restraints were broken, his tongue
loosed, and his soul fired, it was a joy to hear him then.
He was one day rejoicing in his regained liberty, when he said, "Aye,
bless yo', I wor as fast as a thief in a man-trap; I couldn't get away
till th' Lord came and let me aat." And then turning upon the unsaved
part of his congregation, he used a simile, which, on his behalf, I
claim to be original if not elegant. Said he, "Yo' may think I was
fast enough, but let me tell yo', not hoalf as fast as some of yo'
sinners. Yo' are like a flee" (fly) "in a treacle-pot; the more he
kicks the faster he sticks." And there was truth in the saying, and
although the figure might amuse, the moral would remain in many a mind
for after-thought.
THE BLACK CLOTH SUIT.
When Abe had been some time preaching, and was making a good name for
himself in the Circuit, a desire began to be felt by many of the
friends to hear him in High Street Chapel, Huddersfield. This was
before the present splendid sanctuary was erected. Accordingly when
the next plan came out, he was appointed to take a Sunday morning
service. Many a time did he tell of the consternation both he and
Sally felt on making this discovery. He was sitting at the end of the
table one evening with the plan in his hand marking off his work, and
his wife was busy about something in the room, when, all at once, Abe
exclaimed, "Eh, lass, what dost ta think they've done?"
Sally looked rather startled and said, "Who? what?"
"Why, they've plann'd me in High Street on a Sunday mornin'."
"Niver!" gasped Sally, coming to look at the plan herself; "where is
it?"
He placed his finger on the number which indicated his work, and she
saw it was a fact.
"Well," she said, "thaa canna goa; thaa has no claathes fit to wear
amang them grand foak."
Now Abe would never have given his clothes a thought if she had not
brought the matter before his mind in the way she did; now, however, he
remembered his coloured suit and his thick boots, and felt they were
scarcely befitting the place he was called to occupy, however well they
might do among plain people in the country places. At length he said,
"But if I'm plann'd, I mun goa, and if they don't loike my claathes, I
canna help 't." Meanwhile the date of the High Street event drew near,
and the following Sunday would find "Little Abe" at his post of duty.
He was far more anxious about his work than his appearance, so that all
the care on this matter fell upon his wife. She was bothered sadly
about his clothes. Saturday came, and, poor thing, she was bestowing
especial attention upon his old coat, mending button-holes, cleaning
spots out, brushing, shaking, and scrutinizing the old garments as she
had never done before. That evening they were sitting together, just
before Abe went out to the Band Meeting in the Chapel; a loud knock
came to the door. In a moment Sally opened it, and a man handed her a
large parcel, simply saying, "That's for Mr. Lockwood," and immediately
went away.
"What's this?" exclaimed Sally, feeling and patting the parcel.
"Nay, lass, don't ask me; thaa mun open 't, and then I'll tell the'."
A table-knife soon severed the string by which it was tied, and the
good woman proceeded with nervous fingers to unfold the wrapping, and
out came a black cloth suit for her husband. Neither of them could
speak for a moment or two; she lifted her apron to wipe her eyes; Abe's
lip quivered, and his eyes brimmed over; he couldn't help it, big round
tears fell on his clasped hands as they rested on the table; both of
them looked at the parcel. "Does the' see that?" at length said Sally;
"thaa'll look loike a travelling praacher naa, lad."
That broke the spell. Up jumped Abe and began to leap about the house,
clapping, rubbing his hands, and blessing the Lord. All the children
joined the chorus, laughing, jumping, and shouting "Daddy's got some
new claathes! Daddy's got some new claathes!" and poor Sally, full of
smiles, holding up one garment after another, kept interjecting, "Well
I niver!" "Law me!" "Eh, dear!" Abe's heart was full, and he must
needs empty it before Him who had inclined some unknown friend to send
this handsome and appropriate present just at the right time. From an
inner room the voice of the good man was heard going up to God in
grateful acknowledgment of His kindness; and the children were hushed
into quietness hushed,--hushed while Daddy was praying. The next day
Abe appeared in his new clerical attire, and from that time was never
without the requisite black cloth suit in which to go about his beloved
Master's work. Oh, how much we may learn from a little incident like
this--how much of humble trust in God under all the circumstances of
life, how much assurance that "your heavenly Father knoweth ye have
need of these things," and that "My God will supply all your need!"