Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-01-01
Personal.

Colonel FoIney's last letter to the Phila-
delphia Press contains the following de-
scription OF Moncure d. Conway: Another
| character seems to stand in curious reia-
ton to this bitter controversy between the
theologians. That is the strangely gifted
and wholly original Moncure ID. Conway.
the head of the Materalistic congregation
at South Place Chapel, Finsbury, the tenn
pie in which fer many years preached the
celebrated W. j. Fox. Mr.. Conway Is a
| Nirginian, who came here first as an ad-
yanced advocate of the Union cause seven
wears ago Having been previously well
known in our country for the great ability
with which be resisted the productions OF
slavery and took issue with the peculiar
doctrines of the politicians in his native
| State, the prominence with which he iden-
titled himself with the North in London
soon gave him large hold among certain
advanced thinkers who have always SYM
pathized with America. In this way he
was called to the pulpit at South Place,
where be still continues to preside. attract
! ing large numbers, every Sunday morning,
| by the peculiarities of his opinions and his
style. \ tall, spare nan of about forty,
with a most int lectual yet ascetic face,
his Oratory is lite unpretesding, rarely
rising to defamation, and only when pre-
sentlng his strOnges; point expressing IN
tensity. lie is of the materialistic school,
in fact. bOw-shot beyond John Stuart Mill
in his thsisin-rejectIng a personal Deity
and insisting that what We call God is with
! in us-Our inner conception, manifested by
our aspirations after truth. South Place
| Chapel Is " Liberty Hall il the freedom
with which all creedS and opinions are dis
| cus,ed within Its walls. Robert Collier, OF
| Chicago filled his pulpit several times few
| years ago. and the Indian reformer, Chin
dar Sen, there set forth his views. Next
Thursday. Miss Downing, a Catholic, l. 10
discuss IN the debating society OF the chapel,
from her point of view, D." COnventicle In
situations. their use, Ctc.' | could not
help smiling on Sunday, after Conway had
denied the existence "a a devil. and pro-
claimed his doubt To d personal Deity, IN
Sistlng that every man had his own God IN
his better actions, when among the an
nUuncements OF the proceedings OF the COM
ing week be read notice OF a lecture TO be
delivered at 81. Georges Hall, BY Dr. Zerfh
Of the South hcnsington Museum. on the
Concrete and Abstract Nature of the De-
vii" An American gentleman at my side
who had been repeatedly startled By the ex-
tralrGluary positions OF Mr.. Conway, quiet
ly remarked, " hat IS the use Of lectur-
ing about the devil, when he has just been
trying T. convince Us that he has no exist
ence?' Ny friend left the chapel great
deal terrified at what he had heard, and
doubtless wcut into quarantine, TO get rid
Of the contagion, IL tue nearest CalyInistic
Church he could find.
1t Is related Of Mr. james Z. Osgool that
when he lett the Bowdoin class rooms his
father persisted that hc must become law
Yer. lie accordingly studied Blackstone in
Portland iJr a Few weeks. but built air
castles in quite another direction. lie had
heard Of TcknJr Il Fields, and wanted to
he publisher. One day be appeared to
them and introduced himself lie was en-
ployed, and before many months he became
indispensable 10 their business. Sitting
now IN his comfortable Office, surrounded
by his clever and genial partners. BY living
authors WHO are almost peerless, by the
portraits OF those whose memory i dear to
the world and by beautiful editions Of
beautiful works, he may congratulate him
sell upon an unusually mappy iruItion Of a
boy : dream y. !. Es0iag Post.
Oliver " eudel! Holmes, whom have a.
ludei 10 a> my room mate. gave promise Mt
that day Of al. he has -iLcc achieved. lie
wa>a BOY If mara Although OF under
-ize Tor his Years. DE- We thc leader IN every
game PLAYED 90 ihc green. Best IN cJmpo-
-ltl0u, most tcclra.c Ia recitation. exceed
~ his ass crates 10 public dl~putatIJn and
more generally Informed IN history and gcy-
graPhy thin tuey, he was al>1 the tectest
runner. -he lro~t hnpyant swimmer. the
Gdroi;cs. .oA player. and the manifest
champion al % tight. ol any one IN school. .
Partly from the tact that be was the grand .
son OF Old Judge Wendell, whose memory
was then reyercHcel .u Massachusetts,, part f.
~ because Dee wa~ hl'wn 90 be heir u q I.
considerable fortune. H-t still more on ac- +
count 10 bis ir'-r.~- 20 bis studies, he Wa .
the iaTeTlic 90 M Ai-a.S. the head master. .
Bat DE VA Hot le-- t-c 'i' rite of his n,ne- .
ty-odd school fellows ile caampl4ned over,
good cau-e,wA~ the trend of the oppressed, +
played LarlN, Told -1r truth, fought oIt .
. ..ar',4. aad did Iu'r. than all the masters .
t. c>tA. .i-a AIN. lPaH.i code 0t honor in .
ana out oi '-I3". az" ~ the boys ~ \. F.
D'fgs
ilr Peter P1ns1lu-. -t1-t old Texan oi 7
seq rnty-~iz Years. has bad TX wives. al
ways marry ing a young glii and 5 the
iath'r 81 hitA-iour children, lorty-elght of
" HON are living and dong well. - be
says.
The comments Of fbe ENGLISH and Amer
can press on the poverty " Ga-Ib.IIi have
aroused the ~u,ceptibilitiss Of