The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-11-23
Mee,Ing at the Church.

There was an informal gathering OF
members of the church and parish at Dea-
Goa Mark P. Emery's house on Free street
Saturday night. for consultation as TO the
proper course to be taken in regard to the
observance of DR.. HIPS death. No action
was taken, the meeting adjourning to
yesterday at the close of the morning SER
vice. In his prayer before the sermon.
Rev. Mr.. Perkins touchingly alluded to
the loss the society had sustained.
After the benedlcton Mr. Perkins came
down from the pulpit and took his place
by the communion table. After a brief
pause, during which hush with the still
ness Of death came over the congregation.
Mr.. Perkins spoke substantially as fol-
lows:
We are met together with deep sense
of our common loss. look into the
faces of those here reveals the sorrow we
all feel. Words cannot express it, but we
are met here to express as pest we can our
common grief.
An interval Of silent prayer followed
after which the Lords prayer was recited
in concert.
Mr.. Perkins then called upon the chair
man of the parish committee. Judge
Haskell. to express their feeling Of sorrow.
Judge Haskell made the following re-
marks:
Yesterday, when told of the death OF our
beloved pastor, the Rev. DIR. Hill, who has
taught In this place for nearly score of
preston Of the love we bore him and of the
sorrow. that we feel at his loss she uld be
had today, we caused brief testimonial to
pc written. and the author of 1t, Judge
Symonds, Is now requested to read 1t to
you.
Judge Symonds spoke as follows:
At such moment as this, when the
sound OF the tolling church bells trembling
upon the air, announcing and lamenting
the death Of their beloved pastor, Rev. DR..
Thomas Hill. has so recently ceased, 1t Is
too early yet, quite yet, while the heavy
sense Of loss has but just fallen, and the
grief Is new and strange, for the First
Parish of Portland to set their sorrow TO
any phrase or even to express In any ade-
quate or permanent form their love and
veneration for him their love and venera-
ton which accompanied him In life, which
follows him to the skies.
In some calmer mood, the words Of for
NAL remembrance and regret must be
spoken. These first moments should be
given to grief" Only the broken senten-
ces which fall from qulverlng lips are pos
sible now. 1t is the pastor, the friend, the
Mentor, whom we have lost, our instructor
and guide of many years, whose last words
to us. lingering and to linger in their influ-
ence, like the radiance of his example, far,
far beyond the sunset of his own life, were
words OF solemn love and benediction.
What wealth of wisdom from his lips, what
holiness Of life for perpetual memory
and model, Is our Inheritance from him.
In this church and parish, his life and
service take their place now among the
sacred memories, the associations of q
cherished and stored past. They will re-
main far into the future too, in many q
good influence upon us all; In many a
blessing, may we say, upon him who has
come latest into the succession, our pastor
now, towards whom from this sudden vacan-
cy all hearts turn with new glow of af-
fectionate regard.
Many places will speak the eulogy OF DR..
Hill. Others will mourn and praise him
by his more distant and more general titles
to fame andiremembrance. The world will
remember him as. the philosopher. the man
OF science, the learned theologian and
preacher, profoundly thoughtful, the great
student, the scholar of almost universal at
tainments, who made pilgrimages to all the
holy lands of literature and learning, who
loved to l0iter on the way wherever the
mood invited, and bring back, as from ad-
ventur0us voyages, the marvels of his dis
covery and research; and all this greatness
of attainment, combined with rare kindli-
ness and simplicity of life and with state
ly purity and nobility of character. Nor
will he be forgotten as one who has added
his own share to what is beautiful In our
poetry.
All these titles to fame and eulogy were
his: but we come now ''to indulge an emo
ton more personal and more fond" to
grieve for the death Of one whom we loved
to draw near, of the most sad" among
those who are bereaved by his death.
May the vision of the coed he has done
in his life and Of the good which the lin
gering influence Of his example is to do In
the future, have visited him when death
approached. like smile from the opening
heavens.
In this world there remains for him only
love, good will and grateful remembrances,
to crown with honor the close of faithful
service and holy life.
At the conclusion Of Judge Symonds's
remarks, Mr.. Perkins announced that the
funeral of DR.. Hill would be held at the
residence of his son-in-law, DIR. Alfred
Worcester. on Bacon street, Waltham,
Mass, Tuesday, at 230 p. m. The parish
will be represented by the parish commit
tee, and the church by the associate pastor
and the deacons. Many members of both
church and parish will also attend. DR..
Peabody of Harvard will ofaciate, proba-
bly, assisted by the pastor OF the Waltham
church, Rev. Mr.. Young and Rev. Mr..
Perkins, DR.. Hills colleague.
Sunday school and the evening service
were omitted.