The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-12-08
LETTERS FROM GoosEQUILL.

LET TERS FROM GCCSEGOiIL.
Two Goot. and Interesting 5oolss-I;eturn
of Father vFritherspoon. the seaman's
Chnplain-Eiltll Streets-Thankssiyin
Day, Etc.
EDITOR CHIEF:
I have just read two delightful books,
Mr. Isaacs and DR.. Claudius, written by L.
Marion Crawford. Had / listened to the
criticism of two ladies / would have missed
nice little treat. One said they wUro trash
aud the other said she found them very
stupid. Both we're in the habit of fcasting
on romance of the most sensational kind,
and not finding it in MIR. 1saacs and DR..
Claudius, were ready to consign them to
oblivion. True, they are not sensational
and they give no evidence of any very great
brain power. There is no depth of thought
in the plot or the sustentation of the char
acters, but the sentim ents are good, the
purest of English is used throughout, and
the rhetoric is beautiful. They are boo ks
that can be placed i'll tho hands of young
people without detriment to mind Or prin-
ciples. After pondering over some weighty,
abstruse matter, it is refreshing, relief to
take up just such smooth, lovely effusions
of clear, pure mind. In Mr.. 1saacs
one gets charming gllnpses of life in India,
which is in such wonderful contrast with
ours. AS for Mr.. Isaacs, the individual, the
general reader looks upon him as an exag-
geration. It seems impossible that any
man can have as few angles, be as free from
flaws and crudity and have so grand and
noble nature. Vet he was not creature
of imagination, he was drawn from real
life-he was known to the author. DR..
Claudius is not at all out Of the possibili-
ties: he is such as one may meet any day.
The Countess Margaret is q strong char
acter not common among women. One OF
her strongest points is fidelity as a friend.
There are friends and friends, you know.
There be few who arc at your side when
fortune and the world are against you, and
fewer still who will dislodge from heart and
companionship those who speak and net
against you, or who will, at the risk of
losing the friendship of others, vigorously
defend you from the severity Of blame.
Such an one is Margaret, and as her name
implies. she is pearl of great price. Mr..
ciu"lOlu Ii u iouilH ljiAkt bAo iitAe AZ "
written anything previous to these books,
for publication. He wrote very beautiful
letters, and a friend suggested to him one
day that as his means we're limited he had
better write a book. He had Travelled
good deal i'll Europe, had been some time
in India, and SO the threads we're spun with
which his brain wove two very beautiful
fabrics.
The Presbyterian Church owns very
b0, ~ tn1 IN
Chestnut street, and it is the rendezvous, OF
course, for all tho ministers of that dcnom-
nation. | was in there a few days ago and
was fortunately thrown into company with
the Rev. DR.. Witherspoon Of Now Orleans.
The Doctor was just from Europe, and
while he seemed inclined to be very lauda-
tory of everybody and every thing he saw
there, he was rejoiced to set foot once moro
on his native heath. He is enthusiastic over
his mission work among tho seamen i'll New
Orleans, and, If seems, visited Europe with
a view of furtherin9 that work. He sad
that as Chaplain of the New Orleans Bethel
he had been treated with the utmost kind
ness every whore: that going across the
Atlantic he was the honored guest of the
West India and Pacific Steamship Line, and
returning received the same compliment
from the Guion Line. The Bishops of Lou
isiana and Mississippi gave him commend
English clergy, to whom he presented them,
the greatest courtesy. From the Queen of
England, the King of Holland, the Emper-
Or of Austria Hungary, he received thanks
for the good work he had done among the
sailors. The English press gave him IA
vorable notices, and British ship owners,
who had heard through their captains OF the
good influence of the Bethel, subscribed for
the extension Of the building. The great
divine, DR.. C. II. Spurgeon, gave him good
words. and from ladies of high rank and
the Secretary of the British and Foreign
Sailors Society he had letters of encourage
naent. Beside all the courtesy and verbal
encouragement, he collected considerable
money abroad, and in New York was quite
successful. Eleven years ago the Bethel
was begun as a mere reading rooIl The
idea was to offer an attractive place to the
poor sailors who when i'll port have nothing g
offered them except the very dregs Of life.
At first the attendance was small. but it was
a good, noble work and God blessed it.
In 1877, think the Doctor said, the first
| building was put up and called the Upper
Bethel. It has two nice reading rooms
where are good books, periodicals and
newspapers, a chapel that seats 400 and a
concert hall that seats 500 people. Forty
sailors can also be accommodated with
board. But the demand is for more room
and the Doctors projec: now is to erect &
Luilding that will hold 1900 people.
really enjoyed hearing the noble, seIf-iynor.
ing Chaplain talk Of his works, and became
quite enthusiastic myself. However, hays
always regarded the sailors as a lnucl
abused class of men and deserving of the
l greatest sympathy.