Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1897-09-02
hugh MILLER
THOMPSON
The Great Mississippi
Bishop Delivers AN Able
Sermon at Westminster
Abbey.

minister Abbey and heard good
American sermon. Does that
sound extraordinary. Not so
much 80 as something else
VII h happened Why. the
preacher actually made his con
gregation laugh. don't mean
that the people roared aloud.
but there was a distinct and
audible ripple Of amusement al.
through the chancei and adown
he solemn aisles. Probably
such a thing never happened
before in all the abbey's long
existence, not even when II
stood as a temple to Apollo,
One of the visiting bishops, he
of Mississippi. preached that
day a good, plain, homes
straightforward shoulder ser
mon. IL was on the law of ser
vice.
The speaker dwelt much on
the mission OF genius to serve
the world. Ii must be so. All
the earth looked tn the man of
genius to work for his fellow.
men. but not for himself. .Peo.
pie make a fuss about Milton
being paid only e. for Paradise
Lost. said the bishop. why,
Paradise Lost wasn't purchas-
able. wasn't buyable. Milton
was not To be rewarded that way.
II he could have been he had
missed his great mission of ser.
vice. And here the good man
warmed up. over in our repub-
lie across the Atlantic people
complain that an ungrateful peo.
pie did not fittingly recompense
George Washington. How could
they have paid him. Stick lit.
tie gilt knob on hat head-and
call MIN a klngT
The words, the gesture, the
accent, the beautiful audacity of
1t all. were too much for the
congregation. For a minute
they stared at one another
b n k y, then they glanced
around towards the kingly eff
gies and laughed. And IL had
to go up and pinch Queen Eliza
beih's marble toes to assure nv.
self that | wasn't dreaming. but
really among the sculptured
royal dead of Westminster Alb.
hey. with a fearless American
bishop in that historic pulpit
In a recent letter from the
Bishop written in Oxford Eng.
land after preaching the Uni
yersity sermon, is the following:
We think il may interest the
readers OF the News.
Il enclose you letter. The
explanation is--everything is
paid for in England. and the
ieoman Bedell handed me an
envelope with a bow, facing
around with his silver mace
The envelope contained a check
for f5 5s. the University ser.
mon tee, OF course couldn't
take it. TIE Vice Chancellor
said | couldn't return it aweIl. =
said ], haven't you some hard
up students going in for the
church, plenty well III
give IT to one Of them, you pick
him OUT He brought til $
young fellow, and he wrote the
letter.
QUEENS COLLEGE,
Oxford I. vi, ~.
Sir:-l feel that the unexpect.
ed Introduction to a Bishop and
the still more unexpected nature
OF my communication with you
made me even more shy than I
usually am with strangers, and
that consequently seemed not
to appreciate your kindness.
May ! therefore take this Cd.
portunity Of assuring you how
deeply grateful ! am to you for
your generous gin, and how
much ] wish ! could fittingiy
aeknox ledge II.
My father and my mother
have denied themselves much
that | might have an university
education, and that makes me
very 10th to constantly apply to
them for help. BY your kind.
ness | shall be able to buy
many valuable theological books
which otherwise | might have
been unable to obtain, know
that such books alone will not
make a man good parish priest.
but they will be useful means
To that end for which you in
your higher and ! in my lower
sphere, labor in the Church of
Christ Ii is little likely that
We shall meet again, but | shall
never forget that a Bishop of
our beloved Church across the
sea stretched out helping hand
To an unknown scholar at OK.
ford.
Yours very sincerely,
w. III. MowAT-In Church
News And American Church.
man.
Wha$ 10 No..