Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-19
OUR MAIL POUCH.
A my.fery of Two Worlds.


To the Editor of The Dispatch:
NV attention has just been attracted to a
most interesting story in your columns con-
corning the restoration Of q long-lost Bible. 1t
belonged originally. as it seems. to John B.
Semple. ESQ.,, of your city, and bore the imprint
of 1874 on its title page, As well as an entry Of
the name of the owner IN the same year. In
some most strange and unaccountable manner.
after its owner had been many years deceased,
IL was brought to light In the little port OF
Alexandretra in the northeast corner OF the
Mediterranean. After abiding there for pro-
tracted period, where 1t was carefully pre-
served, it was placed by some unknown hand
in the care of the Rev. Messrs. Pearce. Leak
and Ballantyne with the story Of its later his
tory. These gentlemen brought the sacred
volume home to Pittsburg. and. as In duty
bound, sought for some trace of its original
owner Through the reportorial enterprise OF
THE DISPATCH they were successful in finding
the SON of the former owner, who At once iden-
tilted the highly treasured and long missing
volume. Such are some OF the facts as pub
lished in The DISPATCH and also in the te.e-
graph news of to-day from Pittsburg in the
Philadelphia Record.
This story possesses a deep interest for me
personally, from the fact that l was fellow
traveller with my esteemed clerical brethren
from Pittsburg in their tour Of the Holy Land.
met them first in Jerusalem, and learned to
know and love them; and having had many
previous experiences in common with them.
cannot but regret that i did not share with
them in the romantic incident which has now
had such happy sequel. 1 am the more inter
ested in the story from the fact that L also
knew quite intimately the family, to member
of which the long missing volume has been re-
turned. Iknew the original owner OF It, and
knew that he highly priced this particular
Bible; and cannot but rejoice with his son,
Mr.. Frank Semple. on the recovery OF such a
precious memento of his sainted father.
On still another ground L am interested In
the study of this much travelled copy Of the
Scriptures. For, strange to say, when about to
go abroad, being reluctant to expose my study
Bible to the vicissitudes of so long journey,
my good wife suggested l should take a small.
compact, portable one of her own which she
then put in my case. That Bible accompanied
me in all my travels through Europe and up
the Nile, as well as in the tour or the Holy
Land. Now had been so fortunate as to have
been the finder OF the other volume found by
my comrades in travel, it would almost nave
served to replace this volume OF mine, which
was SO unfortunate as to lose, know not
where. The description given in your columns
is quite near enough to have made 1t answer
this purpose; as in size, age and imprint could
almost have sworn it was duplicate. Ot
course, the other facts stated in your narrative
preclude their further identity; but the
strangest part of this strange and almost par
allel history is that my wife's maiden name was
Semple, and that the book she gave me, and
which failed to bring back with me, was one
of the precious heirlooms that came to her
from her deceased father.
Hoping this additional story will have some
thing Of the same interest as the other. II 1t
does not help to unravel this mystery OF two
worlds, remain,
Very sincerely yours,
J. HENRY SHARPE,
Editor PresbytertdTl Journal.
1872 Chestnut street.
PHILADELPHIA, June 16 1890.