Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1871-02-10
For the Delaware Gazette.
Ar THE ZIG TREES.
An Incident In ths Life Of bishop
ThOmso1s

4 A Incident
4 Thomson
We reached the Big Trees Just as
/ the sun was going down behind the 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 thrill
| ling with desire that was difficult to
/ keep within bounds, Of the glores OF
| that wonderful forest. Two of our par
i ty, no longer able to restrain their impa-
/ tience, were up and away with the first
streak of dawn, and coming in to break
| fast, 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 desist.
They then proceeded to inform us that
/ during their wanderings through the
grove they had CHANGED upon a magnifl-
cent tree which, strange to say, but for
tunate for their plans, was without
name, and that it was their desire, sec
onded by that of the proprietor Of the
place and with the consent of the Bishop.
to christen the tEee Ia honor Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. with the
name of Bishop Thomson; the cere-l
mony to be performed by the ministers
present, and out in the grandest temple
that the hand of God had ever upreared.
| Shrinking, as he always did from any
| public demonstrations made in his be-
half, the Bishop refused; but being
urged, he at last consented, and we, in
body, proceeded to the tree, which was
henceforth to bear the honors of
church whose blessings were as fruitful
-. ,--l4 1ss,-l~ hot IN
nourished its roots, and whose glory is
as unfading as the warm blue sky that
smiled above it.
Truly it was magnificent tree, tower
ing 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 thai respect es-
pecially, of the church for which we are
about to name it to which we all said
Amen. Near by grew a noble tree
named after Abraham Lincoln, an OBJ
ject of sweet yet mournful interest to US
ALL and to which we imagined the soft
green masses clung with a more tender
clasp, and toward which the bright little
wild flowers at its foot leaned more low
ingly than to any other tree. Directly
opposite another grand and mighty
monarch of thatforest had. but a few
days before, been named in honor of the |
Episcopal Church, after Bishop --,
of San Francisco.
wish I could portray, as it well de-
mands, the sweet and hallowed beauty
of that scene and place as we stood
grouped together beneath that glorious
tree. the gentlemen with uncovered
heads and the ladies in attitudes of de-
votion, with no eye upon US save His in |
whose sight such scenes of sacredness |
and peace below are well pleasing. |
There no sound was heard save the |
voice of the wind echoing among the |
branches Of those lofty trees, like the
distant roar of Niagara or the sorrow-
full chirp Of some lone. lost bird, be- |
wildered and frightened alike by the |
majesty and sublinity all about it.
The hymn commencing with these
words,
Jesus, the Name high oyer all,
ever favorite with the Bishop, was an
nounced and sung with a spirit and a |
zeal that only such an occasion and /
place could inspire, rising almost into a |
shout of rapturous joy as-the last verse,
Happy. if with my latest breath,
may but gasp His name;
Preaeh HIM to all. and cry in death,
Behold, behold the Lamb!'
fell from the lips of those faithful am
bassadors of Christ ''whose feet were
beautiful upon the mountains
Those who have heard Bishop Thorn |
son preach often will remember how in
variably, especially after discoursing on |
the glories of Christ's kingdom, and the I
privilege of laboring for the advance
ment of that glorious kingdom, with |
tear-dimmed eyes and quivering lips, I
and his face lit up with smile of i'm
mortal beauty, he would close by repeat
ing that verse. Verify that wish was
verified in his case, for to whom did he |
not preach and in dying with his latest I
breath was able to gasp the Savior's
name.
After singing the hymn we knelt down /
on the carpet of grass and moss beneath I
the tree, the Bishop offering a beautiful
and feeling prayer, after which the tree
was presented to the church by one of
the ministers present, in the Bishops |
name. Then, some pleasant and ap- |
propriate sentiments being offered by
several of the company, we all united in |
singing,
Praise God from whom all blessings fow,'' |
and were dismissed with the benediction. |
It was with feelings that 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.
A holy awe was DER MS all,
We walked with God below.
All how freshly. yet how painfully it /
all comes back to me on this fair sweet
H.
beaming into my window and dancing
over the carpet at my feet, followed by
the soft breezes with their wings ladened
with the fragrance of the honeysuckle
blossoms and the breath of the new
mown hay. It was just such day then, !
but oh the difference between then and
1f0z0. This same wHrm sunlight and
these same cool breezes dance and play
over a lowly grass-grown grave, that
hides the form of him who was the cen
tire of all our joys that day. and to whom,
ar0z0, all earthly joys and all earthly
honors are as nothing.
An elegant marble slab, with the Bish- |
ops name handsomely engraved there |
on, has since been inserted in the tree,
and to-day it stands not only in honor
of church whose kingdom stretches |
from shore to shore, but alike too of him |
whose chletest glory was In the good of
that church, and whose long life of use
fulness in its service caused her altar
fires to burn with a brighter and purer
glow; and whose memory to that |
church, now that he has gone to the |
church triumphant above, is as a pre-
cious ointment.
Alas for the church, and alas for
those who loved him, that another mar
Bile slab must so soon be erected in COM
memoration of his departed worth but,
oh, joy for him who, now seated beneath
the spreading branches of the tree of |
life. with that innumerable company
who have washed their robes and made |
them white in the blood of the Lamb, |
joins with them in singing the praises of
Him, to whom shall be all glory and
praise, forever and ever.
ANNIE E. THOMSON.
,,,a,, ,,,h, ebot,Id hove +1,a ,.,Ir,, Co.,