The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-08-12
MYRA,s MEANDERINGs.

An ExCltem0nt among Gne rAOesA Va AAAAsAsy
Church Produced by the Resignation of
Its Beloved and Popular shepherd-Rev.
H. M. Thompson Reconslders-A Power
In and Behind the Pulpit.
NEW ORLEANS, July 29, 1882.
MY DEAR AUNT CHAT:
The congregation Of Trinity CHURCH,
and indeed the community at large, have
been considerably agitated over the
prospect of the removal of the beloved
Rector, Rev. Hugh Miller Thompson to
Rochester, New York.. Thesf fiat had gone
forth that the people among whom he
had labored so faithfully and we'll for
seven years, would soon know him no
more, and you may imagine what stir
it created. Petitions, numerously signed
by Jew and GENTLE alike-by the most
prominent citizens in the city as we'll as
members Of the congregations OF the
Church and Chapel of which he has
charge-were Gully presented, and flood
of beseeching letters from private indl-
viduals came pouring i'll from many
Quarters. What wonder that the impor-
tunate friends in New York, not content
with mail communication, telegraphed
in hot haste, fresh entreaties with the
assurance that the Vestry were taking
more vigorous measures to overcome the
tremendous opposition to their wishes" /"
That tremendous opposition" however,
was not stemmed, and this mornings
papers contain the withdrawal OF his
resignation in beautiful and touching
letter to the Vestry, that week ago
earnestly requested him to reconsider the
question Of his departure. When they
appealed to his "Christian chivalry,"
and a hard self-forgetting duty in con-
trast to personal satisfaction, he was
forced t." succumb, for, as he said, he
"could not go behind his preaching"
| All! Is not that the keynote of his
great success in the ministry-that his
life and actions are measured in accord
ance with the gospel message he conveys
to his people9 That he ltves his Chris
tiauity, in the patient, manful, helpful
bearing of burdens, and impresses his
own strong personality upon every utter
ance, evcry act. Surely, no sermon can
/ achieve the end for which it is intended,
| unless it be the sincere product of a noble
mind and life, unless it comes to US
stamped With the character-and that a
strong and true one-of the bearer of the
tidinss. So, these heart utterances o.
Dr. Thompson {for he says he does not
preach, only talks out of his heart to his
people), come laden with a peculiar
meaning, and carry force aud conviction
to those often slow to accept and be
moved BY the wondrous truths Of Chris
tianity.
So mysteriously does mind operate
upon mind, that when any of us-the
humblest and feeblest-believe with that
belief that amounts to knowledge"
then and not till then can we move pow
erfu1ly and impress strongly other hearts
and minds. When the whole life and
character are visibly stamped and regu-
lated by high and governing principle,
then is man fit to be guide and teacher
of men, and may be safely followed and
trusted even though we fail to under
stand what seems contradictory, often,
and unable to grasp the high motive and
deep reason which will underlie all action
that is good for any thing. The great
leaders Of the world, the grand master
spirits that have moved vast millions,
and moulded the thought of thinking
men, have accomplished noble results,
not by the force of intellect, but by the
character which they embodied and de-
livered in the work, the life and pefson-
OF all things in the world, character
has supreme value, and SO it were idle to
expect of one standing Oh a low spiritual
plane, any great result, or any real help
to his fellow men. He may do that which
will dazzle the beholders and excite
comment, wonder and even admiration,
but he can produce nothing that has gem
uine value; for value must be measured
by its power to exalt, purify and enrich
human life. Pyrotechny attracts many
eyes, and seems wonderful enough to
lockers on, but after all, the value of fire
is measured by its service in the furnace
and OH tho hearth.
! Value in character gives value in art,
in literature, in every work that can be
undertaken. We can not dissociate the
artist from his pictures or sculpture, the
author from his book; and when we are
told that we have nothing to do with the
author or painter-only with what he
produces, we are slow to accept the state
ment. A mean and petty man must be a
petty artist, and he can never elevate his
work without first elevating himself; fol
art itself owes its value to the capacity
for effectiDg good in any channel, which
has been truly called the power of the
ministry. The knowledge of q writer's
character is often short cut to a correct
E criticism of his book. We have only to
know that a man is utterly selfish and
self-loving, of weak will, and without
the mastery of himself, to know that ht
could write nothing that would prove o1
When character is without any value
nothing of value can come out of it. So
though the poet Byron wrnte many won
derful verses, and some of them under
certain divine and pure inspirations, thu
character embodied therein was unlovely
and morbid, and fAr that reason they art
less and less appreciated and read.
\ think we may very safely conclude
that the outcome Of the work of all mel
and women Of character, is always a
hearty and healthy as mountain wind
and will invigorate the moral atmospher,
, and the lives of human beings long afte
the faithful toilers have taken up new
lines of duty somewhere in the white
worlds far away. What is true of th
larger endeavors, successes and failure
D of the wider field of achievement. i
> equally true of the small efforts, quie