Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-06-04
Progressive Friends Meeting,

Last Sunday was the first day of the annua
meeting of the Progressive Friends, at Long
Wood Meeting House, Chester County, Pa
We have been at camp and other meetings in
the country, but never in our life did we see
such a concourse of people assembled to-
gether.
We arrived upon the ground about half
past nine o'clock, and found the road literal
ly lined on both sides with carriages, for a
mile ON either side of the Meeting House.
Several of the fields adjoining, were filed to
Overlooking with carriages and horses. An
immense throng of human beings of both
sexer, were congregated in the vicinity OF the
meeting. We hurried to the building and
endeavoured to gain admission. but we felt
ourself very grateful for being able to get our
head far enough in to hoar the speaking at
all. The House is of frame and built after the
fashion of the Chester County Lyceums, with
the exception that 1t has the old Friends par
tition, to divide the males and females, and
seats are of the free seat description, and par
ticularly of the benchifed quaker order.
However plain things appeared, there was
considerable comfort about the fixtures. The
males and females sat Unfortunately to-
gether; with hats on or Of, according to the
fancy of the wearer. The women wore bon
nets some exceedingly plain, and others of
fashionable character. There was a wide
expanse of country represented at that plain
and unpretending meeting. Massachusetts,
was represented by t. W. Higinson New
York was represented by Johnson of the New
York Standard, and Cooper of the Progressive
Society of Friends Ohio was represented by
Mr.. Touay the spiritualist, and the venerable
John Beeson represented the Indian Territory,
beyond the Rocky Mountains Thomas Gar
rett and Samuel Marshall represented Della
ware. These are a few of the names we have
been able to obtain out of the vast concourse
assembled The speech of the day was made
by T. w. Higginson, of Massachusetts,.
He was in Rome Holy week it was beau
tiful day radiant with an Italian sun, and bles-
sed with perfumed breezes. It was a day to
which his memory overturned with reverence
and awe as the solemn pageantry of that occa-
sion passed before his imagination. He visit
ed the mighty Cathedral-the sanctuary of
the superstition and religion of the City of the
Seven Hills. His mind instinctively ran
back to the days when the Romish Eagle,
either gave protection to or conquered the civ
ilized world. The immense Cathedral was
shrouded in black; three dim candles-repre-
deep recesses of the alter. The cofin-repre-
senting that of the Savior of man-shrouded
in black lay upon his bier, within that alter.
The dark shrouding, the grim forms that
glided about solemnly and slowly, and the
solemn cadence of voices, as the doleful dirges
moaned through the arched domes of that
magnificent edifoe, made him feel the solemn
fly of the dramatic pageantry of the occasion.
The windows were shrouded with heavy cur
tains; dark forms in solemn procession moved
to the more solemn music, through the vast
aisles of that great Cathedral ever and anon
he saw the glimpse of childlike faces about
the windows, as the sunlight stole through
the crevices of the curtains. While he stood
with awe, gazing upon this scene the music
sent forth its loudest peal the curtains drop
ped from the windows, and the sunlight of
Heaven burst in upon him with all its glory.
The Saviour has arisen ; the peals of music
rent the air; he was wrapped in wonder and
amazement. The idea struck him that it was
light that gave the dramatic representation
before him all its effect. If light could pro-
duce such an effect upon the imagination in
a Cathedral, what would be the effect of the
light of knowledge bursting upon the world.
All the people want, is light to throw off the
superstitions and dogmas of the day. Give
them knowledge, and you cannot impose up
ON the human mind. Il is ignorance that OPP
presses the human understanding, and keeps
the mind in bondage. Once let the sunlight
of knowledge burst in upon the human mind,
and the soul becomes elevated enobled and
throws all useless trash to the winds
X Il n
One day while he was walking the street of
Philadelphia, he saw large Gothic ediice /;
the scene of the Cathedral at Rome, burst up
on his mind; he stopped and gazed upon that
immense structure, and while viewing the
building, his eye caught the apparition of a
Sister of Charity as she passed the window.
He could not help recalling themany good sam
aritan deeds which were performed by this I'M
assuming class of beings. Beings whose lives
were devoted to the welfare of mankind, and
whose administering hand was found relieving
the wants and sufferings of the Jew and the
Gentle, without discrimination. 1t did not
matter what the clergy of the church, or the
members were guilty OF, the redeeming char
acter of the Sisters of Charity was sufficient to
save sodom.
Griffith M. Cooper, from New York, was
there and made quite quaint and effective
speech. His whole appearance was as Iplain
as pike staff, aud his language was fully as
cutting and severe as that of Elias Kick. The
words that went from his mouth were as cut
ting as two-edged sword, and without any
apparent effort on his part.
When young man, he served twelve years
of his time to the butchering business alias
soldering. One time when his vessel was
lying in the port of New York, he and many
others, amused themselves by going ashore
and indulging in the excesses of the great
City. At nights, they did not consider it any
extra debauchery to drink like boon compan-
ions usually do; to use profane language as
nolita soc;atv 10 acnIlstomed to and to gam