The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-19

cation.
Mr.. Fiske said in his letter: cit does
not seem possible that the church of
my first pastorate~ has reached such
an age. That pastorate is ancient his
terry. Yet I am not so old today as
when was ordained there, and I don't
know tenth as much as I did then.
My old church, then an infant, is now
mother, grandmother, and I am told
great grandmother Then ST. Paul
used to boast that st. Paul had a pop
ulation of 14,000 which Minneapolis
declared was pure brag. Now the pop
ulation of neither can be definitely as
certained, at least not to the salts
faction of both; but it must be far up
into the millions.
'Then the Presbyterians seemed the
Established Church of ST. Paul. and
that setting up of little Plymouth
seemed as an intrusion on sacred
ground and presumption rights. l re-
member that first, when at various
general meetings the clergy Of the
city were invited to sit on the plat
form, the pastor of Plymouth used to
be forgotten.
How we'll I remember the little
white chapel down on the flats and the
chapel members They were Deacon
Nichols, the ever faithful with his, If
possible, more faithful wife and daugh-
ter, but that was not possible. There
was the big and big-hearted and me-
lodious Furber, with his athletic sons;
Peter Berkey and his wife, and Anna,
the prophecies and Deacon Hawkes.,
whom she married, and the young
n;en-Bond, who is a neighbor of mine
in this city, somewhat lapsed from the
purity OF the faith we used to train
him in, for he is now pillar in the
Unitarian church, and Clarke, Burnell
and Nourse, whom 1 afterwards met
in California, and BoStwick, who was
afterwards a most valuable member
Of my church in San Francisco, my
Sunday school superintendent, and the
best one I ever knew.
II recall the wide waste of spaces
between st. Paul and st. Anthony
those days, on which 1 was more than
once beWildered, but out of which be-
wilderment my beautiful mare Nellie,
who lies buried with lamentations at
NatcheZ, brought me safe. Beautiful
Minnehaha charmed me In her sweet
ness and her winter splendors. 1 re-
member the midnight adventure when
1 went through the ice within three
rods of the Falls Of ST. Anthony and
made marvellous escapes for both my
self and Nellie, after a series Of pro-
tracted meetings in Minneapolis. These
long drives over the rolling prairies of
your state on all sorts of congrega-
tional calls and other excursions abide
in happy remembrance with me of the
cordial Inequalities on these occasions.
But the memories flood, as I must not
God bless old Plymouth, long may
her bow abide in strength. 1 love the
old Congregational church Of my child
hood and early ministry. Great is her
mission. Great is her success. Forever
may she and her Presbyterian sister
march side by side in holy and loving
rivalry for Christ and man, amidst all
the broad necessities of our own and
all later time, Of our own and all
lands, until the great communion
comes. May her loyalties and ours be
as true in these later crises as they
were in that Of generation ago,
which severed our relations as pastor
and people, but which did not sever
our love.
Mrs. E. A. Warren then read an
original poem, written especially for
the occasion by Mrs. Elaine Goodale
Eastman. 1t Is as follows:
The Holy Church was once a tn ng apart-
thing of vested priests and chanting choirs,
Of mystic language and symbolic art
Condemning II e and all It's warm desires.
The modern church is made for human need
Its ministers by men are understood
They preach an open Book, an honest creed,
And no cathedral, with its climbing spire
Filter for worship than this grove
Whose blue-arched roof is higher!
And Ged was once King upon a throne;
| being far withdrawn from sinful men:
Yelling his face in deep displeasure shown
With gracious favor shining forth again
but neither hope of heaven, nor fear of hell
Nor vague awe of One who dwe.ls above
In starry realms remote, invisible,
Can cleanse the SOUL or kindle saving ,oye
Eternity is now-tcday the judgment doth
begin
And God is nearer than ourselyes-his king
dom is within
Another letter was also read from
Rev. Watson B. Willard. more recent
pastor of the church. He expressed hi
regret at being unable to be present
at the exercises, but spoke a few words
of congratulation and compliment for
the conduct of the work during the
life Of the church.
Another letter was read from B. w.
Smith, one of the oldest memb ars of the
church. Mr.. Smith was compelled to
be out OF the city, which was mat
ter Of mu,h regret to him. He was the
forty-fourth member Joining the
church, which ne did in 1854 For a
long time debt of $45 overhung the
church, but it. was paid off by Mr..
Berkey. Various were the means of
raising money in those days but later
the material welfare of the church was
largely increased by large number
| being received as members, both on
confession of faith and from other
churches, although many of the later
Congregational churches have radiated
from Plymouth, taking at times large
numbers of it's members.
3. w. Power, of Power, North Da-
kota, one OF the~-ear.y members of the
church, sent letter quite prolific with
"reminiscences. After telling of the
early financial difficulty of the church
| in holding Its own. Mr.. Power says:
The start for funds were made and all
| the usual methods of gathering in loose
change were adopted; oyster suppers.
| where every oyster had 20 be counted
| strawberry festivals, after the berries
were so cheap that every one was tired
OF them; evenings giving the dramatic
talent of the society an opportunity to
| make dollars from the patient; giving
an entertainment at the Opera house,
where among other equally good things
! the Corning brothers, great strapping
| fellows, that they were, gave a rendi-
ton of the pathetic story of the "Babes
in the Wood" Church ?socials were
made the means of exacting tribute
| costing nothing to get in, but all the
loose quarters and HAYES one had to
get out. At this time we were not UP
to the modern and progressive ways Of
raising church funds" all
l.. H. Hunt. one of the two surviving
charter members, also sent anaf1terest-
ing letter which was read,
Rev. Richard Hall followed the Read
ing Of the letters with an address, tell
| ing of the early missionary work in ST
Paul done in connection with Plymou h
He had heard at least seven pastors
preach in the church. He told Of th-
arrival Of the first Presbyterian mis-
sionaries in 1854, Rev. E. D. Neil and
Rev. j. G. Whitney Father Hall
spoke In a most encouraging vein, and