The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-10-26

piaht In the Broad street Methodist Church
by the Hon. William B. Reed, Of Philadel-
fphis. The church was we'll filled, the au-
dience embracing the most Intellectual and
refined portions Of our citizens. After
PRAYER BY the Rev. DR.. Duncan, the DIS
tinguished speaker was introduced by Joel
B. Watkins, Esq, president Of the Associs-
tion, who msde few appropriate remarks.
Mr. Reed commenced by saying that
when the committee did him the honor Of
asking him to read . lecture, be was con-
scious of two difficulties in, his way. One,
the long disuse Of whatever faculties he
might have had for that kind Of work the
other. and greater one-for % they knew,
where there was will there was way
the almost impossibility, In the excited and
morbid atmosphere they had been breath
| ing for the last few years, Of finding sub
| iect on which, even for an hour, he could
Commune, 80 distant and 30 attractive as
to make us forget the sorrows and horrors
of the times In which Of late our lot had
been cast.
After some further Introductory remarks,
he told the audience he would try and take
them to distant world, and give them
some glimpses of what he saw In places Ia
which, for more than year, he lived and
acted. ars eos i, g..s.
He then gave description Of his Jour-
ney to the East, how he entered and how
he left It, and alluded in glowing terms TO
the magnificent gateways Of Nature, as 1t
were, through which he passed. e.
His address was mainly devoted to pic
lures Of Eastern lsnds-his impressions
in the Holy Land, in China, In Rome, and
other classic spots-the manners and GUS
toms, the politics and religion, of the
Chinese--and descriptions of the "hideoua
East, where every prospect pleases, but
man Is uery VILE" 1t was in the East that
he was first confronted by Paganism; the
scene Of the worship was picturesque, but
he pronounced It essentially falseh0Od and
the father of lies. The Chinese were
described as an intellectual people, but
they rejected devotion almost entirely
and Of their religion, he came away know.
ing as little about it as he did when he
went. -
He alluded to the changes and decay
that had taken place In many parts Of the
world, but China still stood where she
had stood for centuries past. They had
hospitals of various kinds, and dispense.
ries; and when patient went for pre-.
scription, the doctor gave him Q number
and let him draw lots for one to take. The
Chinese were kind and tender to chill
dren, but had little regard for the
memory of the dead. The vicinity oi
Shanghai was one vast burying- ground, yet
it was not sacred ground the people, In
the words Of philosopher, would botan-
ize upon their mothers graves" Thishs
contrasted with the lovely Hollywood near
this city, where repose the remains OF SO
many gallant dead, whose memory he
hoped would ever be cherished. II
The lecture throughout was clothed in
beautiful language, and we would not at
tempt to mar its effect by mere sy.
nopsis. The concluding portion will show
its style and application. In closing, Mr..
Reed said:
have spoken of my memory Of the
East as a vision of great enjoyment.
Especially is it SO by contrast with the
haggard realities of our days of SORROW.
have tried, in the hours communion we
have had together, to turn your minds
away from home and towards those scenes
of interest, if not Of beauty, and you can
best say how / have succeeded. But, for
me, it has been an effort; cannot shake
off the present and the actual. ! am now
conscious of the feeling exactly the ira
weller has on the slopes of ,Vesuvius, look
ing westward as the sun goes down, and
the blue sea and the islands at distance
are SO still and peaceful, and night is'eorn.
| ing, and the gentle stars are shining out
above, and yet when he looks close to him.
self-the actual eruption is overland at
the dark, thin crust on which he stands, he
sees the fierce glare Of the lava In the cre-
vices at his feet, and hears the groan OF
convuised nature within the mountain near
him, and does not know-ds at this mo-
ment you and do not-at what moment the
new earthquake is to come and swallow up
all that is dear, all that is left to Us.
Perhaps, my friends, in all this gloom
am in error ). perhaps these fears have nc
foundation. If so, can do nothing but
what was done by the wise man In en- East
ern apologize ! have lately read in the
pages of one Of the great authors Of the
century, and Of which the application
must leave to you. 1t will be my word ol
grateful farewell to you tonight. ~
Thus runs the legend:
In the blest age Of innocence, an aged
man entered with hurrying steps the place
where the people assembled at noon, and
instantly attracted the general attention
and wonder by the perturbation Of his
gestures, and by strange trouble, both In
bis eyes and over his whole c0untenance.
After q short but deep silence, when the
first buzz of varied inquiry was becoming
audible, the old man moved toward Z
small eminence, and having ascended 1t,
he thus addressed the hushed and listening
company: l ii. r
In the warmth of the approaching mid.
day, % was reposing In the vast cavern,
out of which, from the northern portal,
issues the river that winds through our
vale, . voice, powerful, yet not from iti
loudness, suddenly hailed me. Guided BY
my ear, looked toward the supposed
place of the sound for some form from
which it had proceeded. Ibeheld nothing
but the glimmering walls Of the cavern
Again, as was turning round, the same
voice hailed me; and whithersoever ]
turned my face. thence did the voice seem
to proceed. l. stood STILL therefore, and
in reverence awaited its communication
aSojournef of earth" (these were its
words) "hasten to the meeting Of thy
brethren, and the words which thou
now nearest, the same do thou repeat
unto them. On the thirtieth moon from
the morrow's sun-rising, and during the
space Of thrice threa days and thrice three
nights, thick cloud will cover the sky, and
= kaaxr raina lnlE an thA earth. Go va,