The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-08-22
Written for the Sunday Morning Bazoo.
A LETTER FROM "VAN."
The Reverend Gentleman
Gives q Brief Account of
His Vacation,
He will Soon Return, Prepared to
BLOW the Trumpet for the
Battle"
LOWELL, Mich. August H. 1892

LOWELL. Mich, August IA, 1882.
EDITOR BAzoO:- Stray copies of the BAzoO
get as far away from home as here, and
people in Illinois and Michigan have said
to me, within a few days, "What a light
ming paper that BAzOO is? 1t is original,
peculiar, i never saw paper like it, The
fellow that edits and manages it must be a
genius. What sort of fellow is he, any,
way?" And then l have to attempt a
description of the man who publishes the
paper Tor the people now on earth" L
generally commence with flaming pic
,ure of "big injun," and when they look
a little credulous-as they do when L
draw too strongly on my imsgination-I
own the corn, and say, We'll, strange as it
may seem, he Is a deacon, and sunday
school superintendent, and is awfully strict
on the Sunday question In early life he
thought OF studying for the ministry They
express some surprise, but dare not ques-
ton nv statement"
We have had o remarkably pleas
ant. restiul time thus far. The first
sunday of our absence | spent at,my ior-
mer parish at Elmwood, Ills. 1t was de-
lightful to meet old friends again and Sc
cure their hearty greetings. 30 kindly and
warmly was / received that felt paid for
my more than si1Gears hard labor among
them. What rush Of memories as L
stood in the old pulpit, and entered our
former beautiful home, Never can | be
gratihed enough tina, our first home was
in the beautiful village OF ElmwoOd. The
following SUNDAY We spent In Kew aunee.
Ills, where Mrs. Van Wagner's parents
reside, and in the morning occupied the
pulpit from which my father preached for
four years, and had for my auditors mainly
those who have known me from boyhOOd.
Last week We were in that beautiful citv,
Chicago 1t is Us full of life and dash as
ever. No city on the continent compares
with it in vim and push A stranger on
first arrival would think every one was
going to fire.
A lazy man in Chicago will either be
cured, or he will flee the city. 1t is a ter
rible place for indolent people. Spring,
or go 10 the wall" is the watchwOrd. What
splendid street is State street! How
magnificent the buildings. / was a stu
dent in Chicago when the "Great Fire.
swept the city. passed through the hOr-
rOrs of those dreadful days. and stood on
the ashes of that great city, and felt that
it was ruined. Where l then stood are
now magnificent palaces. Man is almost
OmnipOtent when thoroughly in earnest.
The parks, buildings, beautiful lake, en-
terprising people, make Chicago delight
ful place of residence. Here we met Miss
Mabel Camp. She is the same unaf-
fected, modest, attractive young lady that
she was in Sedalia. She confessed 10 a lit
lie home sickness, and thinks Sedalia is
the best place after all. AS there are a
hundred or more chances to go back per-
manently, if she desires, | have but little
sympathy with her bome-sickness On our
return We expect to spend day with the
family, and so see them ALL
On our way here We passed part OF 6ay
at Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1t is simply
the sober truth to Say that this is one of the
liveliest cities it has ever been nv fortune
to visit Beautiful fer situation; elegant
residences land grounds; smooth, clean,
we'll kept streets fine public buildings,
and Chicago dash-it is a city of which
The citizens may well he proud. AT Low
ell, eighteen miles distant-we reached
our destination This is place of two
thousand Inhabitants, situated on the
Milwaukee, Grand Rapids 4 Detroit rail-
road" and on the Flat and Grand rivers.
Ii is growing quite rapidly, and is wide
awake, enterprising little city. The bust
ness buildings are OF brick, and would be a
credit to any city There is fine hall,
and an elegant hotel in process of build
ing. The private residences are very
pleasant and home-like-some of them
costly. Thrift and taste everywhere pre-
vail.
My father has pleasant cottage home. a
nice church building. aud large, ipteIli-
gent, appreciative audiences. have rare
lv preached to- as fine an audience as greet
ed me last evening. Father is making
himself felt in this place, end indeed over
the state, as he is frequently sent for to
lecture at important towns and cities. Mrs.
Van Wagner has not vet recovered from
the effects of the fall she received in Sc
dalia. She is quite poorly. Still we are
hoping that change and rest will greatly
improve, if not restore her, to her usual
health.
And now, farewell for little time. I
am resting. thinking, reading, visiting,
recreating, planning the years campaign,
and shall soon be ON the ground to blow
the trumpet of battle. A. J.V. W..
NaXu Difchor for Tho Rl,,o~