The Portland daily press., 1895-08-20
JAMES LIDDELL PHILLIPS.
Hon. Thomas B. Reeds Tribute to De-
parted Missionary Who Was His Class
mate in College.

The Morning Star, the organ of the
Free Baptists, publishes the following
tribute to the Rev. DR.. James Iiddell
Phillips,a a distinguished missionary whose
death occurred recently, from the Hon.
Thomas B. Reed:
A great many years ago, when was
a boy in college, / used to read the Morn
ing Star in the rooms of James Liddell
Phillips, of whose death we have lust
been informed by cable from Calcutta. I
wish very much to say to your readers
what thought of DR.. Phillips, for I am
sure that they must have esteemed and
loved him, as certainly did
As he was member of my class in
college, and we lived for good part of
the time in the same halls, I knew him
we'll in those earlier years of his life
which were the preparation for the useful
years which he spent in the service of the
religion he professed, and of which his
life was most exalted praise. He was a
true, earnest and devoted believer, as
thoroughly without guile or self seeking
as any man I ever knew. In college he
was scholar of high rank, graduating
with an English oration, then, as always
great honor in Bowdoin College While
yet student his gifts as preacher were
we'll known throughout your denomina-
tion. These gifts were the result not SO
much of learning or study, though neith-
er of these things was lacking, as of a
sympathetic heart, and natural oratori-
cal power born of sincere love of his
fellow beings.
Graduating thus with high honor and
with premonition OF great acceptance
in the churches of his own country
many a man, less devoted to duty, would
have listened to the prompting of am
bition and remained to fill career of
great favor in civilized land. But this
child of distinguished missionary, him
self born in a heathenland, never for one
moment forgot the land of his birth, nor
his longing to become among the natives
of that land worthy successor of his
venerated father. How he Jared, and
what he did to further the faith that was
in him, your readers know much better
than l do. always held him in my heart
as thesone man / knew, who faithful to
his belief and without desire for reward
in this world, gave up country and
friends, health and comfort, for life
unknown alike to fame and pleasure
l used often to wonder if there might
not be, as he grew older, underneath that
seeming content, some of those vague
longings for a different life which affiict
those of us whose paths from the cradle
to the grave have been unlike his. 1t is
one of the pleasant recollections which
J treasure that had an opportunity to
find out if my vague conjectures were
true or not He came to my house with
his wife. whose devotion to. the same
cause must have been to him succor and
sweet support, to stay with me during a
meeting of the churches of your denoni-
nation. On the evening on which he was
to speak to great audience violent at
tack of jungle fever confined him to his
room for that night andSeveral days after.
His patience in sickness and his regret
over the disappointment at not meeting
his audience were without a shadow of
self regard In that time and in the few
days after, ! saw that, however others
might think he had sacrificed ambition,
comfort happiness and all this world
could give, there was in his heart no
shadow of repining, and no doubt of the
great duty of his life. "There were no re-
grets, no doubts and half wishes, but a
calm sweetness, a transparent peace. -
! My tribute to his memory is my sin
cere admiration of his unselfsh life OF
self sacrifice and devotion-a life of sell
sacrifice and devotionssso deep and full and
rich that to his dying day he never had a
thought that he was doing anything
nobler than the simple duty which the
created owe to the Creator.