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n ‘1 -<y ran iv x fit DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA. VOL. VII. ATHENS, GA., SATURDAY MCH 3. 1888. NO. 19 MEMORIAL services. FOR DR P. H. MELL, UNIVERSITY OF GEOR GIA, HELD BY THE TENNYSONIAN SO CIETY OF THE LUCY COBB INSTITUTE, IN THE SENEY STOVALL CHAPEL, FEBRUARY 27, 1888. A Tribute to the Memory of Dr. Mel!. BY MISS WATT. It is deemed a privilege to pay respect to the living ; to those who have comman ded our admiration by lives of devotion to duty, of consecration or of holiness; it is considered agieater privilege to honor the dead. To this labor of love I come, not presuming to.offer any elaborate wreath— aright which only those more closely re- lated can claim—but to lay a simple tri bute, not the less sii cere, upon the grave of one whom we all loved and admired. Would that it had been our privilege to have heard from the lips of Dr. Mell some account of his early life; of the dawning of the desire wh ch developed into a re solve that resulted in a glorious life-work ; how his attention was tumi d to the col lege which he afterwards attended—of the impress ons that were so deeply graven on his mind at that lime. But it hs beyond suteh a K(-ini' if,. -,v, ae;l We can but picture to ourselves the rfforts he must have put lorth, and the earnest thought he must have had, before the step was taken that led him many miles fro. home, to tile people of a Northern Stfrte, to the haid study and discipline of ycol- lrge lite, to the varied experiences, of a teacher’s work, and back to his nuj/ve and beloved Georgia. It is pleasant to dwell upon (lie promi- nent'ptiinls of this chnracter/arid from a short stuitjove can gain so,rid help which will not only b'ts-911 incentive to continue the work which wecoaiH^nptd here under his direction, but also a supppirt^to us in the sterner duties ot lite, that are a-t-eady pressing upon some of us so heavily,, aud that await others of you at no distant day. One of the characteristics which was manifested at an early dale, was a mter- mination to procure an education. When but 14 years old he was left an orphan, and yet, though stern facts were brought so closely to him at that early age—facts that were enough to destroy any ambitious dreams he might have indulged ; yet their eff'eci seemed to produce the opposite re sult, for we find him studying the means by which, in ihe very f llC e of great obsta cles, he could still obiain the longed for advantages of higher education. Doubt- less the question was not rashly and hasti ly settled, hut aii phases were, probably, carefully regarded, and when at last, his mind was luliy decided as to the best course,I cannot imagine that there was any looking back—any cherishing of regrets that the decision had been made as it had. Gladly would we listen to his class-mates’ accounts of his college life, for unques tionably the man who, when we knew him, had such a genial and" sympathetic nature bad, even in tarly manhood the same characteristics, aud recitals of epi sode's and events which had probably passed almost entirely from his memory, or to wl.icb he seldom referred, would be full of interest to us. I have- sometimes wondered if, as he la bored during the long summers in New England to gain the means by which to pursue his college course in Ihe coming fall and winter, there were granted to him any faintg] mmeringsof the distinction for which those days of toil and self-denial were preparing him, or if he quietly and carne.-tly labored on With a cheerful spiiit, ncc pting his position willingly and be- 1 eving that, in some way, it would all re- sull in good. Was it not this discipline that caused him to feel a spj cial interest in those whom, iu after life, he found similarly placed? Du.ing this whole college course his example was an honor to that Gospel he had openly embraced, when 18 years of age, and v.hjch he.tiuly loved. When the college days were over, offers worthy of deep consideration were pre sented to tun to remain still longer away, aud accept responsible positions nearer those ins, uotois to whom lie realized he owed so much, but at 24 he returm d to lus i.fc. .«• and .recommenced here the 11 ork in which he was so eminently successful, and which he continued until only a lew weeks ago. Four ytars later he added to this profession that higher and more exalted calling of a minister ot that Gospel he so earnestly loved and lived. To realize the power he had in this direc tion, recall the high official positions he has held for so many years ; not accepting them at the sacrifice of less conspicuous labor, but in conjunction with that. The deep regard of those to whom he miuis- tered so tenderly for so many years, s proved by t he heartfelt words of affection with which they always speak of Dr. Mell. A great want is felt now, and it will be a long tune before another c m hope to fi,l the place to them, that is now vacant. In 1856, Athens first received him as a Professor m its University,and in 1878, he changed from this position to the higher and more re.-ponsible one of Chancellor. I fear we did not fully realize how much he was doing for us of the Institute when, in the midst of these arduous duties, lie consented to give us his valuable instruc tion. Pleasant is it to remember his look of satis:action when some carefully ex plained piii ciple had been grasped and ac curately applied by us. Valued, indeed, were the words of commendation which he often felt we had earned, and which he so gladly bestowed. Comforting is the thought that to him the hours spent with us were seasons of pleasure, and that our interest helped him, for a season at least, to forget the heavy responsibilities that so weighed upon his heart. Gratifying the r mi mbrance of the social meetings with our instructor, when the labor w as past, and the interest which we knew he felt in each, separately. Can we prove our ap- prtciation in a belter way, than by resolv ing that we, as a Society shal? still con tinue put in practice the lessons which 1 • | tiful life. Such an influence, he, being so faithfully taught ? j dead yet exerts.] Last spring he left; when duties cot - ; Time passes on. Tenderly and rever- nected with the University called him eu?ly would I lay a teacher’s tribute upon from h ire; left us expressing hia-^Ujv' ’’ i grave of a teacher, feeling that the faction at our prognss, and appreciation i pro;ession was exalted and ennobled and of the efforts we had put forth to carry out enured by Dr. Mell. the plans which he had laid down for iisdui j 1 -Farewell ! A little time, and we ing the year. We did not think it was 11' ljne ' v thee well, and loved thee here, be a final leaving; we had hoped .hat i y the autumn we should see his stately form re-enter our school room, but this privi lege was not allowed us. The last visit had been made, the last lecture had been delivered, aud the places here that had known him, were to know him no more From another State came tidings of his illness; and yet we scarcely tealized whac sickness meant when it attacked one oi h ag'. Tut re is something pathetic in his longing to come hack, that lie might pass away in the home so near the Uni versity he so truly loved. During the homeward journey, bis thoughts wi re full of appreciation of the’ fact that the end tot*. c ~ o - o'—i of fear >y nick,opens on eternity. Yet- shall we cherish not the less All that is left our hearts meanwhile; The memory of thy loveliness, Shall round our weary pathway smile, hike moonlight when the sun has set, A Fweet and tender radiance yet.” ALUMNI NOTES. | Marcus W. Beck, Jackson Ga., class of 81, is;%;prom:ncnt lawyar of his town. Wnker W. Hardy, Senoia, Ga.., is Prin- u.-cigal. ofyExcelsior Academy, Senoia, Ga,; °:4 e of-the rising lawyers of the place; /iso Mayor of Senoia in 1885. was fast approaching— . , . , , , ■ J<»e B. Alexander, of c.ass 82, is a very J hat life s work was soon to end, and that ,t\ J Ihe rest ar.d quiet that he nad so longed young man in tue business cir- for were tiuly coming. l des of Marietta, Ga. It, s said that a poet wished for but one,, sentence wherewith to cjosqa was •t, which he had expended much an "heavy! labor, and as he wandered by the seasbord, wondering how he could best express (ns thoughts in words, the billows brought \o Jt oneL 01. A. DcMleoiq.Americ.us, <Jg.,-gradu-s ‘ V f--.V - .1 ' -J F |, Female Academy, and is now a his feet a broken oar, and carved thereon lie read: “oft was I wearied when I toiled at thee;"’ “ and as a man who finds what he had lost,he wrote the words, then lifted up his hand aDd threw the useless pen into the sea.” Oh! friends, I fear that as Dr. Mell passed through tlie campus for the last time and by the University, had his thoughts been formulated into words, the burden of them would have been : “ Oft was 1 weaiied when I toiled at thee.” ptD3 /ii- g lawyer at the Americus bar. Walker DunsOD, class of ’82, has a posi- 'ion in t|ie Internal Revenue Department in Atlanjta, Ga. Joseph. W. Bennett, class of ’83, of Quit- man, Ga; Prof, of Martin Institute in ’84 was admitted to the bar in ’85, and is now a prominent member of the legal profes sion. J. T. Lofton, Fort Worth, Texas; Clerk of the Horse of Representatives of Tex.; Secretary and Treasurer of the Tulhoka As the days passed on, life appeared to CaUle c be almost in a balauce, and at times a hope j strong enough to build upon, seemed to! Wm. D. Carswell, class ’85, of Irwinton, Ga., is a school teacher in that place. V. S. Willcoxon, class of '85, is one of the most prominent young lawyers in Newnan. W. W. Osborn, class of ’85, is tilling the upon, seemed to justify us in believing that rest and quiet would soon restore him to bis accustomed place; but we were too short-sighted to see into ihe future; for “ the end was drawing on ; the golden bowl was break ing ; the silver cord was fast being loosed -the body and soul, companions for more j BO il, and bids fair to be one of the most than seventy years were being sund't'recl and taking leave ; he was walking alone through that'valley into which one day we shall all enter—and yet he was not alone for we know whose rod and staff wire comforting him.” “There fell upon that house a sudden gloom, A shadow on those features, fair and thin; Aud softly from that hushed and darken ed room, Two angels issued, when but one went in.” There is an influence which does not stop at death. Happy that teacher—bless ed that teacher’s life, whose memory is tenderly cherished, for a life time in the hearts of his pupils—whose example is a constant incentive to a noble and a beau- successful farmers of his section. Wm. H. Cobb, of class ’85, Gainesville, Ga.isone of the ablest and most influen tial professors of the Baptist University; marriage a Humbug. There were twenty young ladies in a Northern city who formed themselves into a society, and adopted a constitution de claring that marriage is a humbug and men are a nuisance. They pledged them selves To be continued in next weik’s Chronicle, for the benefit of the young ladies of Athens, who are kindly asked to speak a good word for Skiff the jeweler.