Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-08
TWO NEW YORK CLERGYMEN,
A Clerical Contrast In Two Ministers
Of One Denomination.


ONE IS POOR AND HUMBLE, BECAUSE HE HAS
SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR OTHERS; THE orHER
LoLLs IN LUXURY BECAUSE HE HAS SACRIFICED
EVERYTHING FOR HIxsELr-rwo REAL LIVES
Correspondence Of THE EVENING star.
New YORK, June z.
Years ago, when I was Q small boy in SYRIA
cuse, N. Y, among my playmates were the
children Of the Rev. DR.. F. o. d. Huntington,
bishop OF the Episcopal diocese Of central New
York. When John o. s. Huntington, one Of
these children, grew to manhood, he studied
Tor the ministry and was eventually ordained q
minister in the Episcopal church. The young
clergyman was man of winning manners but
quiet and reserved. He had an abundance Of
natural gifts, a broad education, splendid
powers of oratory, and every indication that
he would become as famous in the pulpit as his
distinguished father. Many young clergymen
who were starting on their clerical car GERS at the
same time that John Huntington started on his
enyied the opportunities that we're open to the
loved son of bishop, through whose influence
pleasant and profitable appointment
ropdv a, T., once and
assured for futurity. But young John Hun
tington dumbfounded them all by refusing all
the advantageous appointments that were Of
fered him. He preferred to labor at his sacred
calling among the poorest and lowliest of hui
mainly in the city of his childhood He even
left his fathers luxurious home that he might
live among the despised and the downtrodden
| for whose salvation he worked. He was so
earnest in his zeal that he even dressed in the
humblest fashion and cooked his own scant
meals in a howell, that the poor might
regard him as one of themselves. This
last habit finally led him to adopt the simplest
mode OF life. his fare consisting of little else
but bread and water, that he might eliminate
from his being all that was gross and sensual
After q successful career as a missionary in
Syracuse, the young clergyman came here to
New York. where he established himself in the
poorest quarter of the notorious Five Points
and continued the mission work that he had
liked upon as his career in life and here he
has been ever since, doing good in quarters
where, before him, no man of his ability and
attainments had dared to penetrate. No
monk ever lived the life of an asce-
tic more faithfully and more fervently
than has Father Huntington, he is now
called. With self-denial that seems almost
incredible in this age he has renowned family
ties, home, love, marriage, position, riches
fame. all that the world holds most dear, to be-
come ministrant, as often temporal as spirit
ual, to the very scum of the earth's population.
de has saved thousands of souls from perdi-
tion no doubt, and he has saved thousands of
bodies from perdition by his influence over the
rough element, among whom he is respected
and beloved and obeyed above all other
powers 1t ever man lived up to the letter
of the teachings Of the Master in all respects
'ha' man Is the Rev. j; g g s. Huntington
As contrast to the truly Christian career of
Father Huntington, am reminded Of the
career Of another New York clergyman of the
Episcopal church. whose name is often seen in
public print. and who is regarded as one of the
most fashionable and prominent divines of the
city. l have known him, too, for many years,
having first made his acquaintance at college
where we both were students. From the time
this FELLOW began his studies for the sacred
calling until the present day he has worked
with all the energy of a shrewd political wire
puller for his personal advancement in the pro-
fesslon he adopted. And he adopted that pro-
fesslon, mind you, not because he felt that he
was called to il, but because it seemed to
him to offer the greatest returns in the short
est time for the least labor. He went into it as
Astor went into trading, as Vanderbilt went
into railroading, as Gould went into speculat-
lng-for what 1T would fetch. He was ordained
minister at about the same time young Hunt
lngton was ordained, and is about the same
age. At college he had been clever student.
bright. but wild, and I remember that
wnen he returned to the college town for a
visit after he had been ordained, some of his
old chuns, with whom he spent a rather hila-
changed blamed bit, if he was a minister"
Well, Blanky pulled wires and got his first
charge In country town not over two hours
ride from New York. and a very agreeable
charge it was There were lots of young peo-
pie in the parish, and the rector made himself
30 fascinating at tennis, at riding and driving,
and at the german, that the congregation SIM
ply worshiped him. He would smoke a cigar
or open bottle of wine with the rich young
Fellows whose country homes were in the
vicinity; he never looked with horror upon
round-danclng or card-playing or any of the
petty vices which more conscientious clergy
men frown upon and he made himself so COM
pletely solid with the whole community that
heretics and atheists and agnostics of ali sorts
and conditions came focking into the arms of
the church because. as some of them put it,
the rector was such devil of good minister
And these heretics and agnostics and the rest
had money, bless you; and when they came
into the church they brought it with them: and
they made st. Dash the swellest house of wor-
ship in miles. They builded it all anew, and
enlarged it, and decorated it within and with
ont, and memorial-windowed it. and raised the
dear rector's salary and hired him an assistant
And the bishop OF that diocese saw what was
being done, and he said to himself, "Blanky is a
great man. l mustn't lose sight Of him." So
one day he appointed Blanky rector of a church
of considerable consequence in a CITY iust
across the river from New York Banky told
his parish he loved 'em ever 80 much, but he
felt call to more extended sphere of useful
ness Cat salary considerably bigger, with per-
quisites), and he went. Then he began to Law
pipes to makes himself solid with the bishop.
The bishop was an enthusiastic Greek-letter
fraternity man, although he had been years out
of college. So was Banky They talked
fraternity, ard the bishop was panied to find
that Blanky belonged to fraternity which had
always been the deadly rival of his own.
Blanky was panied, too because he thought IL
might estrange the bishop from his interests.
After Blanky had thought over the matter
little he made up his clerical mind to break the
solemn oath which he had taken when he Joined
his own fraternity, sever his allegiance to IL and
join the bishops fraternity. An oath is a
serious matter, of course, but when a minister
is looking for a chance to get ahead Of some
other minister even oaths lose their serious
aspect. sometimes. Well, Blanky's scheme
worked He was expelled from his own fra
ternity as his perjury deserved, but he Joined
the bishops, and the latter rewarded him by
getting him appointed to deliver the PRAYER
at certain public occasion some years ago
when vast municipal improvement was
opened to the public.
At about this time was q participant with
Blanky at dinner Of the New York alumni of
the college We had both attended, on which
occasion he delivered prayer which brought
down the house. 1t was couched in verse, was
witty and bright, but the very acme of sacri-
lege. But it was intended to tickle the Younger
members OF the alumni, and it did, They
voted Blanky good fellow, and at the next
general alumni meeting to elect an alumnus
trustee of the college Blanky was elected, He
hadn't sprunp that sacrileoious provar C..