The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-03-23

that far-away experience should
dare to conclude that the old Blocker
Street church-and the old Orchard
Street church, where DIR. Sawyer pre-
sided SO long, and which l also visited
had seen and were seeing some of
Universalism's halcyon days in New
York.
Something less than forty years
later when the Blocker Street church
in oculated with the general tendency
of things about there, had sought
position further up town and moved
to Eleventh street, visited it again.
DIR. E. G. Bolles was now the pastor.
The change of locality was not the
only noticeable change. The congre-
cation did not appear to have lost in
quality, nor in strength, perhaps, but
in familiar faces only. Another gen.
Grafton was sitting there. And no
preacher could differ from another
more than DIR. Bolles from DIR. Balch.
If DR.. Bolles was not more eloquent
his eloquence was of a more orderly,
scholarly kind.
was present at the communion
table and assisted, by invitation, in
the service. l referred, in my brief
words, to my former visit to the old
downtown spot, and wondered if any
l met there were before me now.
There were some, l afterward learned.
added, in commenting on the
saddening changes which the forty
years must have caused in the So
ciety, that their former pastor, whose
name they must have kept in loving
remembrance, had reached good
ripe age, and to the joy of us all, was
still living. DR.. Bolles touched my
arm and whispered to me that, CDR.
Balch died more than a week ago."
"Ahw at once replied, "Dr.Balch has
passed away. l did not know it. His
death adds solemnity and meaning to
our communion here today. The in
fuence of his life which has continued
with you SO long is felt among us at
this moment, sanctiies our thoughts"
The following Sunday l preached
for DIR. Bolles. He was absent in
New England. l have special and
personal reasons for remembering
that day, the ending of it particular
ly. Nothing, however, connected with
my embarrassing distress was the
fault of those whom / was addressing
on that occasion. A little while be-
fore the evening service, l received a
telegram from Minneapolis, bringing
me the terrible news that my own
church there, the "Church of the Re-
deemer" was burning up" Shocked
overwhelmed by this, my first impulse
was to cancel the evening appoint
ment, fearing | would not be able to
acquit myself acceptably, or to make
any intelligent utterance whatever;
but there was no time to make other
arrangements for the pulpit, so l
rallied all my courage and strength,
went to the church, into the pulpit,
and faced the unsuspecting people
as bravely as l could. l at least dem
onstrated again the fact that the
mind has certain dual faculties, and
can be in two places, thousand and
five hundred miles apart, at the same
moment-and for as many consecut
tive moments as are contained in a
single hour. My body was in New
York, and in DIR. Bolles' pulpit, but in
other respects l was no more there
than l was in Minneapolis. l was
speaking to one people, and contin
ually, every instant indeed, thinking
of another people, atwo-days journey
by swift cars, away. | could see the
flames holly creeping over the pews,
climbing the galleries, the organ, the
handsome windows, the high ceiling,
and perhaps the lofty tower, devour-
ing with merciless hunger all the
beautiful and sacred objects they
touched.
could hear the crash of the fall
ing stone walls and roof -timbers;
yea, and the silent cries of the poor
awe struck multitudes watching in
helpless terror the quick destruction
of that magnificent edifice. Igaveto
my listeners no hint of my inward
woe, nor of the cause of it; and hence
did not avail myself of what might
have been accepted as rational apol-
ogy for whatever deficiencies they
may have noticed in my hurried dis
course.
On Sunday, March 10th, made a
third visit to what was once the
Bleecker Street Church, now the
"Church of the Eternal Hope" which