The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-03-23
HE Hasg $ Special Corrsspda
CHESTERTOWN LETTER.

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from NE Hhtg S Special Correspondent
CHESTERTOWN LETTER
THE CONFERENCE sEsSIoN-THE REV. =. A.
ELLIS CHAIRMAN OF EDUCATIONAL ANN
NERsARY-EFFECTIyE ELDERS ELOQUENT
CENTENNIAL SERMON BY REV. II. coll
CLAZER--IMPREssIv MEMORIAL sACRA-
MENTAL. sERyICEs-FATHER HUMPHREYS
ADDRESSES THE CONFERENCE ABLE SER
MON BY BISHOP FosTER-ADMIssIoN OF A
YOUNG CECIL COUNTY PREACHER-ELK-
TON AGAIN CoMPLIMENTED IN A PoPu-
LAR PRESIDING oFFICER-THE MISSION
AIRY ANNIvERsARY--CoNF STA
TIsTICs.
DEAR WHIG:-By the time this reaches
the eye of your readers the conference ses-
sion of 1878 will have become thing of
the past, the brief meeting of the laborers
will be past, and these toilers who, for one
brief week, have been chatting, rejoicing
or condoling together, and these same toll
ers, some in tears and with fear and trem-
bling, some in smiles and ioyousy, will
have heard their fate from the lips of the
Bishop; and whether the sound brings
promise of fruitful fields and full remuuera-
ton OF hard toll on sterile plain, with pros
pect of a years pinchiug and penury, by
all the fateful dictum will be accepted and
the task undertakes. The work is already
going or, and in more than one hundred
IL an ln nd
people have already met, and i'll many
Methodist family circle the new preacher
his appearance, his family, the character of
his wife and the number of his children, is
matter Of discussion, and the important
first impression is made.
But we anticipate. Our last closed with
an account of but the fiji st day and even
ing's proceedings. The afternoon was de-
voted to the anniversary exercises of the
Conference Educational Society, at which
practical address by Rev. J. NJ. Williams
and quite 'ilowery" and ornate speech
by Rev. J. Z. Smith made up the oratori-
cal features; the former, principal of the
Conference Academy, spoke from the stand
point of actual knowledge and the other
from theory elaborated his highly enter
tanning address. This is one of the socie-
ties under the control of the conference
which has for its object the assistance of
worthy young men in their efforts to secure
an education fitting them for the minis
try Rev. F. a. Ellis, of your town, is
president of the association, and occupied
the chair on the occasion referred to.
The second days session in the morning
at which time almost the whole of the
routine disciplinary business is transacted
was mainly occupied with the passage of
the character of " effective Elders" In
order that your readers may comprehend
this item, we would state that as the name
of each member of the conference is called
his Presiding Elder is required to state in
open conference before the assembled min
listers aud multitude whether there be any
charge of any character as to morals or
conduct against the persons, the Methodist
Church holding that the character of her
ministry must be "above reproach." In
deed on one occasion the late Bishop James
said i'll open conference that d" the charac-
ter of our ministry is tenderer than the
reputation of a woman" On this occasion
the answer in every case was the formal
"nothing against him." every one passing
the crucial test. This, though not uncx-
pected was agreeable.
One of the incidents which created some
amusement was the absent mindedness of
one of the Presiding Elders, on the occa
sion of the calling of the names of the
young men, candidates for admission, ere
yet they have come within the scope of this
sub episcopal authority, gravely announc-
ing, at the call of the name of one of the
young men, " nothing against him.
A pleasant surprise for the assembled
conference was an address, on the morning
of the second days session, from Mrs. +.
b. Stevens, Secretary of the Woman's For
eign Missionary Society (iocularly called
| the Heather Women's Society. The sur
prise was, not that she should have talked,
for that any preachers wife can do (or any
other woman, we believe, but that she
could and did so talk on this hackneyed
theme as to hold the busy conference in
patient absorption for forty minutes or
more while she told them of the objects
and work of this society which she repre-
scented.
The semi-centennal sermon. by Rev. II.
ColclaZer, preached on Wednesday evening,
was most chaste and polished discourse
and one intensely interesting, SO much SO,
indeed, that the conference requested its
publication and raised a sum for that pur-
pose.
The reverend gentleman bears no evil
denceS in his person nor appearance of hav-
ing been preaching fifty years: rather tall
and slender, quite straight, with dark com
plexion and bright eyes, and almost I'M
wrlnked face, he Is graceful in every move
ment, and his voice still soft and smooth.
He is not, by any means, the oldest man,
though the oldest member of the body.
His address was full of "reminiscences of
the early days of Methodsm in the West.
having entered the work in the Michigan
Conference. His remarks seemed to be of
special interest to Bishop Foster, who is
himself a Western man and familiar with
many of the persons and localities so WV
idly brought before us in the fascinating
address. The class to which the reverend
gentlemen belongs, seems to have been an
extraordinary one, four of its members at
the close of fifty years active work, being
still alive and in the effective ranks.
The Ladies and Pastors Christian Union
held its anniversary on Thursday afternoon.
and at night the heather women Women's
Foreign Missionary Society. These ami
versaries are always occasions of much ill.,
terest, reports being made by each society
of the years doings, and receipts and ad-
dresses delivered by selected speakers, and
it is generally the intention to bring before
the Conference and exhibit the abilities of
some of the younger members of the body
One of the most interesting occasions of
the whole Conference was the memorial
service in connection with the sacrament
of the Lords supper. The dead of each
year are, in these memorial services, re-
membered, obituary notices are read, ad-
dresses referring to the character and life
of the deceased are delivered, and the meet
ing generally closes amid mingled tears
and Shoutings. This was no exception TO
the usual course of these exercises