Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-26

and he had made his business ar'"'s
ments for Its fall. ., ma
In his youth and In bis years VI =,
turIty there was very little prosis0. asr
his attaining the age that ne a'o' g..
en- years But now, and even long oeioi,'
=. had fuifiIIed the boast which he mace
40 his factory boss. who was onensi'eiy
hera,Ing him for being too slow IN az
,e,ding to his work. he SAID n.'s
.I,u give you 70 understand. IL nv
many wears I was born FOR sonhe'n"e
better than tending a spinning Jenny.
He made a good and unsellish use VI
m. position and wealth when ne
ouired for himself. his family anu MS
fellow-men.
There Is mltter Of interest ana
,nportrnce which we wish 10 *
pand a little. What the author says apour
DIR. Hollands residence In Rlchmohu mas
been quoted already Upon inquiry IL mas
been found that he was brought nither
I'm Ists by Mr.. John c. r. Bennett 10 as
sist him in an English and classical
srbooI. which he intended TO establish
Mr. Bennett was a highly educated south
Carollnian, and had spent nine years III
Europe. mostly In study at the University
of Heidelberg. He opened bis schooi Oh
Governor street, near Ross street III
wooden building that had been occupied
as a bowling -alley; but moved IL 10
frame building higher up the NIL thae
bad been the residence OF Attorney-treh-
eral Sidney $. Baxter and Afterwards
10 Franklin street, near seventh. ana
nv the big sycamore. which is still stand
ing He was at length made principal
the last IL
had. when it was converted into the
Atbenaeum. Like the teachers Letevre
and Smedes. he married into a~highly re-
spectabe Richmond family, ana MS
widow still survives him. After a satis-
factory trial OF his school. he found that
his immediate success did not justify the
retention Of DR. Holland, who, as mas
been stated, obtained a better position
In Vicksburg. But his soJourn In hlch-
niond. brief as II was, was OF ines
timable benefit TO him. az Mrs. Plunketts
double-track biography enables us To dls-
cover. by turning from page ~ 10 page
l07
She represents her subject as being
very religious. even In his early youth.
and his parents were styled devoted.
But when he was quite young man MS
orthodox neighbors were inclined 10
charge him with heresy. because OF some
liberal opiuions which he advanced and
maintained on Scriptural grounds. beiore
his Bible class. His mind was struggling
against tine shackles Of an Inherited ana
surrounding theology, and he had a long
season Of spiritual doubt and gloon.
How deep this was We learn on page
i07 from letter OF Jpdge Henry B. Tn
derhnl. OF California; who knew him
Intimately and correspondent with him.
The judge says: "A became acquainted
with j. G. Holland at Northampton,
Mass. In 1910. He was then medical
| student in the Office OF Drs. Barrett x
Thompson. while | was preparing for col
lcge. We sat at the same table, and
spent much OF our leisure time together
| The subject Of religion was often the
topic OF our discourse, as we were botn
church members. His opinions seemed
| to me unsettled and erratic. He was dis
| posed to question the inspiration OF the
Scriptures. lie was captous
about the efficacy Of prayer and other
features Of practical Christianity and
the impression grew upon me, nOtW.ih-
standing my admiration and ioVe for
| him. that he was not a converted man.
We kept up correspondence after
| left Northampton for Amherst, and he
| vent TO Pttsheld TO attend medical dec
| lures, and subsequently. ~ Ger
tain period during his residence in Rich
mond he surprised me with letter
| that filed my. heart with Joy. 1T vas
| like one of the exultant Psalms of David.
1t was an exuberant description of the
| spiritual illumination which he had eX-
| perienced.'
The Judge met him afterwards IN
| Nicksburg, Springfield, and New York, ana
adds:
He was a practical Christian. laying
| little or no stress upon the theories Of
theologlans, but Jealous for the develop
ment of the Christian graces"
| He had struggled in this state ii sad
! ness and inceTtitude for seven years
! but kept up his church connections and
his religious work. (which was probably
fortunate for him. How far he would
| have received his spiritual emancipation
| had he remained under the influence OF
that rigid and frgid theology 10 which
| he had been subject, cannot be ascer-
| tanned. But most assuredly the social and
| religious atIgtogphere OF Richmond was
/ different from. and more sautary f5r his
soul than that which he had been breath
| ing and would have continued to inhale.
In 1913 the Spirit, engendefed by "the
| two parsons" Blair and Buchanan, and
|
here and Christian ministers OF every
denomination were walking these streets.
eNemplars Of "A cheerful, conservative. har-
| mOnlous evangelical. and fraterndl Chris
! tianity. No wonder that DR.. Holland re-
| ceiyed new inspiration and illumination
| from such an improved environment, how
| he ought to have loved Richmond. lie
carried her boon with him to Nicks-
burg, and all through his subsequent
| life Soon after he left here he erected
a family altar and faithfully served at IT,.
| one OF Or. Hollands accomplishments
| was that he was an excellent singer.
4 and, with his fine tenor voice. he led
church choirs. II Is very much TO his
credit that such a service did not de-
moralize his own devotion.
| Mrs. Plunkett disparages the benefit Of
classical learning to a writer for the
| people. and says that Or. Holland was
| better equipped as 10 style for the popu-
! lar work which he did than he would
| have been had he studied Latin and
| Greek. \ man OF good memory, who Is
addicted 70 reading the best English
authors, will inevitably get a great deal
| or them In his diction, without studying
| them directly. This was true Of Or. HOl-
land, who was very DESTROYS OF taking
all the risks or d fun college course
II he could have afforded IL. His choicest
and most ambitious productions were not
| intended chiefly for the common people
| II the History OF West Massachusetts"
| and the "Titcomb Letters" were. A dis
tinguished son Of Virginia Is now the
professor Of English in Columbia Uni
versity New York and the very best pre-
paration he could have made for such
a position was his teaching "the hui
NANTES" al Randolph-Macon College,
and the University OF Virginia.
| Scribner's was changed TO the Century
In the fall of 1881, and Dr. Holland had
the pleasure OF handling and enjoying the
hrst number OF the new magazine, a few
days before his death which occurred
| October r. 1881. The next number DE
| cemberl contained eulogy and lamenta-
ton, strong and sincere. He sleeps in
the Springfield cemetery. In sight OF Mt.
| Holyoke. which his pen had celebrated
| over his grave his surviving wife and
| children have placed granite monument
| 10 which n fine bronze medallion OF him
| Is attached, and on which are inscribed
| the Following lines. taken from his will:
Il am thankful for having enjoyed the
| privileges Of labor and influence, thank
| full for wife and children, thankful for