Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-07-29
GENUINE AND THOROUGH.

of Rev. R. A. Lee not long ago, Rev. VIM.
A. Query, chaplain of the University
of the South, at Sewanee, Tenn, at which
institution Mr.. Lee was student fol
three years, made that young minister's s
life and character the subject of an ad-
dress, which was delivered to the assem-
bled students in st. Augustine's chapel
A copy of the address, which has not
before appeared in print, has been hand
ed to THE ENQUIRER. twill be endorsed
by everyone who was acquainted with
Mr.. Lee. Here is the address in full:
Nv dear young friends, you have all no
donbt heard of the death Of the Rev. Rob-
ert A. Lee by lightning, near Brevard
Station, n. c., on last Wednesday after.
noon. It is not my intention to speak OF
the details of this sad calamity; I only
wish in as few words as possible to pay
mytribute to his memory, and to give
EXPRESSION to the sense of grief and loss
which those of us who knew him feel at
his untimely end. Mr.. Lee was native
of South Carolina and graduate of Due
West college. He entered the theological
denartment of the university in 1891, and
graduated with distinction in 1894. He
Returned to his native state and diocese,
and took charge of the Church OF the
Good Shepherd, Yorkyille: The church
at Yorkyiile was one in which / was per-
sonally much interested, having had
charge of the parish during one of my
winter vacations, and it was upon my
recommendation that Mr.. Lee was called.
Although he had not been in the ministry
ouite two years he has endeared himself
to eyeryone who knew him, and under
his PASTORAL care the church at Yorkville
showed marked Improvement. A cores
nondent writing to one of the state papers
says of Mr.. Lee that he twas first Chris.
tain and afterwards an Episcopalian."
While we would have preferred to have
stated it differently and said that his
Guardianship was part OF MS Chrls,
tianity, and that the two were so blended
in him as to be inseparable, still we might
very we'll accept this statement in the
spirit in which it is meant; IL showed
that the impression made by Mr. Lee
upon the people of Yorkville was after all
the same which he had made upon US al
Sewanee, viz: That behind the church
man, behind the clergyman, there was
the man, the strong, true, devoted servant
of Jesus Christ; and it was the reality OF
his religious life which gave weight to his
words and force to his convictions.
I had not intended to speak OF hls
mental attainments, though it deserves to
be mentioned here that the dean OF the
theological department. has said that IN
many respects Robt. Lee was one OF the
best prepared men who ever graduated
under him. Since hearing OF our fr!end's
death I have been casting about IN my
mind for a single word which would give
YOU the kew to his character. think the
word genuine more exactly describes him
than any other He was just that-genuine
sincere, thorough. He was one OF those
rare characters that you meet with once IN
great while, upon whom you can abso'
lutely rely. will not stop now to speak
of his unfailing courtesy, his dignitied
bearing, his quiet flashes OF humorr, ,whlcn
made him at all times such a genial com
panion; but there is just one other char
acteristic of the man which ought TO be
mentioned, in order that the picture which
have drawn of him may be complete
and that is singular transparency, acer.
tain guilelessness of nature. His was mol
the innocence of ignorace, but the limo,
cence which comes from pure heart and
pure mind. Indeed, it might be SAID OF
him, as of few men whom have known
BLESSED are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God"
lam quite sure that but voice the SEN
timents of all who knew him when say
that in his death the university has lost 9
true friend and an honored alumnus, and
his diocease and state one OF its ablest anG
most promising sons. That life so 1ul
of promise should have been so suddenly
cut short, may seem to some OF us as al
|inexplicable and mysterious visitation o.
Providence. But who shall say when
mans work is done? The most success
full life ever lived on earth was young
mans life. The master himself was cu
off in the prime of manhood, being only
little older than our young friend ano
brother, and our Lords public ministry
was but a few months longer than his
| And yet that life which ended in seeming