Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-09-27
And now TO Father, Spirit, Son,
Be honor, glory, praise,
Three persons and one God adored,
Through everlasting DAYS.


people arranged themselves at viii in
groups varying from two or fifty per.
Sons, dispersed here and there under
the shade Of the trees. After dinner q
meeting of Session was called under q
wide spreading oak, and two persons
we're examined and received upon pro-
fession of their faith.
The communion services were intro
duced by public reception of the new
members. After assuming their vows,
all arose andjoined them In singing:
happy bond that seals my vows:
II 10 Him Him who ON merits M al al Wy NJ love! @
While to that sacred shrine move.
High heaven, that heard the solemn vow.
That vow renewed shall daily hear:
TIL In life's latest hour bow.
And bless In death abOnd SO dear.
The rest Of the time for preliminary
on "What shall / render unto the Lord
for all his benefits toward me? I will
take the cup of salvation and call upon
the name Of the Lord" After five hours
0f pleasant service the vast assembly
was dismissed, but the people seemed
loath to separate. ~
At the setting of the sun, private
communion was celebrated In the cham-
Der of dying disciple, aged ninety-three
years. She had been commune
cant about seventy years, and is per.
haps one of the Oldest Presbyterians in
the United States. Then away few
miles to another home, where there was
an appointment to baptize three little
children, which duty occupied the time
allotted for family worship. Thus in
'sholy duties and sacred pleasures'
PASSED the sunny hours of June 18th,
1881. Upon the way homeward. when
about three miles from the chapel, the
spot was visible near crystal spring
where Selim, the Algerine, was discov-
cred by hunter more than hundred
and thirty years since. Those Of your
readers having access to Bishop Meade's
charming annals of the Old Dominion,
will find full account of this remark
able person whose history seems too
Algerine parentage and had spent sew
eral years in COnstantinople at school.
ION the last voyage from his home to
that city hewas a passenger in an Eng
lish vessel. France and Spain were al
'lied in war against England, and the
|ship was captured by Spanish priva-
Iteer. The prisoners were afterwards
placed upon French ship and carried
Ito New Orleans. His stay among the
French at New Orleans was brief, for
he was sent up to the Shawnee towns on
the Ohio, and left as hostage with the
Indians. Among the prisoners was a
white woman from the Virginia settle
ments. He learned from her by signs
that she was from the sunset. With the
rising sun for his guide he made the
daring attempt to find the settlements
he knew from his geographical studies
to be on the Atlantic coast. From the
Shawnee towns to the place where he
three hundred miles His sufferings
were excruciating, nothing was left Of
his clothing except a few rags, with
which he had bound up his lacerated
feet. His body was literally COW
cred with gashes and scabs caused
by the briers and thOrns through
which he had to make his way to elude
pursuit. Emaciated by his privations
and almost famished, his heart seemed
Ito fail him at last. and he crawled
among the boughs of fallen tree, as he
believed, to die. Such was his condition
when found by Mr.. Givens, the hunter.
He took Selim to his camp and succeed
led by kind and judicious treatment in
restoring him. In few days Selim could
ride one of the hunters horses, and he
was carried to Millboro' Springs in Bath
county. It was here that Col. Dickinson
lived, awealthy and humane gentleman.
Mr.. Dickinson became much interested
in Selim, treated him as companion
and took him to Staunton, Va, while
court was in session.
Among all the persons he saw in the
large c0ncourse assembled, no one in
terested him SO much as the venerable
John Craig, the pioneer Presbyterian
pastor of the old Stone Church. When
Selim saw him he became much excited,
rushed up to him and begged permission
to go home with him. When he was
asked why he wished to do so, Selim
told of q dream he had when in his dis
1tress, in which he saw man that would
tell him how to cross great plain in
safety. This person he recognized in
! Mr.. Craig. Through the teachings Of
this venerable minister, he renounced
Islamism, and professed faith in Jesus,
and became very devout Christian in
deed. In little while after this he be-
came very anxious to see his parents and
friends and try to persuade them to be-
lieve in his new found Saviour. With
the aid of friends he was enabled to set
out upon his voyage home. After q
long absence he returned to Col. Carter's
in Williamsburg, Virginia, but in q
state of partial insanity. In his lucid
Intervals he made known how he had
been disowned and banished when he
Gold his kindred of Jesus and tried to
persuade them to become Christians
His constant cry was, "Where shall I
find a friend?" He was considered
harmless and allowed to rove at will.
In his search for friend, he wandered
from Williamsburg to the Warm
Springs, where Col. Dickinson and
Rev. Mr.. TempletOn treated him kind
ly. In the meantime Mr.. Carter moved
from Williamsburg to his country seat
in Westmoreland, and Selim followed
him there upon his return from the
mountains. He was a frequent visitor
at Roosevelt, Gov. Pages beautiful resi-
dence on York River. Gov. Page took
him toPhiladelphia and had his portrait
painted, which was pronounced very
good one. This portrait is still in exist
fence, and q copy appears among the il
Illustrations in Bishop Meade's history.
This is but brief outline of most re-
markable life, one of the instances where
Htruth is really stranger than fiction.
That same Monday evening an hum
ble home at the foot of the Shenandoah
was reached in time to shelter from one
3of the most terrific storms of the season.
1.-The clouds poured out water; the skies
asent out a sound; thine arrows also
went abroad. The voice of thy thunder
was in the heaven the lightnings light
ened the world; the earth trembled and
shook" Psalm lxxvii. 18).
It was sweet to remember that all was
in the hand of One that loves us. In His
mercy prosperous journey home was
vOuchsafed and this comes to you from
"a happy and grateful one.
VIRGINIA GAME LAws.-It Is law
ful to kill deer from September 1st to
January 18th.
Pheasants from August 1st to Febru-
sry 1st. q
Any wild water fowl from September
II at to MAJ LAT