The San Francisco call., 1896-02-10
pie, as well as upon the lives of his par

pie, as well as upon the lives of his par
ishioners.
The church membership is small. 1t
was predicted by Sweuenborg, the founder
of the parent church, that in a numerical
sense this would always be true, but that
other churches would assimilate it's doc.
trines, and his followers believe this is be-
ing fulfilled. The membership of Mr..
Worcester's church shows less than half a
hundred names, but it is united little
band.
Rev. Joseph Worcester is native of
Massachusetts, and the son of a Sweden
borgian minister of Boston, For the past
twenty-five years he has officiated as one
of the leaders of Swedenborgian thought
in this City and State. He is pre-er1i-
nently scholar but has many qualities
that have endeared him TO those not
within the jurisdiction OF his church.
Architectural studies have been his recrea-
tion for years, and have led him into close
friendship with the late A. Page Brown
and 9th ers prominent in his profession.
1t is related of him that when he spent a
summer vacation among the Santa Cruz
mountains he arranged that the trunks of
eight madrond trees should be sent to this
City for rafters in the church that was
then building.
The elderly couple with whom he had
made the contract were so won by the gem
though they executed their part of the
contract in providing the rafters and send
ing them from the Santa Cruz Mountains
to San Francisco by team, they refused to
accept any payment therefor.
Mr.. Worcester's picturesque brown cot
tage is said to occupy the highest habit
able point in the City. Situated on an
n cir dnaQ at -
sian Hill, it commands a view of the City,
the bay and hills calculated to inspire the
beholders to lofty thoughts and living.
and is an ideal home for philosopher.
The church is on Lyon street, near jack
son. 1t is one of the smallest, as we'll as
most unique, specimens of church archi-
lecture in the City. A low, square build
ing of brick and concrete, with heavy iron
gates, it is of the early italian style, and
its quaint outline brings up vague memo
rles of the land of song and story.
The interior has suggestion of Gothic
strength about it. The main rafJers are
the trunks of madrona trees in the rude
ness of their forest symmetry. No curve
has been destroyed or excrescence re-
moved. They are attached to the beams
by heavy iron bands, and in their sim plic-
lty and strength are an index of the whole.
The walls and ceiling have no veil of lath
and plaster to hide their mechanism. At
the rear OF the audlence-room Is great
brick fireplace, from which the steam pipes
are laid. 1t has been found that the pipes
and radiators are superhuous, and it is
probable that they will be dispensed with
and that the flames in the fireplace will
furnish all the heat required.
On the right of the worshipers are high,
many-paned windows, curtained by a
creamy stuff, through which the light falls
softly on the four William Kieth land
scapes, which constitute the wall decor
ations. One of these Is q picture of aSeed
Time" another of "Harvest." third OF
"The Early RAINS" and the last vista of
woods, which he has hung there as trib-
ute to the late A. Page Brown, the archi-
tect of the building, and his personal
friend. Wooded scenes, all of them, in
harmony with the design of the building,
whose rugged adherence to natures plan
reminds the worshiper of the poets words,
"The groves were Gods first temple
What corresponds to the chancel and