The sun., 1894-09-30
ST. JOHN IN TINE WILDERNESS.
The Littie Adirondack Church snd Its suus-
rner nnd winter story.


PAUL SMITHS. N. ". Sept 21.-old white
face, empurpled with fifteen miles Of interven-
ing mountain air, sentincls the quaint little
log Church Of 81. Johns In the Wilderness and
It's pathetic bit Of burying ground, When the
little church was built, doubtless its name was
appropriate, but now, as one notes the half mile
Of civilized board walk leading TO Paul Smiths
hotel, the public road hard by the church, and
the telegraph line. both running 20 the same
place. and the great rectangular mass OF granite
bearing the names OF Paul SMITH dead, the sole
conspicuous monument in the churchyard, one
Is tempted to think that a more appropriate
name for the church would be st. Paurs MT
Home. The influence Of the genial, blue-eyed
old guide is seen everywhere. The very ground
on which the church stands was his gift. and
hard by. occupying the one considerable level
space hercabouts, is his garden, The plot that
bears the great granite block is outside the
churchyard enclosure and within the garden.
The Church Of st. Johns In the Wilderness Is
one where coughing browns the parsons saw
The parson himself, indeed, ha. usually been
sympathetic with these disturbcrs OF his elo-
qucnce Midsummer finds the bare pine benches
OF st. Johns well filled with company that in-
Cludcs some portion Of the wealth and fashion
of many cities, worshlppers of moderate
means are duly impressed at that season by the
spectacle of the iall Anson Phelps Stokes, In
leather leggings. passing the plate from pew to
new. The chiircnyard then has its array OF
wsll,apppinted Carrisges % anu aTowad before
and after service with richly dressed
company. Since last year a new wing has
cruciforn The plastered inner walls, which
seemed at war with the neatly barkcd and hewn
logs Of the exterior, have given place to shingles
and a sheathing Of oiled wood, so that there is
now some sembance OF consistency without ana
within Perhaps the really beautlfaI m stalheI ni oi
Keeping with the studied simplicity OF the
church. One window, as becoming the charac-
midst of a wintry scene drinking beside a tiny
cataract. Another pictures little maid Win
virginia. face, and another shows an emblazoned
cross. All are memorials to the victims Of IA
disease they came hither to escape. -,
The winter congregation OF the little church
dwindles to few permanent residents, mOstly
invalids. and 1t IL a coughing company thats s8-
nihcantly changes from year to year. Ihey
Sare1s Soe 10 tber faces 80 npped into color by the
keen mountain air. Some have the cheering
consciousness that they need net grea1ly isar hir
their intimate enemy so long as they make TINS
region their winter home but others bear upon
features and figures the prophetic signs OF the
IL is lucky for the winter congregation that
the dead are mostly buried elsewhere. near thelr
% WISE the e aspect Of the little graveyard would be
more omniOus than 1t is. There are Few grave
stones and all are new. Almost the earliest Is
from St Louis who died here eleven years ago,
when less than forty years 9i age. As the little
whose presence here IL a matter of necessity Tor
the sake of his health. so the little winter set
tlement of invalids is usually furnished with
physician established here under like constraint
Two children of the present most famous Adj
rondacI physician fie in the graveyard. Not
more than two or three OF the dead
buried here had passed the age OF forty. Some
are little children. but there Is an unusual pro-
portion OF those that died between the ages of
is and 81. just at the approach Of manhood or
wOmanhood. a time seemingly peculiarly fatal
to consumptlves. The story OF these early deaths
Is the pathetic feature OF st. Johns In the VII.
derness. II is recorded on the tombstones and
repeated in the memorial windows. IL is ac-
centuated by the summer spectacle or healthy
children playing among the graves and resting
on one mound or another to arrange flow
ers plucked from the neighborins garden.
One Is almost able TO forget In sum.
mer time when there is throng OF
tie place was primarily health resort,
and only the occasional reference to '' the order
OF the sick gentleman" In this or that cottage
calls the fact to mind. Well folks are not to be
scared Off by the vague fears of contagion. and
there is still a refuge for such far-gone con.
sumptiyes as he who exclaimed In bitterness or
soul, when asked to shorten his stay at fash
ionable neigh boring resort: We'll. keep me
over night. and I'll 20 to Paul's. They'll take
me In there and let me cough my teeth out