The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-07

The Seventh Lecture of the Course before the Library
Association of the Charles Street Methodist EPISCOPAL
Church, delivered last evening by Dr. GEORGE CUM
MINIS, suhject-"Hugh Miller" No study said the Lee.
turer comparable in interest the study of Human
Life No grandeur of nature equal the gran
deur of human soul. Men will the to view
the scenery of Switzerland but there is that is i'm
pressve in the spirit of the unettered guide who pilots
the traveller the perous steep of Mount Blanc than
all the submities of nature around him, and men will
walk revereny beneath the shadow and the roof of the
mighty cathedrals OF St Peter, ST. Paul. of Cologne and
Man and oreget that the soul of the architect who plan
ned the glorious pile is greater and sublimer than all
Wondrous are the freScoes of Michael Angelo and the
cartoons of Raphael the verse Of Homer and Mil.
ton, the dramas of Shakespeare and the essays of
Bacon they are but dim and broken lights of the
souls that produced them, greater than ALL
True as this is the study of human life becomes
far more absorbing if it be the history one who the
architect of his greatness sublime still is the spec
ace if in such life behold all the elements the
true man. The lecturer next invited the auditors study
human life eXemplifed in Hugh Miller-frst the Gro.
marty Stone Mason, next the mighty Champion of ReIi
gious Freedom; about all the reverent man of science
whose crownng work exhibit the harmony of sci
ence and scripture, of God and his works the stone
mason of Cromarty we find him the type ofrue manhood
the ideal of the self made seeliant man In the Moth
of Scotland where wild and lofty looks upon
the waters of the Moray FIRTH might be seen in The
month of November 1907, little boy five years old
stretched upon grassy knoll behind his mothers house.
intenty gazing the That little boy the child
of shipmaster who the 9th Of November had put
sea from the harbor of Peterhead and whose little bark
for the last time the midst of wild and
The night closed dark and stormy and vesge of the
vessel seen. When hope of the shpmaster's
cIirnh 4h Ill " cry % iet 5 | ii't'e by "oelu
cHmn the nils day after day, and month after
month, to watch the restless for his fathers
reIuan, rel urn weeks eek ana months passed and brought
grief ever remembered afterwards by him as prospect
whci sunshlny and sparkling for time, became sud
denly enVeloped in cloud and storm Hugh Miller said
the lecturer was but little indebted the schools for his
mental development His first teacher was an elderly
Scotch dame under whom he made the discovery that
te art OF reading was the art of finding stories in books
From that time the drudgery of study became his
delightful amusement. Hugh Miller never became cas
slcal Scholar though he lived to become very
classic writers of the English tongue. His attempt
master the rudments of Latin well illustrates his
ter labored, he says with olerabe diligence for day
or two, but there to tell me what the rules
meant, or whether they really meant anything; and
When got as far as penaa, pen, and how
the changes were rung poor word that did
seem to me of more Importance in the old language
thah IN the modern, began miseraby to flag and to
long for my English reading, with its amusing stories
and pcture-like descriptions None of my classmates
Were by any means bright and yet when the class
which the master very learned TO distinguish as
the heavy cass'--was called up, I was generally
found at its neither end That he loser by the
OF classical mental training do not doubt How then
did he supply this loss? He turned aside from the portals
antiquity to drink in the pure well of English
defed" There was, however another school in which
he was for years digent and living student The 'Hl
OF Cromay he says was at once my true school and my
favorte play ground" In this great temple of nature
under the guidance of Uncle Sandy he studied geology
hammer in hand. Commencing with rock and flower and
stream and finding in them the food which his mind
fed This love of nature grew with his growth, and to
his latest hour proved of his purest enjoyments
the age of IL he entered upon the life of
HIS uncle would have sent him to college, but such life
possessed attractions for him. Eie had relish for
Law Medicine and reverend christian to rush
forbidden into the sacred office. The selection of the
quarry for his field congenia his brought
him into communion with nature What position could
be better adapted to the training of the future Geoogis
Where too could selfreance better than amid
stern toll of honorable laborq II was in the midst Of
this busy life in the quarry that he found to become
more thoroughly acquainted with the literature
tongue The classics of English Literature his daily
am ruri,,t hnlsJ
while his fellow workmen idled and slumbered. What
wonder he burst suddenly upon the world from his OBJ
pen of wondrous skill, and writing in style that Baron
Hume said he had begun to regard as one of
of the lost arts until he discovered it in the writings
Hugh Miller Such was the Cromarty stone mason the
example Of indomtabe perseverancehe type of erect
and unbendng manhood. Two facts of his life will forc
bly, exhibit this last trait. So strong his disgust
the hollow homage paid by of rank genius that in
the zenith of his fame he peremptory declined the hosp
taty rendered him by the most accomplished Scottish
mobiles. To the close of his life he worker;
would he consent to occupy post whose duties he felt
himself unable to fulfil, or concerning which he had
single doubt. In the midst of his scientific studies he
published those works of such value that his friends
sought to place him in position where he might be able
to devote all his time to science He offered situa
tion under Government, which would have yielded him
salary "a 900 per annum though the duties were
merely nominal, he declined fearing take upon him
self any money responsibility. We turn to a
era said the lecturer in the life of Hugh Miller when the
obscure of Cromarty became champion Of
religious freedom. The struggle in the Scottish church
es between secuarism spiritual independence enlist
ed Hugh Miller sturdy combatant the side of
free church The House Of Lords had decided adverse
the demands of the friends of spiritual independence and
Hugh Miller launched forth his noble protest letter
to Lord Brougham by of the Scotch people" That
letter stamped him as fitting leader in the great strug
gle. journal established to advocate the
Hugh Miller appointed to conduct it. He achieved
great success. His strong ers vigorous style awOke the
whole nation to of the great struggle and prepared
the for the independence of the Scottish Church At
last after ten years Of conflict the crownng triumph
in the freedom. On 1875, ia
the assembling of the Kirk of Scotland 500 minister
with Thomas Chalmers at their head and forth
from their Churches from their homes leaving all
hind for the precious OF free unettered Church.
The Lecturer next sketched the of Hugh Miller
man of science who set before him his life work the
OF science and sculpture The blending into
one harmonious uterance the testimony of the Bible
testimony Of the Rocks. The sad narrative his sui
tide during paroXsym of insanity the result over
asked BRAIN given towards the close of the
All Scotland thrilled with the terrible tidings-the whole
nation wept his bier. mighty throng followed
lim to his tomb and the City of Ednhurg put sack
10th for her honored citizen she laid him by the side
# her follow in the cause Of religious freedom,