Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-01-01
New YORK, Nov. 2, '58

This is the festival of All Saints, and
charming day it has been. The Catholic and
Episcopal churches have all been open, and
generally we'll attended. AT Trinity Church,
after the morning service, an incident occur
red which, in some of the associations connec-
ted with it, is SO fraught with interest that l
make no apology for describing it somewhat
particularly.
Some years ago there lived in Boston a
young man, Of one OF the best families in the
city, handsome, intelligent, well educated, of
agreeable manners and address. and exceed
ngly popular with all WHO. knew bin. Still
he was most generally known as q fast"
young man, and noted for his extravagauce
in the expenditure OF money, his disregard
for those conyentionalites of which society
requires the moralities all within its pale
The result of such career need not be des-
cribed as it is seen every day in great cities,
happening in despite Of the precepts of theju-
diciaus and the warning examples Of the nm
prudent The last chance that seemed to be
left for the reinstatement Of the subject Of
our story in the good opinion of his
friends, Of himself, and of the the world,
was voyage in some responsible capacity
that should test the sincerity OF his desire TO
redeem himself
Bv the aid Of friends he procured such an
opportunity, and left his native city as the
commander of merchant vessel, bound in a
long and somewhat hazardous voyage. In the
the course Of it he found himself among the
Feiee Islands, and having occasion to go as
hore on Cne Of them, he visited the rude dwel-
ling of native chief who entertained him hos
pitably, and, as he was about to depart, re-
Guested him to pray to the Christians God
with and for that savage family.
Here was q dilemma. Tho attitude and act
of prayer had long been strange to the youth,
and he was not prepared for such a request
and in default of his ability to comply witht,
tSe;.F .'ae .olaief (who had been probably visit
. 81 ard iaugiS by some wandering missiona-
nv who mad catisally landed on that island)
rails 90 h.. yoi.e. .in prayer, while the native of
chr.stiaa ard:c;Yiliisd land, himself unused
to devotot; 'S;aJ BY snd listened Was
not this striking scene But mark the re-
suit. Our Young sailor returned to his
ship, and in due course of time, to his
home.
Fastening to his brother, clergyman Of
the Episcopalian church residing in the neigh
borhood, he told him the story of the pray
er he heard put up by savage islander in
that far distant ocean, and confessed to him
that that prayer had been followed by an an
swering effect, in the conversion of him who
was so strangely called upon to listen to it.
He now desired to devote himself actively,
and in the most self sacrificing way, to the
cause Of religion. Steadily adhering to his
purpose, he became candidate for orders in
the church, and an accepted missionary to
Africa, whittier he is about to 90 under the
auspices Of the Foreign Missionary Commit
tee of the Protestant Episcopal Church. But
not alone.
The incident of to-day, which referred to
in the commencement Of my story, was the
following The services of the day being
finished, at Trinity Church, that superb and
spacious temple was almost Immediately fl
led to oyerflOwing by crowd of expectant
spectators Of a most interesting scene
The clergyman alluded to in my narrative
came in and took his place in the cbancel -
The front portals of the church were
thrown open, and bridal party entered and
advanced to the altar, where fair young bride
(the daughter of one of the officiating5minis-
ter's most respectable parishoners) was unit
ed in wcdlock TO the hero (for is he not he
70 p of my narrative whose labors as a mis-
sionary of Christianity she has devoted him
self to share.