The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-01-18

Atlanta tOIIt-p''
IN Friday night last an interesting
oront occurred at Wesley Chapel (tirst) [
Methodist church in this city, Dr. W;
p Harrison. the eloquent and learned
nastor Of the church, IN COM junction Win
I Few bro,bnr ministers and large con T.
g,ragation OF the members OF the church
SaI5 O strratcb service" that is, they as
sornhlad at the church on the last night
of tbe wear and engaged in a variety OF
rel;giora services until near twelve
o'cl9ck when they all kneeled and en-
,oaed I, nraver while the old year passed
away. During the services Rev. John r.
Duncan. travelling evangelist OF the
Methodist church, who has been IN the
ministry of that church for forty years,
and who has almost entirely lost his sight
in the service of his Lord and Master,
arose and announced that he had mes
sage for the congregation, from hon.
Alexander H. Stephens. At TINS an
nouncement every member OF the audi
ence manifested the greatest interest, tor
it was quite generally known lhat MI
Stephens was dangerously Ill.
Mr.. Duncan then proceeded to say
that he having heard Of Mr.. Stephens
illness had gore to see him. AnucIpa-
tino however. he said that in 1887 he
was stationed in Taliaterro county as
a preacher. At that time Mr.. Ste
Dhens was comparatively a young man,
and when he first saw Mr.. stephens he
found him sitting by the fire reading the
Bible. The same year 1880 Mr.. Ste
phens was critically i'll. Mr.. Duncan
said he visited him during his sickness
and kneeling beside his bed prayed tor
his recovery. Ever since that time MIR.
Stephens has been his friend. Upon ar
irving there a week or SO ago Mr.. Ste
phens expressed himself glad to see him,
and, remembering with what charming
power he had sung in the past, Mr..
Stephens almost Immediately asked HIM
to sing, first requesting him to sing the
religious paraphrase Of Tom Moores eel
ebrated lines, This world Is all fleet
inc show. x There Is nothing true
but heaven" also, those sadly sweet
words of Richard Henry Wilde, "My
Life is like the Summer Rose He also
requested Mr.. Duncan to sing a ballad
which he had sung to Willard Fillmore,
in this city, twenty years ago, which 1t
seems had made a lasting impression.
Mr.. Duncan Their kneeled, he said, and
with several members Of Mr.. Stephens
family prayed beside Mr. Stephens bed.
When Mr.. Duncan left, Mr.. Stephens
addressed him substantially as follows
"iood-bye, Mr. Duncan. | have a sim
gle request to make of you before you 90,
while | linger here at deaths door. on
90 to the watch service at the First Meth
odist church in Atlanta tonight. Say
to the members of that church, for me,
to pray to God that this, our country,
may have national peace, national pros
perity, national fraternity and national
happiness, and that He will guide and
direct our statesmen in their efforts tC
accomplish this end, and that our gov
eminent may be reclaimed from Its enemi>
and brought back to the designs Of oul
foretathers. For myself | ask only one
prayer and that is that the will Of the
Lord be done"
As soon as Mr.. Duncan had concluded
his remarks and delivered the message
IIOLi -iI' SbI PiIViiS ilC NObSIN S.t'tAOll
knelt in prayer. Judge w. F. Wright,
formerly Judge of the superior court of
the Newman circuit, now lawyer in this
city and quite recently a convert to reli-
gion, led in prayer and in his supplica-
tions prayed the Lord to spare the great
and good statesman to his people and
country a while longer A gentleman
recently to see Mr. Stephens says that
this great man shows the sublimest forti
tude in his suffering. He says-and also
a correspondent of the Constitution OF
this city - that when questioned a:
TO his condition and prospects OF
recsyery, Mr.. Stephens replied 81
am neither respondent nor hopeful.
| have no desire to live another day but
Gods will be done - Many friends Of
Mr.. Stephens here are deeply solicitous
OF his fate IN the present crisis. There
are, however, others who firmly believe
that the wonderful vitality of the man
will bring him through safe.