Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-10-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Oct. goth, 1885

WASHINGTON, oct. ZOtn, 1850.
Crowds of people continue to come
to the White House every other day,
and the President patiently shakes
their hands. Apparently he shakes
them as patiently as he did on the
day after his inauguration. His
patience has become proyerbial,
and indeed he does seem to bear
the yagaries of his callers with good
.natured liberation. His life is at
least calculated to develop all the
adaptability in his nature, for he
Turns alternately from trough" to
courtier, from pauper to millionaire.
On Friday, before going down to
the East Room to hold his reception,
he received an Indian chief and the
Commissioner of Indian affairs. AT.
ter discussing the red mans inter
ests for some time, he turned to a
Congressman and listened to his re-
quests. Next be gave his attention
to some young ladies who had come
to ask for the Presidents photo
graph. Then he went down to the
East Room, where a large number
Of people had gathered, and shook
hands for an hour. At this rate, it
is rather overwhelming to think
what Mr.. Cleveland's official duties
will be when the season really OPP
ems.
On Saturdays the President is in
visible to the public, but sees per-
sons by appointment. In this way,
he received in his library the ven-
cradle English prelate Canon Far
rar, who called late in the afternoon
on his trip from Mt. Vernon.
On each evening that Archdeacon
Farrar lectured he was greeted with
the most f1attering audiences, per-
haps, that ever assembled IN this
city. The President and several
Members of his Cabinet were pres
ent. There were generals, and
judges, and nearly all the clergy of
the city. The lecturer was warmly
applauded when he referred to his
trip to the tomb of Washington, and
the return voyage up the noble riv-
er, whence was seer the stately city
with it's heaven aspiring monument,
resembling in its grandeur and sim.
pliclty him whose name. it bears,
tn l~ecturiug on Robert Browning,
he referred to him successfully as
the poet Of hope, conscience, love.
and religion, and he regretted thai
religious people read and under.
stood Browning so little.
On Sunday Canon Farrar preach.
ed a sermon, and an unusually dis
tinguished congregation came tC
hear him. Secretaries Manning
Endicott and Whitney, Postmaster
General Villas, Gen. Joseph Il. John
son, and many more scarcely less
prominent in public life, occupied
seats in the church. Have some oil
you come here through curiosity,
that you may make light remarks
and clever jests and frivolous criti
cism, so that no chance good SEED
may remain for a moment upon the
soil OF your souls? If so, you can
bear nothing from me to CRAFTY
your ear nothing but the plainesl
truths of God, in the simplest speech
of man. 1t was in this way that
Canon Farrar began to address his
congregation. He had walked at
the end of the procession Of white
robed ministers and singing boys
as they moved slowly from the sac
risty to their places around the al
tar. He walked with bowed head
and downcast eyes and hands clasp
ed in prayerful posture.
Throughout the service of read
ing and song he never raised his
eyes to meet the gaze that was di-
rected to him from floor and gallery
and seats and passages and every
part of the building where ladies or
gentlemen could sit or stand or
kneel. He seemed so absOr-
bed as to be oblivious of the pres
nee of those who had come to see
and hear him. Most of the time
his eyes were closed and his lips
moved in prayer. He announced
his text from st. Matthew-If thou
wilt enter into life, keep the COM
mandents, Christ's answer to the
young ruler.
Keep the Commandments. 1t is
allg The great teacher could hard
~ mean anything so commonplace
as the Ten Commandments that as
a little child he had learned to
lisp at his mothers knee. He was
as much disappointed as the little
boy, who having heard of the ma.
jesty Of the sea, was led to the shore,
and exclaimed, is that all? He said
that young man did not understand
that eternity is but the antithesis of
TIM. I'll II 70 all u.ho Eno ll