The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-04-27
ESPON ENCE.
The Old Cumberland Church, Va

The Old Cum mberland Church, Va.
Messrs. E'ditors,-On the third Sabbath
of April, DR. Charles White was present
at Old Cum berland church, Cumberland
county, Va, and delighted our congrega-
ton, morning and afternoon. On that
day ten persons, ranging in age from fif
teen to twenty-five, united with us. Of
these nine were received on profession of
faith. Last fall Messrs Hawes and Wash
burn held meeting of five days with us,
and these whom we have Just received
took a stand at that time. 1t is the good
habit of this community to let long pc
riod elapse between a revival meeting
and an open profession of Christ, and al
though some may think an interval, as
now, of five months, is too long, it is bet
ter than the unseemly haste that prevails
elsewhere. 1t is believed that this habit
ofjudicious caution was observed by those
wise men who were formerly pastors, Dr.
Leach and Dr. Armistead, and later by
Rev. James Wharey. On this occasion
all who professed hope last fall came
forward. Some were from distant States,
strangers in the land and others took
their vows in the same walls where their
parents, and the parents of their parents,
and the parents of these last, more than
a century ago, had covenanted to serve
the Lord.
Old Cumberland was built about the
middle of the last century. 1t was ascer-
tanned some months ago that the sills and
sleepers and the whole foundation had
decayed, and that the building was no
longer safe. The needed repairs would
cost $500, and the community was una
BILE to raise the fifth of that amount
There was long and anxious consultation
as to what we should do, and a vast num-
Der of plans discussed. At length we
fell upon one which is so very novel and
original, and which works so admirably,
that we commend it to all poor commun-
tiles needing church. Everybody in
the congregation, old enough to handle
an axe or drive a wagon, went into the
woods, cut timbers, hauled, priced up the
building, made the needed substitutions,
and now, barring accidents, the old edi-
fee is good for the year 1000.
The church had fund of few hun
dred dollars, and in the last four years
it purchased land and put up a parson-
age. This is story and half brick
building, with slate roof. 1t has six
rooms furnished by the congregation and
kind visitors, with curtains, chairs, tables,
mirrors, etc, etc. But that especial fea-
ture on which the architect prides him.
SELF is seven closets, which it is believed
will make the wife of any preacher who
in the future may be called to the charge,
Lick her chops, destined to that good hour. &"
The building cost alone twelve hundred
dollars, all Of which has been paid A
fine orchard has been set out, few long
heads thinking this wise provision, so
that should the country become still
poorer, the ministerial family, and espe-
cially its younger members, would IN ca
trenaiS be able to fall back on dried ap-
pies, At least this was the reason one
old bachelor gave for his interest in it..
AS we trust our people have seen the
hardest of their Affections, we do not ap-
prehend that the poverty at our manse
Will ever become 80 gripping.
There is one misfortune which we often
grleve over, and which we probably share
with most country churches. The Young
people are restless, and leave the COM
munity and sometimes carry the old ones
along with them At least forty have
left the congregation in four years The
most miserable pittance in town is pre-
terred to the independence of the coun-
try. We know Of a church in this coun-
ty OF which the history for forty years is
briefly, that each year it has gained eight
members and lost seven There are
many. reasons why this is unfortunate,
and chief among these is temporarily that
if life in the country is harder, it is safer,
purer, healthier, and spiritually, that the
decadence of the country churches is
largely due to the loss Of the younger mem
bers, is one Of the alarming things about
our cause. If we cannot retain our hold