Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1882-11-23
as' Ter Ghs Beaees. i
vAYsDE Hl,EAEEEcs


Messrs. Editors The lexicocra-
pher defines music to be the science
of harmonical sounds; had he traced
its etymology to the proper source. he
must have called it the quintessence
of heaven. Collins, sings to. it. as
rheavenly maid had he called il the
Spirit Of God he would have come
nearer its meaning. Such meaning
forced itself into our heart as the fit-
test. as few days ago. within the
walls of Mt. Vernon church, we sat
among the dense crowd that had come
to offer its tribute Of love and sorrow
to the remains Of the distinguished
Methodist cleFgyman, DR.. Guard 'aAs
the costly coffin, with its pail of snowy
flowers. was borne slowly along the
aisle, this Spirit melodiously spoke in
the tones of the grand organ under the
skilled fingers of Prot. Schwing, eve
ry note pure and clear as the trills Of
Edsn's perfumed waters, Whispered TO
us of that Presence. No chord Of she
Dead March, the strains of which
breathe Of the divine gift of Beetho-
ven, reminded us of sorrowful pro-
cession to the grave, but Of the joyful
travel amid glad fields in the Beyond
and the restful nearing to welcom-
ing home. AS the coffin rested before
the altar, from which the fragrance of
myriads flowers arose as clouds of in
cense from loving hearts-true altars
under a poised dove of iessamine
and tuberoses, the last note seemed to
be the voice that had once before ut
tered-"In whom am well pleased"
and every note that followed seemed
the resurrection chant echoing all
along the route from the grave through
blissful regions to that eternal rest
where angels harp Che sweet refrain,
well done thou faithful steward" In
the early death ofDr. Guard, hischurch
has lost one Of its most active work
ers and the great Christian ccmmuni-
ty a generous co-worker and sympa-
thizing friend. It is dear privilege
to listen to oratory and no field offers
q wider range than the church. Af-
ter long deprivation of such q plea
sure, we feed upon it with ravenous
hunger. The Baltimore pulpits are
strongly characterized in this partic-
ular. Among the many clergymen,
who occupied the pulpit on the occas-
ion referred TO, was one that at q
glance called forth the idea Of a poet
orator. 1t was stamped upon every
movement, even in the arrangement
of his collar and necktie-if we may
be permitted to speak ofthose ordina-
ry uses in such q connection-which
though Of plain style were worn in a
manner noticibly individual and upon
an ordinary person would have been
lndicrous. We do not know why, yet
our ideal Of Burns as poet rose pal
pably before us, without knowing, as
we have since learned, that he Is Of
the land Of the great poet His first
words rivited our admiration ct once.
We had been recently invited to q
church near us to hear its young pas
tor, the 'sorator Of West End, and
when upon inquiry Of some one near
as to know who the speaker was, We
we're surprised that the magnetism of
such eloquence, both of matter and
manner. had not drawn us under its
influence before, for it was our West
End orator. busE greatly to the relief
of our belief in such q magnetism, we
were informed that he had Just re-
turned from his vacation. Ihera .
another to whom It is our good fortune
to listen. When his sermon Is ended,
the impression left upon Is is thai
Of q page Of grandmusio played u7ss
a lutte, woven from the psgsan 49, ri
choicest flowers, all S.zszs sesSs55 81,
that Source from which everyAy ii
comes. This orator, whoss tongas
works = spell upon cr0wdeJ ID
dience twice every Sabbath, has IN
individual peculiarity that in 3 hum
drum draEfer Of tiresoTne manuscript
sermon would be positively unbsafss
BE. yet in him il Is an indispensable
touch of orafory. As the Lutte sounds
hoat out upon the hearer, the two
fore6ngers Of the speaker are active
y busy, one with the vest the other