Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-05-03
Correspondence of the SENTINEL
Letter from the Rev. d. j. Beaie.

| PRINCES ANNE, Md. April ~, 1911
Mr. EpIToR Here | am way down
in "My Maryland. l left home on
Taesday morning last. This ancient
rJ,ce il precisely one hundred miles
saatb of St Georges 1t IS about as
f,. south as Fredericksburg. Va. The bis
terical interest that clusters around this
region, is very precious indeed IL Is
tae old stamping ground of our church
the yery cradle of Presbyteriani'm Ill
this country-the place where vine was
ulap1ed whose boughs are sent out unto
the sea, and her branches unto the
rivers
About the year 1876 Col William
Stevens, one of the Governors counsel
| W rote letter to the Presbytery of La
o an. Ireland for a minister. In two or
three wears after. Francis Mekamie was
sent, in response, to labor in the colonies
He settled fifteen miles south OF Prin
cess Anne. Here and hereabouts MI
, McKamie organized the first American
! Presbyterian churches: Rehobe'h' snow
l Hill, Pitts Greek, Princess Anne &c &c.
The early settlers were Scotch-lrlsh and
like their posterity, very intelligent and
hospitable people.
The country appears to Pennsyl-
vanian too level and sandy, but many
portions of it possess very high state
of cultivation. There are magnificent
pine and white oak trees on every hand.
| never saw more beautiful forest trees.
and flowers and shrubb9ly than l saw IN
ramble through Princess Anne to-day
Nearly half the residences have splendid
lawns and flower gardens. The sight is
beautiful. The air is full of fragrance,
and the trees full of singing birds An
old minister said to me TO day isn't this
place little Eden p OF course vegeta
ton is much further on here than at my |
home. The foliage is almost full grown
on all the trees-the clover is foot high |
the peas are in blossom-.he potatoes
are six or eight inches out of the ground
the straw berries are almost read y for
market.
1t is said this town has not grown
much for seventy five or one hundred
years. The population is one thousand
souls. There are many buildings here
erected befo,e the revolutionary war
one or two is said to have been built
nearly one hundred years before that
period, and they are good houses. The
brick was imported. The church in
which we have convened is $50 years
old; aud it appears perfect now. The
ivy is handsomely trained on its walls.
There are many families here whose an
cestors inhabited this section of country
two hundred years ago. Ny Elder and
| are stopping with one of these families.
They astonish Us with their intelligence
and culture. Old aud young read Latin
read ly. 1t is no uncommon thing for
girls of l3 or Ia summers to read Caeser
readily and the old folks can repeat
Baxter Doddridge Bunyan and Burns
and Archibald Alexander by the page
But the hospitality of this people is
1t is almost painful. They
do too much to make you comfort |
able. What delightful sighs we have
had INTO the country what offers of
boating parties and fish excursions &c.
Nc. They want the Presbytery to stay
over Sabbath. We have a sermon every
and one every EVENING" new
feature in Presbyterial meetings. The J
people cannot all get into the house,
when sermon is preached. Thus We {
nave good religious time Of it, instead
If mere formal meeting for the transac-
ion of business. No member of this
body is permitted to go home until adjourn ;
nent. except on account of sickuess.-
Unlike some Presbyteries | know this A
me keeps all its members until its close
More anon. a
ID. j. BEALE. d