The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-09-01


destruction of twelve hundred edlhces foi
public worship; and they have said that II
the eye of the General Assembly, the Pres
byteries are nothing more than so many dis'
solving views, with the feeting nature Of
which the public may be entertained. They
have been deaf to all protests, expOstulatlons
and appeals. They have committed their
edicts to the Doomsday Book from which
not one syllabeis is to be erased. The loss IN
the South will be more than made up by the
intended reunion of the two Northern
Schools, but this will be nothing more than
a mere numerical gain. Discord may soon
arise, and DR.. Breckenridge may become IL
tigious, as was Arnauld, of Port Royal mem
ory. Many of the Northern clergy have
made success the standard of right. Scores
of sermons were preached commemorative to
Lees repulse at Gettysburg. Why mot some
after the defeat of Mcdowell, Hooker, Burn
side, Pope and McClelland? Success as
the standard of right would justify the at
tack of La@,ass elSon on Copenhagen, the
quelling of gary by Russia, the subju-
CATION of VeSstia by the Austrian Kaiser /;
the prostration of Poland breathing only
through the lungs of the Gear; and many
other enormities. If Tom MelroSe wishes
anything sincerely, it is that clergymen who
have forSaken their appropriate calling may
return to it as speedily as possible. They.
cannot become eminent in both Divinity and
Politics, for that marriage is too Gretna
Greenish, even though blacksmith should
weld the nuptial chain. The eye that sur
veys the Universe at glance, is never more
intensely fixed than when gazing IN appro-
baton on such ministers as Herbert in his
lOwly cell, or Neff on his Alpine rounds
Nor does that eye ever flash in more fiery
indignation than when it looks on that min
lister who furnishes the gold of the gospel by
the use of any unclean drOss, The studies
of the true minister are peculiar; his duties
are full of self-denial, his aims disinterested.
His life may be painful, but his crown is
brilliant and bis remuneration is infinite.
The Atlantic cable has just brought me
heap of news on one of its wires. 1t must
have cost you at least thirty pounds sterling
to send me such batch over the wide,
wide sea. And what's the news? Why,
something that will interest the gentlemen
of Richmond and the ladies up in the
mountains; for such would marry during
the war, and of course after the peace.
Wat Pringle was very cunning. He put
wedding into his letters, and verify
they were read both in the LOwlands and
at the foot of the Ridge-that line of poetry
printed in blue ink in the great book of Vir-
ginia landscapes. 1t seems then that Min
Ysrrow is to wed Abby Dryburgh. He
could not suit cslAseif in his own shire, but
must needs trpdge over to Berwick. Abby
is said to be an Algebraist, and as Descar-
tes applied Algebra to Geometry, it is my
wish that she may apply her knowledge to
the acres of his Broadlaw farm, and find a
gold mine in the Lowther Hills, and save
him from the consequences of his Incidence.
Before leaving the firth of Forth, my sus-
picion was on the alert that Andy Ettrick
had taken fancy to Jane Nethercleugh, of
the town of Locherbie; but he didn't 60 very
far to be pleased, for Locherbie is only
twelve miles from Dumfries. The President
over here is named Andy, and perhaps her
imagination was taken with the name. She
makes up for her lack of beauty by the ele-
ganee of her address. Beauty fades, but
fascinating manners may sometimes last
three score and ten years. And then she is
such an enthusiast in all things appertaining
to the Kirk that if the Central will print
these letters, copy of them shall be sent to
Lady Ettrick. The Letters of Wat Pringle,
Peter Bell, Arthur Jennings, Tom Dermody,
Ulrich Bodmer, Walter Bayne, and others
of the Literati appeared in that paper, and
why should those of Melrose be excluded !?
But we have not given out all the news,
for my correspondent, Edward Stirling, has
gone over to Culross and bewitched Amy
MelrOse, my third cousin. You bear the
name of the shire in which you were born,
and its capital was once the residence Of
kings; and your baptismal name reminds me
of DR.. Beatties Minstrel, youth who must
have been reared either in Forfar or among
the heaths of Kincardine. Hope you may
not be wandering Bard, for with learned
wife z IS you would soon leave Stirling
t | - ~ DA~s-~~---Lif0 has anmf
hills and Some thorns. Beware then o.
leaving the practical for the ornamental.
For several days my position has beer
uneasy. The detectives were on my track
and Richmond was all alive with whispers
that Court martial composed of black coats
was to be called for the trial of the Culrosl
Spy. We thought the court would haV,
been made up of red coats, or blue coats
but we felt no very great apprehensions TO
Drs. Boardman and Vandyke would hav
volunteered as my counsel. In addition t.
this the President has become POntif VIII
is disposed from natural generosity to gran
absolution without any fee. Hope he ma,
be sustained by the South in all his effort
to restore the Constitution. Some thin
that secession is only scotched, not killed