The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-07-27


more. The ocean is grand, awfully
grand; grand, grand all the while'
even when it is still. 1t is, however,
never quite still. 1t is mighty in its
sleep if it sleeps at all. Its bosom
heaves and swells at every breath.
Its inactivity is sublimely ponderous.
Lake Minnetonka can raise respect
able breeze when It sets out and
enough to push over a sail and drive
the boats off; it can in some of its
storms make considerable show of
surf and spray, but its waves at best
are poor contrast to those which
every day come sweeping and rolling
up against the Narragansett beach.
l enjoy watching them of course. l
enjoy their deep thunderous music.
l rather like their strange salt smell.
They blow health and vigor into
ones face, it is said. Shinglenook is
five minutes distant from them-not
in sight except from the upper win
dows-but we can hear their voice
and almost feel their jar in the quiet
night.
Our greatest surprise SO far at Mar
ragansett has been caused by its over
abundance of fogs, of damp, cool, al
most cold weather. 1t rained nearly
every day for two weeks. We needed
fire some of the time. Minnetonka
would be in despair at such an at
mosphere in July. Minnetonka would,
however, last summer at least, have
been glad to exchange some of its
excessive heat and drouth for some
of these dripping fogs and pouring
clouds. 1t is the middle of July and
summer seems to have hardly begun
here. We have had few fine days,
and shall have plenty of them by
and by, probably. The roads are ex-
cellent and the country interesting
about Narragansett.
l did not come direct from Bonsyde
to Shinglenook, but loitered by the
way a little, and the lettering, some
of it, was delightful. 1 stopped off
three days, including Sunday, to visit
my old and dear friend, DR.. Geo. w.
Montgomery. 1 found him ill and in
bed, but able to converse. We re-
called together many pleasant remi-
niscences. He hardly seemed to tire
of his or my talking. He is IS, some
what feeble in body, but retains his
mental faculties wonderfully. His
eyes are somewhat dim, but his reason
is clear, and he takes the same lively,
intelligent interest in the world, in
the country, and in the church, that he
showed in his prime. His faith is the
same. He sums up the past cheerfully
and contemplates the future with
hope. Our church at Rochester has had
in it's whole history, of fifty years, but
three pastors, of whom DIR. Montgom-
cry was the first. The people loved
him at the beginning and time has
increased that love to reverence. /
went to Rochester, as pastor, AZ years
ago, and left there for Chicago, 35
years ago, giving place to DR.. Asa
SAKE, who has remained until now,
making the longest pastorate, with
one or two exceptions, in our demon.
ination, and earning also a name for
himself, as man and a preacher, on
which he may retire from his more
active service with just pride. 1t
filled me with JOY to meet the two
men again, to stand in that pulpit
once more, and to look into those
well-remembered faces which still
grace the Sunday congregation. The
fourth pastor, Rev. Mr.. Squires, be-
gins his engagement in September.
left the New York Central Rail
road at Little Falls, also, and went
north on to the Herkimer county
hills, near my birth place, to visit rel
atives, among them two sisters, one
83 and the other 81 years of age.
We sat together three days and
talked and lived our lives over again.
Conscious of our nearness to it our
conversation reached out to the great
future also. My sisters are, and have
been, for considerable more than half
a century, members of the Baptist
church, but our theological differen-
ces, whether they may have been,
really, were scarcely perceptible in
what we had to say in regard to the
love of God, to salvation through
Christ, and to the faith in final re-
union with our dear ones beyond the
grave. We hoped much and dogma
tized little. AS the spots on the sun
are buried in its light, my sisters
doubts, if they had any, aud it is pre-
sumed they had some, serious ones
perhaps, appeared to be buried in