Newspaper Page Text
December i, 1909. TH
their loving kindness for months to come.
Fodder for the cow, corn for the horse,
flour, meal, chickens alive and chickens
dressed, beef, hams, sausage, potatoes,
rice, apples, preserves, canned fruitsi,
quilts, sugar, soap, tea, coffee, honey, butter
and cash, and if there be any other
thing, which a country parson needs, and
which have been overlooked in the bountiful
profusion which was piled on the
tables, chairs and floor?ah, they did
"put it upon" the parson and his wife
until they stood amazed at their kindness,
and so grateful for the love which
lay behind the gifts! And do you know,
Mr. kditor, that the bright, beaming faces
of those blessed people made the impression
they thought that they were getting
the best of the whole proceeding?
And the parson believes they did! for he
was caught in a mighty shabby suit of
clothes, and was confused, while they
were exuberant in their gladness?and
besides, One who knew, has said, "It is
more blessed to give than to receive."
Would that other congregations would
try the same kind of Thanksgiving on
worthier men! It would doubtless lift a
great burden from many anxious hearts,
in these strenuous times when a dollar
of salary has but little, if any more, than
half the purchasing power it had ten
years ago; and yet it is to be feared that
very few salaries have been advanced to
meet the advanced cost of living. May
a blessing, spiritual and temporal, be
upon the heads of these dear people who
have so kindly remembered their pastor.
Bay View: Holmes church, located at
this place, has recently been favored by
a visit from Rev. Joseph Rennie, D. D.f
pastor of the First Presbyterian church,
Norfolk, Va., He was with us a week, and
gave us a series of unusually strong and
deeply spiritual sermons. They were profound,
yet simple; they were very searching
and practical, and calculated to stir
the consciences of the people and arouse
the church to greater spiritual activity.
His anueals to the unconverted were sol
emn, earnest and faithful; t'ney were also
characterized by great tenderness. The
services left a deep and lasting impression
upon the people, and we feel that
they have been a great blessing to our
church. The church has also recently
been very much improved in a material
way. The interior has been very beautifully
and tastifully frescoed. Very handsome,
massive dull brass light fixtures
have been put in. and quite a handsome
and exceedingly sweet-toned organ installed.
Suffolk: On Sunday, Nov. 21, the pastor,
Rev. P. L. Delaney, had the pleasure
of announcing nine additions to this
church during the past month. Two were
received on profession of their faith in
Christ and seven by letter. We notice a
steady increase both in numbers and interest
along lines of church work. The
Sunday school is gradually increasing in
its attendance and the executive committee
recently elected two additional teachers.
One in the primary and the other in
the junior department. Especially are
we gratified with the increase in attend1
E PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOL
ance of the older people of the congregation.
Surely, the Sunday school is the
training school of the church.
Harpin Creek: For the first time in its
history this little church had a Thanksgiving
service. We had a nice congregation.
Rev. W. R. Keith, of the Baptist
Church, was the principal speaker. Several
brethren of various denominations
made short addresses. The entire service
was helDful and erreatlv eninvpd It
is a new thing among the Hard-shells,
and this is the hardest part of the field.
A. J. P.
Weal: Since our last letter we have
received a very intelligent lady from
the Baptist Church, the wife of one of
our best young men. She will be a
most helpful member, and in addition
to other helpful qualities, she is a good
organist. These are exceeding scarce in
our field. The work moves on slowly.
A. J. P.
Newport News: Sunday night, the 21st
of November, the pastor. Rev. E. T.
Wellford, presented to the First Church
the needs of the Presbyterian Orphans'
Home of Lynchburg, illustrating, with
the means of a stereopticon, the grounds
and buildings and general condition of
the inmates and their occupations. The
deacons of the church, both previously
and thereafter, personally canvassed the
membership, and when, on Thanksgiving
Day, the returns were presented as
a thank offering, over $600 had been
subscribed for the rebuilding and enlargement
of the work.
WEST VIRGINIA.
Frankford: On the 26th of November,
the good people of this church came
down upon the manse like a stdrm and
gave their pastor, Rev. W. L. Bedinger,
and wife, a heavy "pounding," which
made the tables groan with their burdens,
but gave joy and happiness to the
pastor and family, who appreciate very
highly this token of love from their people.
PERSONAL.
Rev. W. P. Neilson, of Oklahoma City,
has resigned the pastorate of the Central
Church in order to take special
studies in Princeton Seminary.
Rev. G. T. Bourne's address is now
North Birmingham, Ala., instead of Macon,
Ga.
Rev. and Mrs. James P. Smith, D.D.,
of Richmond, Va., arrived in Atlanta on
Saturday. They will spend the winter
with their son in this city, and may be
addressed at 102-A East Pine street.
Rev. J. W. Lafferty has changed his address
from Concord, N. C? to Summer
vine, a. U.; be begins bis work in his new
field with great promise of usefulness.
Rev. W. F. Tims begins his work this
week with his new charge at Dermott,
Ark.
Rev. Wm. N. Mebane, Ph.D., whose
name was accidentally omitted from the
minutes of the Assembly as a member of
Lexington Presbytery, should be addressed
at Green Cove Springs, Fla.
*
FTH. 21
A GIFT TO UNION SEMINARY.
It is well known to the Christian public
that the widow and children of the
late Cyrus H. McCormick, Sr., have recently
made a princely addition to the
endowment of the theological seminary
in Chicago, which bears his honored
name, and that a few weeks ago there
was a notable celebration of the one hundreth
anniversary of his birth and the
eighth anniversary of the founding of the
institution, and the fiftieth anniversary
of its transplanting to Chicago. Our
whole Church will now learn with pleasure
and profound gratitude that prior to
the celebration referred to, Mrs. McCormick
and family voluntarily followed up
their munificent gifts to their own seminary
with a most generous donation to
Union Theological Seminary in Virginia,
sending a sum of $20,000 to be added to
the endowment of the McCormick Professorship
of Old Testament Exegesis originally
provided by Mr. McCormick. This
is the oldest and largest of our training
schools for ministers in the South, but
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mirable outfit of buildings, through the
generosity of a few of its friends, and has
a material equipment for its work that is
thoroughly up-to-date and adequate, the
steadily decreasing rate of interest on all
invested funds and the steadily increasing
number of its students have resulted
in an altogether insufficient income for
the support of its work. It will be remembered,
too, that theological seminaries
receive no tuition fees, as colleges do,
but are supported altogether by endow
ments. Therefore the directors and
the controlling Synods have inaugurated
an effort to add to the endowment
of Union Seminary the sum of
$300,000, hoping to raise that amount
by the time the institution rounds
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1912, thus freeing it from the embarrassments
created by its own growth and enabling
it to do its great work for the
Church without the distress which it has
suffered for so many years. About onethird
of this needed endowment has already
been secured, and this timely and
liberal gift by Mrs. McCormick and her
family will greatly hearten the friends
of the seminary in their efforts to secure
the balance. It is a benefaction which
will cause their names to be remembered
with thankfulness and pleasure by
our whole people throughout the
future. Many hearts, not only in the
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and Korea, in Africa and South
America, in Mexico and Cuba?wherever
the sons of Union Seminary are doing
their blessed work?will join in praise
to the Giver of all good for putting
into the hearts of these kind friends the
thought of this wise and fruitful and farreaching
gift.
What men call failure God may call
RlirVAfla
The Spruell School is a.n
IDEAL School for Boys, Marietta,
Ga.