The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-03-08
The Big Trees.
Incident tn the Life of Bishop
'-'o'A +: . Ihon,Soa. -sC asu
[Fron the Delaware eohio) a~asette.I

|
We reached the "Big Trees just
MS the sun was going down behind tie
far-reaching mountains, but too worn
and weary with our days travel over
those snow-covered heights to make
anything but a slight investigation,
although with a desire that was diff
cult to keep within bounds, of the glo-
ries of that wonderful forest. Two OF
our party, no longer able to restrain
their Impotence, were up and away
with the first streak of dawn, and,
coming in to breakfast, and wild with
enthusiasm, would have gone on to
describe the wonders which their eyes
had beheld, had we not determined
to see for ourselves, begged them to
&c list.
They then proceeded to inform US
that during their wanderings through
the grove they had CHANGED upon a
magnificent tree, which, strange to say,
but fortunate for their plans, was
without q name, and that it was their
desire, seconded by that Of the propri-
etor of the place, and with the consent
of the bishop, to christen the tree in
honor of the Methodist Episcopal
Church with the name Of Bishop
Thomson; the ceremony to be per
formed by the ministers present, and
out in the grandest temple that the
hand of God had ever upreared.
Shrinking, as ne always did, from
any public demonstrations made in
his behalf, the Bishop refused ; but
being urged, he at last consented.
Truly it was q magnificent tree,
towering there toward the skies three
hundred and fifty feet high. and as
straight and as smooth as an arrow,
and sound, as it was said, from root to
top-a fitting type, remarked one, in
that respect especially, of the church
for which we are about to name it, tc
which we all said amen Near by
grew a noble tree named after Abra.
ham Lincoln, an object of sweet yet
mournful interest to us all, and tc
which we imagined the soft, green
MOSES chung with a more tender clasp,
and toward which the bright little
wild-fowers at its foot leaned more
lovingly than to any other other tree.
Directly opposite another grand and
mighty monarch of that forest, had
but a few days before, been named in
honor of the Episcopal Church, after
Bishop Kip, of San francisco.
/ wish / could portrayra o. it well
demands, thersweet and hallowed beau.
ty of that scene and place as we stood
grouped together beneath that glori
GUS tree, the gentlemen with uncov
cred beads, and the ladies in attitudes
[of devotion, with no eye upon US save
His in whose sight such scenes Of sa-
cre.lDess and peace below are well
pleasing. There, no sound was heard
save the voice of the, wind echoing
through the branches of those lofty
TT, es, ikethe- distant-roaraet Niagara;
Or the sorrowful chirp of some lore,
lost bird, bewildered and, frightened
alike by the majesty and sublimity all
about it. 1rf-frae -
After singing a hymn we knelt
down on the carpet of grass and moss
beneath the tree, the Bishop offering
a beautiful and feeling prayer, after
which the tree was presented to the
church by one of the ministers pres
ent, in the Bishops name. Then,
some pleasant and appropriate senti-
ments being offered by several of the
company, we all united in singing,
"Praise God from whom all blessings
How,n
and were dismissed with the benedic-
| ton.
1Jtwas with feelings hat come to us
but seldom in this life, and which by
us can never be forgotten, that we
moved away from that grand solemn
temple not reared by mortal hands.
q holy awe was DER us all,
~. We walked with God below
All! how freshly, yet how painfully
it all comes back to me on this fair
sweet summers day, with the warm
sunlight beaming into my window and
dancing over the carpet at my feet,
| followed by the soft breezes with their
wings laden with the fragrance of the
honey-suckle blossoms and theubreath
of the new-mown hay. 1t was just
such a day then, but oh ! the differ
ence between then and now. This same
warm sunlight and these same cool
breezes dance and play over a lowly
grass-grown grave that hides the form
of him who was the center of all our
joys that day, and to whom, now, all
earthly joys and all earthly honors are
as nothing.
An elegant marble slab, with the
Bishops name handsomely engraved
thereon, has since been inserted in the
tree, and today it stands not only in
honor of a church whose kingdom
stretches from shore to shore, but
alike, too, of him whose chiefest glory
was in the good of that church, and
whose long life of usefulness in its
service caused her altar fires to burn
with a brighter and pures glow, and
whose memory to that church, now
that he has gone to the church tr;-
umphant above, is as a precious oint-
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