The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-31
IN MEMORY OF DR.. PRITCHARO.
Memorial Meeting This Afternoon in
the First Baptist Church, of Which
He Was Once Pastor.

| In the First Baptist church this af-
ternoon at four o'clock special mem
orial meeting will be held in memory
of the late Rev. DR.. Thomas H. Pritch-
ard, former pastor of the church. The
public is invited to attend. Actresses
will be delivered by DR.. Skinner, DR..
| Carter and other leading ministers and
| laymen.
Father Creepy, the editor of the Eli
zabeth City Economist, in his grace
| full style, writes thus of DR.. Pritchard:
| What Atkinson was to the pulpit of
| the Episcopal church, what Marvin
was to the pulpit of the Methodist
| church, DR.. Pritchard was to the pull
| pit of the Baptist church. He was a
| great pulpit and rostrum speaker and
had very strongly the characteristics
| of that remarkable Henderson family,
| through whom he traced his lineage
| in the maternal line. He was a Hen
derson all over, in all his tastes and
peculiarities. He was cast in the ply
steal mould of an orator. Deep chest
ed, broad shouldered, strong lunged.
and emotional, sympathetic, with all
the humanities of our nature. His
deep, sonorous voice was a bugle call
to arms, and his soft and dulcet notes
of sympathy rivalled an AEolian harp.
How sadly now do we recall the CHEEKY
notes of his accustomed morning sal
utation, when we were with him some
days on a steamboat several years ago
THE tip-top of the morning to you
my friend" Alas! alas! that kind voice
we shall hear no more on earth forever!
His voice, like his nature, had infinite
fiexibility. He was loving and lovable
as a child, as courteous as Chevalier
Bayard, as humorous as Vance, as dig
nified as CASTOR. How charming were
his "reminiscences of the distinguished
Hendersons that had illustrated North
Cardinals history, how instructive up
ON pulpit oratory, of which he was
conspicuous master. AS an illustra-
ton of his emotional nature and his
winning utterance. we hope we may be
excused for a little personal reminis-
cence. Many years ago we were in
attendance upon the Chowan Baptist
Association to report its proceedings.
On the second day of its session, there
came into the church a portly man,
anu DIS Ic dppIOtCIcu lilC upper Gnu
of the church where we were, the pro-
found and cordial salutations that
greeted him showed him to be a man
of distinguished consideration. Surely,
thought we, we've seen that face be-
fore. When he reached a seat near us,
we saw that he was the young divinity
student we had met thirty years be-
fore in Perquimans county at the home
of Mrs. Richard FELTON,, where he was
a private teacher of her son, Judson,
who died during his pupilage. When
Dr. Pritchard had taken his seat near
us and recovered from the hand-shak-
ing ordeal, we rose from our seat,
reached out our hand to him, and adj
dressed him by name. He did not
recognize us, and we said, you do not
know me-" He replied, mo; who is
the brother?" in a tone and manner
of the most winning kindness. We
said. mo, not brother in the narrow
sense. but a cousin, perhaps" lie
looked at us with intense curiosity.
We said, did you know Mrs. FELTON,,
of Perquimans county?" "Oh, yes"
said he. "she was dear friend. Did
YOU know Judson?" said we, and the
tears came to his eyes. We then gave
our name, and with extreme kindness
he said, "God bless me, DR.. Martin and
/ were talking about you last week.
while we were fishing"