The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-07-26

Among the audience, the writer had
the pleasure of meeting the good and gen
erous friend of Union Theological Semi
dria, Va, who founded large scholar
ship in that institution, and whose hos
pitable kindness has been gratefully re-
ceived by Southern people.
The next Sunday was spent at Farm
ington, Gonna town most beautiful for
situation, in the midst of the noted mead
ows. The meeting-house" is more than
century old, and has been modernised
only in the interior. Its seating capacity
is probably more than seven hundred, in
Guiding the galleries, and the body of the
church was filled with people of town
and country. A tablet on the wall tells
of the pastorate, of more than sixty years,
of the Rev. DIR. Porter, the father of the
President of Yale College, and the father
of daughters whose school for young
ladies in Pennington is so well known as
seminary Of thorough and high scholar
ship; there are others Of this family noted
for scholarship and usefulness. The SER
mon was rich in spirituality and of ma
tured thought, and was marked by an
entire absence of sensationalism.
The two towns mentioned are situated
within sound of the trains on great rail
way thoroughfares. Except at early
morning or in the late evening, the quiet
of the Sabbath was not broken by the
engineers whistle. The running of the
ordinary trains, (of almost every hour on
the week days. the writer was informed,
is suspended on the Sabbath, and that
there was no mail delivery on Sunday
at the stations in the country towns and
interior cities. Excursion trains-only
evil, and that continually elsewhere
may afford, in and around some of the
cities, opportunities for Sabbath desecra-
tion by railway employees and those who
patronize them, but it is believed that
public sentiment, in a large majority of
New England communities, would not
sustain these modern methods of defying
Gods commandment, and of attempts to
crush out His Sabbath by the ponderous
engines of soulless corporations.
Let not the sensibilities of worthy
readers be offended at another report of
custom which came under the observa-
tion OF the writer. He refers to the in
PRODUCTION Of flowers on pulpit platforms.
custom which prevails In many Of the
Northern churches. Being only a rus
tic from the rural retreats" he is ignor-
ant of even the objections stated by those
whose opinions receive so much defer
ence and respect in this matter. The
writer witnessed no deminution of ap-
parent reverence or decorous attention to
the services, and no departures from Pro
IT atIo II,
exhibitions of taste and beauty.
But this communication is already too
long. 1t will not partake too much of
personality, it is hoped, to add the occa-
sion which called a countryman from his
Virginia home to New England. More
than half century ago, under the intro
duction of the late Rev. DIR. J. H. Rice,
a boy in his teens entered Amherst Col
lege in Massachusetts,, and with class
of thirty eight graduates, left it in 1882
with the benedictions of their AJnao
Mater. Time and distance have widely
separated them. Death, with no sparing
hand, has taken many away from earth.
One found an early grave on distant
continent Some have passed away leav-
ing honored names, others are scattered
over the world. In all that long time,
by personal correspondence and through
the class Secretary, we have known each
other and kept up the warmest fraternal
relations. Thirteen survive; and seven
met on the recent fftieth anniversary
and clasped hands and renewed their
youth. The reunion was one which will
not be forgotten, and was all we could
hope or expect. A number Of Virginians
were Amherst students fifty years ago,
and for ten or more years since. OF each
and all affectionate enquiries were made.
Nelson, Bocock Robinson, Read, Dickin-
son, Jones, Organ, and others, were well
remembered by the old people, and their
history asked for. Classmates and others
in Boston, Plymouth, Salem, Lowell,
Amherst, Springfield, and other places
gave to their Virginia brother most
cordial and hospitable reception and
kindness which will ever be most crate
fully remembered. Not one reference to
sectional differences was made and not
one word uttered to which an intense
Virginian Of almost three score years of
love to his native State had any right to
object. w.
Education.