The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-11-04
us to dwell, too long perhaps, upon this pleas


ant topic.
1t may be proper here to remark that we
heard in Harrisonburg most favora bic accounts
of the prosperity of ARgerOaa Seminary In
Winchester. Mrs. Mary Magill, its accom-
plished Principal IA daughter of the late Judge
Henry ST. George Tucker is so well known
that nothing more is necessary to be said, ex
cept that the school has the rare advantage of
deriving nearly all Its teachers from the refined
circle OF her own family.
The Ann Snpith academy at Lexington is
making, We hear, fine start under the care
and active management OF the Rev. VIM. S.
White, ID. ID. All who know DR.. White-how
young and fresh in feeling, even while old age
is laying It's hand upon him-how peculiarly he
is suited for this task, and the experience and
enthusiasm he brings to the work-would ex-
pect nothing short of prosperous course. If
ROckbridge county, full of Presbyterianism,
good circumstances, and of observation-disclosures
does not now come forward to sustain this
Seminary under the faithful care of such
man, so long and well known to them, will it
not proclaim a fatal blindness to its own inter
est?
If it would not be extending these notices
too far, we should like to say that it was graft
flying to hear brethren from South Western
Va, make such favorable mention of the Jack
son Female Institute at Abingdon 1t is tax
ing, we learn, fine start under It's present
Principal, the Rev. Samuel D. Stuart, and it
may be hoped it is to be a blessing 10 the
whole region from which its patronageis drawn
Our Presbyterians should never be torgettul
of their noble history, and should strive with
all their might to uphold schools of every
grade, 10 which the religious as well as intel
lectual Improvement of their children shall be
cared for.
1t was pleasant ride of seven miles from
Staunton out to ROSemOat, to visit our veneer
able brother, DR.. Mcfarland. He is now
verglng upon tourscOre years, is almost wholly
land aside from the active duties of his minis
try, and Is suffering much from infrmities and
maladies under which II is amazing that he has
not sunk long ago. The church of Bethel is
| provided with an acceptable Co pastor, Rev.
james Murray, which is great comfort to the
senior pastor, who mas 50 long and usetully
served them; and who with "a heertulresigna-
ton u the viii Of God, waits "all his appointed
days. For more than forty years no minis
ter IN the Synod OF Virginia has been in more
active connection with its various interests
Such thing as his absence from meeting OF
the Synod was hardly known, until OF late
when physical strength 10 attend was no longer
afforded. His cheerful presence was ever
nailed with delight by his brethren and by the
Christian people; while the soundness of his
judgment and prudence of his counsels have
been at all times greatly relied on in all our
deliberations La the midst of great bodily
feebleness it was delightful to fnd through
several hours of animated conversation, that the
interests of the Church keep an ever deepen
ing hold upon mind that still grasps them
with undated vigOr.
We shall plead no apology 70: saying in this
connection, that those brethren who favor
division of the Synod of Virginia, will derive
Il very strong and satisfactory confirmation in
the correctness of their judgment by knowing
that it comedies with that of one who has so
long and carefully studied all the considera-
tiOnS involved in such a STEP When that
measure has heretofore been proposed Dr.
Mcfarland, with the vast majority of the
| Synod, was against it-being of the opinion
that the time had not come. He is now as de-
cidedly of the opinion that it has come. The
intimation was given on the floor of the Synod
in Harrisonburg that the proposition to divide
was just one of the ever restless agitations of
Young america" If such good brethren
could communicate with such of the fathers as
Drs. John Fl. Rice, Conrad Specie, William
Hill and others among the departed, or Drs
AcElhenny, Wilson, and Mcfarland among
the living, they would ascertain the fact that
division of the Synod of Virginia, so far from
being newborn notion of radicalism in the
brain of Young America, was many a time
sobery talked of and looked forward to, before
most of us Young americans were born
But more of this subject at another time
Returning TO Stanton late in the evening
of Monday, Goth ult., and alone on horse back,
we were reminded of the many delightful Wis.
its made to this secluded home of the venera-
bic pastor, in years gone by-days and nights
of happy cOnverse-never to return again upon
earth. A residence Of twenty five years in
the county Of Augusta gives pastor Opportu-
mites of social intercourse with his brethren
there, and in Rockbridge, (both of them dot
ted over with Presbyterian churches) such as
are rarely found within the limits of our
Church. How much would hundreds of ex
cellent brethren, far separated and hardly able
TO see the faces of each other once year, give
for such seasons. Ii is indeed still precious
TO recall in memory the long years of delight
full Christian fellowship in so many pleasant
Christian homes over the beautiful Valley
But they are years that are gone Is it out
of place to say to brethren now there Be
sure to make the most of your privilege
Multiply, draw closer and brighten, for your
own sake and for the gospels sake, the links
of this golden chain. The time for doing |
that good work on earth will soon pass away, |
and the review Of it will seem to you what it |
now does to the writer of these "wayside |
note" - as dream lohea one alcaketh."
Rev. P. P. Flournoy Presbyterian
church of Salisbury, Maryland, to which Mr..
Flournoy has miniStered for about nine months, |
recently invited him by unanimous vote to |
become their pastor, fixing his salary at nine
Il