Connecticut western news., 1890-04-23

N>I/Iz IzgzsSS1S
 ULYSSES GRANT HOUSTON.
 tized by him, and still greater privi- lege if the rite could take place in the Jordan. His desire was communicated to the doctor, and he ,heerfully con- sented. Three o'clock was the time set for the ceremony, and meantime the tents were pitched, and one of the servants who could swim tested the bottom of the river for suitable place for the ceremony, as there are deep places at intervals near the banks, and an accident was possible.
 It was delightful day, and though the month was December, the tempera- ture was that of summer day. Atthe hour appointed Dr. Talmage emerged from his tent clad in a long brown robe, borrowed for the occasion from the sheik. It was not unclerical in shape, though somewhat short for the doctors tall form The candidate for baptism had secured long white robe from the Nubian attendant of his party, and thus clad. came to the bank where Dr. Talmage and the other members of the party waited.
 It was an interesting group, com posed of the American ladies and gen. tlemen, the sheik, the muleteers and other attendants. The service was opened by singing. No hymn books were at hand, but the ladies of the party had provided for that deficiency while the tents were being pitched and the doctor and Mir. Houston were rob- ing themselves. They had written out from memory the stanzas, so ap- propriate to the occasion and the scene, which now rose in cadence on the river bank: - On Jordan's stormy banks stand, And cast 8 wishful eye To Canaans fair and happy land, Where my possessions lie.
 O the transporting, rapturous scene
 That rises to my sight; Sweet fields arrayed in living green,
 And rivers of delight!
 When shall reach that happy place.
 And be forever blests
 When shall see my Fathers face, - And in his bosom rest?
 It was a solemn, scene; even the sheik was affected by 1t. To the sur prise of the Americans he prostrated himself on the earth and prayed to Allah, as if the spirit of worship could not be resisted As the singing ceased he rose and closely watched the ceremony Dr. Talmage then led in prayer, invoking the Divine presence and blessing. Opening his Bible, he then read from the third chapter of Matthew the account of the baptism of Jesus. The customary questions to the candidate were asked and satisfac- tory answers were given.
 Dr. Talmage then read his commits sion in Matthew xviii. 19, 20, 'Go ye therefore and teach all nations, bap- | tiZing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" etc. Looking the candidate l squarely in the face, Dr. Talmage said l: ''In this historic river, which parted three times to let Gods people pass | dry shod, in which Naaman plunged | seven times for healing from dire dis | ease, and from the banks of which ! Elijah ascended in equipage of fire, 1 and in which Christ was baptized and | which for ages has been the symbol of I the division between earth and heaven. baptize thee"
 | Then, taking the candidate by the | hand, he led him into the water. Reaching the sufficient depth, he inn mersed him three separate times, re- beating the usual formula: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost" after which he pronounced the benediction. At the close of the ceremony Dr. Tal- mage said: "As the ordinance was ob- served under the direction of no par ticular denomination of Christians, and no particular church could be responsible for 1t, I feel it my duty to report what 1 did to the church univer- sal"
 After the ceremony, and when Dr. Talmage and Mr. Houston had re. stunned their usual attire, the latter went to Dr. Talmage and thanked him l for acceding to his request; and said reverently, that 1t would be blessed and hallowing memory with him SC long as he lived. Dr. Talmage took out his notebook and wrote baptis nal certificate, stating the time ano place of the administration of the rite which he handed to Mir. Houston. Concerning the young man who wa: thus baptized, The News, of New Haven, Conn.,, says that last summer he was under the tuition of Professor w. w. Haskell, of that city, making { special study of New Testament Greek with the intention of entering Yale university. but had deferred entering for a time. A deeply interesting worI of art, ''one of the most interesting that 1t had ever been the writer's goot
 fortune to see,n designed and executed
 by MT. Houston, was in October, 1889
 on exhibition in the Yale readins
 room.
 The News says: MT. Houston ha
 also patented an Educational Model O.
 the Universe, which presents very in
 genious methods of illustrating th'
 movements of the human body, ant
 also material illustrations of menta
 and moral truth. The model is nov
 at the Northwestern university, il
 Chicago His invention for illustrat
 ing the movements and positions o
 the planets of our solar system is yer,
 ingenious.
 ''In the same mechanism are repre- sented heavenly plane, a terrestria
 plane, spiritual plane, a vicious plane
 plane of art, a commercial plane an
 portion of celestial plane exterio
 to a portion of the solar system. Elk President Porter is greatly intereste
 in his mechanism for representing tn free action of the will and other menta and moral truth. Professor Thayel
 of the Howard Divinity school, ha also shown great interest in the work When in England Professor Drum , mond and many of the English scho AaS'bopano interested in his work"