Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-05-02
DR.. Prime and DR.. CumminEs.

When the Rev. DR.. Prime (Presby-
terian), says the New York cores
pondent of the Worcester Spy, was in
troduced to the Rev. DIR. Cummings
(Catholic), the latter, looking down
from his grand height upon the lighter
form Of the other, sale, Really, DR..
Prime, I do not know but I ought to
be afraid to meet you. You might
have me burned ;. at the stake, ~ you
used to burn us in old times. But
STOP" continued the Catholic priest,
putting his hand to his forehead, Is If
trying to recall something to memory;
"perhaps I am little out. 1t seems
to me that I have read somewhere that
it was we who used to burn you in the
old times. Suppose We let the ques-
ton pass, and agree not to burn each
other tonight"
Meeting Dr.: Prime recently, We 10
lated this story, and asked him if il
was true.
"Nst a word of il, he said; "and
I do mot know anything out of which
it can have grown, unless it was the
passage that occurred the first time
that 1 dined at DR.. Cummings's.
"What was that Z" We inquired, With
aThis," said the doctor, with the
love of humor twinkling in his eye.
CDR. Cummings had twelve or fifteen
guests at his table, and a. he took his
seat at the head of it, the Austrian
consul at the other end (the consul and
the doctor are both dead now, he sur
veyed his guests with great satisfaction,
and observing that all were Catholics
but three OF four, he remarked, play
fully, We've got the hands Of these
like with them!' 'Ah!' I exclaimed,
Il thought We all belonged to the same
church this evening" (Which is that3'
asked DR.. Cummings. To the So
ciety of Ffie,ads,' replied; and the
company ratified the answer with hearty
applause" ....
We met the two divines at dinner on
another occasion, the first time they
were ever brought together. After
their Introduction, and mutual gratifi-
cation had been expressed, Dr.. Prime
said TO DR.. Cummings, "I opened .
letter addressed to You; but on finding
it was blunder of the post-ohice send
ing it to me, l Forwarded tito you with
out reading it. Indeed, Is it Was from
Rome, and in Latin, I was not anxious
to study it."
"Oh yes," said DIR. Cummings, II
remember ; it vas q dispensation We
had procured for a poor fellow; but I
suppose they thought you in greatest
need of it, and sent it to you first"
It was Lent and after the fish, as
meat was served, We remarked, "Well,
Father Cummings, what shall You be
helped tos No meat in Lent I sup
pose z"
cts meeting all the time," he ans
wered land viii take bit of that
beef, rare"
DR.. Cummings was genial, glorious
friend and companion No man en-
joyed . good dinner and good COM
pany more, or contributed moro to the
enjoyment of others. His last sickness
was lingering one. and his many
friends had mournful satisfaction in
visiting him to cheer him in his hou-s
Of weariness and pain. He was fond
of music, and the music of st. Ste-
phen's, of which he was the pastor, be-
came famous, and drew delighted
crowds to the church. Dr.. G. said to
DR.. Prime, in our hearing, II would
undertake to FIJI any Presbyterian
church in this city with people every
Sunday if You will let me furnish the
music; and it shall be, not opera mu
sic, not such ~ We have at 81. Ste.
phen's, but good Protestant. Presbyte-
fian music, such as your people would
come to enjoy"
And DR.. Cummings passion for mu-
sic, and giving it for the enjoyment Of
other people, was streng even in his
last days and hours. To Mr.. William
A. Seaver, President of the Adriatic
Insurance Company, friend to whom
he was tenderly attached, and who was
taking leave of him, he said, "Come
to the funeral, the music will be splen-
did"
We recall no instance of q keene1
sense of the qualification Of others and
utter self abnegation than in this irvi-
tation to attend ones own funeral foE
the sake of the music,-Edit0r's Draso.
er, Hasper's Magazine.
The following curious advertisement
appears in a New York morning journal:
Fifty dollars will be paid to any per
son who will in short time convert a
shy, low-speaking man into an lmpel IT,
nent, loud talker."