Towanda daily review. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1879-1921, 1881-06-30
A Hoa,h9n Temple 0at Of Debi.
BY REV. W3I. RAMSEY.

from oblivion or obscurity under these
circumstances An old gentleman of this
county, Mr.. Richard j. S. Rogers, re-
peated the last seven verses to one of our
subscribers, but could not remember the
beginning. The person wrote them
down and cent them to the Illustrated
ChrjstiaR Weekly, with such account of
their origin aud author as Mr.. Il. remem-
bercd and request that the missing
stanZas be supplied. His communication
was published ard elected reply fOm
the Rev. James VI. Thompson, of Philadel-
pnia, who writes The lines appear
in q book entitled Church Debts; their
Origin, Evils, and Cure published by
Robert E. Paterson, Philadelphia, 1851.
The Cn'y surviving members of Mr. Ram
Sey'S immediate family. ....are members
Of my church. Some time ago they gave
to me one of the only two remaining cop
The work of course is out of print and
out OF market. It's equal, as to the sin
of church deb have never read. Mr.
Ramsey was a remarkably Clear and for
chile writer. man OF great power and
learning. Having been a missionary in
India, he had thus large and compara-
lively new field from which to draw his
illustrations.
The book is made up of a series of let
ters frst published in the newspaper,
Chris t,0n Observer, of Philadelphia. That
these letters did good is a matter Of rec
ord. That their republication would do
great good to-day towards rousing an ac-
tive sentiment against this greatest curse
to the church of Christ, debt l do not
doubt.
Allow me to give the introduction of
Mr. Ramsey to the poem, part Of which
your correspondent gave with wonderful
correctness:
The Rev. Mr.. kincaid, missionary in
Burmah, in speaking Of the great temple
at Ava, says: This structure is 200 feet
square, the walls being feet thick and
20 high. On the top of it is a structure
$50 feet square and so feet high; on this
third, l2O feet square and 30 feet high:
and on this fourth IS feet square and 10
feet high, from the top of which ascends
magnigCant Spire. From the top of
this spire, and of Il spire ascending from
each of the four corners of each of the
four structures, are suspended bells, in
all two hundred, with clappers so con-
structcd that strong wind keeps them
ringing. On walking along by this tenn
pie when the wind is strong, and all these
bells are ringing, q wonderful sensation
is produced, as though music was falling
all around from the clouds. This temple
was Il free-will Offering from the heathen
to their gods, with which it is filed
might make many reflections on this
fact, but shall conclude with the follow
ing lines on seeing
a HEATHEN TEMPLE OUT OF DEBT
As near temple once l stood,
saw mighty multitude
Of heather, PROSTATE on the ground,
While music filled the air around;
Two hundred bells in concert met.
Proclaimed "This temples out of debt"
The priests arose amid the crowd;
With stcntor voice they shout aloud
"We'Ve checred the heart of Gaudama
BY rearing up this pagoda."
The bells around, with wondrous gee
Ring loud, "From debt this house is free.n
This house we freely dedicate
10 all the gods, both small and great"
The people rose, and upward went
y shout which e'en the heavens rent:
Great Gaudama we give to tnee
Ills costly fane-from debt It's free