Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-23

JhE LARGEST BIBLE-CLASS IN IRE ""iD'
| often see tall, well-built man. Win
face clean-shaven save for mesgre gray
side-whiskers, walking the streets Oh
Brooklyn, carrying his hands beside MN,
and with his head bent low in thought
He is man whose name IL known 10 M
church workers and yet to the genera
public he is total stranger 1t Is Dr,
Robert r. Meredith. the pastor OF one OF
the largest churches in Brooklyn, and the |
man who conducts the largest Bible-clsss
in the world. Every Tuesday night Tor
ten months in the year his big church IS
filled to overhowin9 by $500 people TO
hear him expound the Sunday school
lesson for the following Sunday. When
you remember that $500 is large num-
Der Of people, you will see that MS
church must be Of unusual size. | have
seen every seat in this ediiice filed, and
not an inch of standing-rOom IN the
aisles. while on the platform stood Dr.
Meredith. and in free and easy, col
loquisl way discuss great Bible ques-
tons with his auditors. There is nothing
formal about the class. Those who wish
to attend may do so. Those who so
early get seats those who do not must
stand. The Doctor takes the platform,
reads the chapter in the Bible in which
the lesson is found, and then asks ques-
tons. Any one is privileged to reply.
Sometimes a dozen men and women
answer at the same time. Again. when
the question Is a knotty one there Is no
answer. and then the preacher says: 81
thought so you know all the easy cues
tions, but none of the hard ones" If
some one ventures a reply and 1t does not
harmonic with the preachers idea of
the answer he stops the speaker abrupt
~. "You are wrong, sir you are look
ing at the question from secular stand
point" "No, madam, l would not be-
lieye that for the world" And then he
goes on to throw light upon the matter,
while the class listens with eager interest.
At the expiration of two hours he stops,
and never does he end in the same way.
Sometimes it is ike this "Better 90
home now. Well sing q hymn, and You
take this question home and think about
it. I'd like to stay here all night and
talk with you, but | can't. Study 1t for
Yourselves and come prepared next Tues
Day night to DO better" Sometimes 1t
is q story, and then the great audience
arises, sings the Doxology, the benedic-
ton is pronounced, and the people go
home. Nowhere else in the world could
such a class of Bible students exist as IN
Brooklyn, and | may say that it is
unique even in the City of Churches.
TIE CHILDREN OF PRESIDENT ARTHUR.
Quite often | see q dashing young wo-
man on Fifth avenue whose name at one
time was household word.
Who does not remember Nellie Ar
thur
When General Arthur was IN the
White House he often had as his com
panions his son and daughter, Allan
and Nellie. The former is several
wears older than Nellie and no
looked upon her as quite a child.
Whoever attended the receptions
given by President Arthur and his sister,
Mrs. McElroy, OF the White House Will
doubtk IS remember the two young peo-
pie who helped to enliven and make
merry the large house OF the nations
Chief Executive. Nellie was a ylyacious
little blonde with long tresses and
dreamy blue eyes Allan was sedate and
not given 10 merriInent as much as his
young sister. 81,
Since General Arthur's death both
have passed out Of the focus of public
attention. Those who visit the White
fhA hunnU
DAYS of Nellie and Allan there, perhaps
wonder where they vanished to and
what they are doing in this busy,
forpetful world. Allan has Just
arrived at manhood's years, and his
sister is still in her teens, attending
the fashionable school at Great
HARRINGTON, In Massachusetts,. There
she studies and prepares herself for the
social world which she will enter after
leaving school. Her faithful aunt, Mrs
McElroy, resides in Albany and tenderly
looks after her young niece. When Miss
Nellie has vacation she goes to her
aunt's house and also spends few days
in the city,
How does the once gay pet OF the
White House look now ? Have her eyes
lost their dreamy beauty and has her
laugh the same merry ring
Her friends think she is more beautiful
than ever. She has grown to be young
woman in size and thought, and her
dresses are much longer than when she
lived at the White House. She now full
fills Gautier's Incompatible description
Of the romantic, willOwly young lady:
Whose form in motion poems speak,
Whose eyes are stars that lovers seek,
Whose hair in flowing tresses line,
The picture makes maid dlyinel
But Miss Nellie's hair does not flow,
because she wears it carefully braided,
dropping over her well-rounded shout
ders. 1t will not be long before she
graduates, and then she will be known
as Miss Arthur.
Mrs. McElroy will probably 60 to Eu-
rope with her after she graduates, SO the
youpg lady can have the advantage OF
foreign travel. Among her schoolmates
she is quite a fayorite, and the young
men who chance to meet her instantly
admire her
The brother, Allan, is fully six feet
high and well built. In time he will
make much stouter man than bis
father.
Young Arthur has a rowing disposition
and is now travelling in Europe With a
companion. When last heard OF he was
in Egypt at the Pyramids. He went
abroad nearly two years ago and has
evinced no disposition to return.
GRAVES OF GREAT CELEBBIT1Es.
Few people know that Tom Hyer, the
world-famed pugilist, is buried in Green
wood cemetery-perhaps the most beau
tiful burial-place in the world. Visitors
/ IL. 49, .-L....Lol ,-hnr, rrnlkinct Lei