The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-03-03

D 5: &: &; Il; IT,: !; ~; 2; e: :: s:
E>i since been trying
F~th<- to travel. From
~. that time forward
he and l became
fast friends, but during the past ten
years | had a standing invitation to
spend my Saturday afternoons with
him. l used my privilege spar
ingly, but sufficiently to have seen
my many-sided friend from many
points of view. A few side lights from
the outer and inner circles may prove,
not only interesting, but useful.
l first met Mr.. Spurgeon at Belfast.
l was then preparing for college, with
a hankering after the Indian civil ser
vice. Mr.. Spurgeon preached IN DIR.
Cooks church. He singled me out,
and spoke to me as If no one else was
present. There was no drumming OF
theology, and no sanctimonlous pos
ing, but a clear, direct, hot, living,
personal appeal, that dare not be re-
sisted. AS soon as the benedlctlon
was pronounced, Mr.. Spurgeon de-
scended from the pulpit, and, seeing
me looking at him, he held out his
hand to me when he was about two
thirds down the stairs. | stepped tor
ward and seized it. elbow did you
like my sermon ?" we're his first words.
[ The human, manly, straightforward,
genuine ring of the question cllnched
the effect already produced on youth
in search of what was genuine. Many
started anew on life's journey that
night, and few of Surgeons people
ever turned back.
Fifteen years later, l went to the
tabernacle on my way home from Da
mascus. The same Straightforward
Engl:shman was preaching the same
straightforward gospel in all its fulnes
and freeness, and without any apolog,
for its severity. l walked into tn
vestry without introduction. He hat
not seen me for ten years, but he rec
ognized me in the crowd without
moments hesitation. He ran owe
the books on the Holy Land, statln
the merits of each, and ended by say
ing, 81 suppose Thomson's The Lane
and the Book is still the best on tn
manners and customs. He had tn
.. literature of Palestine at his tlnge
: ends.
When l came to be Mr.. Spurgcon
2 near neighbor, found that he was at
). uuainted with all literature. II
power of reading was, perhaps, neve
1 euualled. He would sit down to nv
or six large books, and master the'
j at one sitting. He sat with his lc
4 side of the book, and, pushing his rlgl
l. hand up the page on the right side
t the book until the page became pre-
n jected, he turned it over, proceede
s to the next page. He took in the col
d tents almost at a glance, and his men
II orv never failed him as to what
" " read. He made a point of readlr
l. half-a- dozen of the hardest boo
d weekly, as he said he wished to RI
'ee his mind against the strongest; ar
- there was no skipping. l often testt
a the thoroughness Of his reading.
"Natural Law in the Splrltu
y World" reached him and me abo
'e the same time. l called on him ire
Ill from a study Of the book. He HI
at lust read it, with four or five otf
At works, on that day. At tea we beg
" to discuss the work. A third pal
disputed his recollection of certa
er points, whereupon Spurgeon quotee
at page, to show that the natural a
~ Spiritual laws were declared to
do "identical," and another mports
ay page to show how the book erred
defect. | looked over the page aga
" on my return home, and / believe
Nv scarcely missed a word IN his repf
1T ton. His power of reading was
=" Ip of the greatest of his many talents.
~ In the vastncss of his knoWee
m Mr.. Spurgeon had no equal exc
lat Mr.. Gladstone, who has all the worI
or or literature open to him. Mr.. Spurg'
~ was limited to the wide field OF
he glish. With Mr.. Gladstone more Il
| a with Mr.. Spurgeon ! have always
'he the depths of my own ignorance.
vas discussing subjects which were spec
dly " my own with Mr.. Gladstone, h
cut always felt that he knew my sub
o" better than l did. | once told hin
Spurgcon's power of rapid and Il
ough reading, believing that ne
to sessed the same gift; but ne asst
lin. me he read slowly, but that ne
up all the odds and ends OF tim
las, bis disposal to keep abreast OF the
Nh These two men greatly esteemed
honored each other. This is KIN
rs from their last correspondence, {
, knew it as fact from each; and
Mr.. Spurgeon dissented from
Gladstone's Irish policy, through
NAL of the priests, he added one day,
too condemning Home Rule, Yes
will back William Ewart Glads
against the world to carry the
,oa, The purity of his purpose and
plicity OF his motives will do IT. :
- was at first surprised TO find