The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-07
"Requested TO Resign
Copyright 1901, the Christian Herald
New York

There's seldom been day more sad ex-
! perienced than when
| That grandest and most lovable. and
sanctihed of men,
/ The Rev. Aaron Lambly. OF the church
al County Line,
After forty years of labor, was requested
to resign.
The feeling had been growing in the
church since early fall,
But dear old Dr. Lambly hadn't noticed
it at all;
He had been so very busy with the sick
and the distressed,
And in starting a revival In the district
over west,
And in getting up some Friday evening
lectures on the theme
OF the inspirations which we ought to
get from Jacobs dream;
And in planning how to interest the ones
inclined to shirk
The quarterly collection for the Foreign
Mission Work.
In praying for the dying and those al
ready dead
And officiating cheerfully for those in
clined to wed;
In cudgeling his intellect for something
which would bring
The younger people out 10 service sun
day evening;
In trying to assist his wife ana daughter
to restore,
The harmony existing in the Dorcas
League, before
The elder Mrs. Sixties and the younger
Mrs. Dye.
Had the tiff about the proper way to
make an apple pie;
And in visiting the people VINO had lateiy
come to town,
And were living in the tenant house OF
Farmer William Brown,
And in doing every single thing he really
ought to do,
In which he much resembled. presume.
the most of you.
Made up the list of reasons why the pas
tor didn't see
The trouble which was brewing in the
little church, till he,
The old and faithful leader Of the flock
at County Line,
After forty years of service, was re-
quested to resign.
There were half-a-dozen meetings held
before the thing was done,
And the resolutions, put In shape py
Lawyer Anderson,
Were adopted at a meeting which was
held prayer-meeting night,
In secret in the offices of George Angus
tus Wright.
The resolutions opened with about half
a sheet
OF taffy for the pastor-almost good
enough to eat
OF his long and faithful services, togeth-
err with few
Quotations from the Scriptures, and
Latin phrase of two;
with a Whereas" and a Therefore,
and BE it now Resolved
All included in a sentence which was
more or less involved
But intimating plainly that the cnurch
at County Line
Would be obliged to ask It's aged pastor
to resign.
The resolutions mentioned. as the reasons
for the act
"Firstly'-what was simply re-stating
of the fact
That there'd been no change of pastors
for a double score of years,
And progressive members of the cnurch
were forced to voice their IearS
That the pastor and his sermons were
not strictly up to date;
| That his excellent discourses were a
trifie overweight,
| And that possibly younger man coulo
satisfy the need
/ For a more delightful Gospel and q more
progressive Creed;
| And in short, that while the nock coulo
| rs scarcely seek pasture new
| It was stated in sentence iiOs' ""NNO
tably true -
That twas different with the pastor OF
the pasture aforesaid,
Who could easily go out and seek anotner
field instead; -
And that-simmering the document 10
lust about line
| The Reverend Doctor Lamoly was re-
quested to resign.
| III.
NOT intending to be cruel, but succeeding
just the same, ..o~
The document was handed to the pastor
when he came
To the church on Sunday morning ana ne
carried it along
With the usual bunch OF hotlces NNe
most of them too long)
To the quaint old-fashioned pulpit "nere
| he laid them down beside
The Rible and the hymn book, while ne
sedulously tried
To get an understanding OF the Iempeh-
ance Leglon's plea
For a liberal attendance at Its Halnoo"
Colored Tea,
| And TO read the wavy writing, whicn an
nounced that Thursday night
rrba women's Sewing Band would meet,
to gain little light -,
Rasnectin9 contributions toward the NIL
ing of a box
For the Chinese missionaries, VINO were
much in need of socks,
And the usual other notices OF meetings
through the week.
| For the workers, and the prayers ana
the lowly, and the meek;
And as the old man read them there was
peace within his heart,
AZ he breathed prayer of thankfulness
that it had been his part
To keep this flock together ana TO leao
them toward the right.
And to do his humble best to keep them
ever in the light.
His spectacles grew misty, till he pol
| ished them with care,
Readiusted them, and saw the "Resolu-
tions" lying there.
".
There was tense and awful silence In the
congregation then;
There were some who felt triumphant
there were Sinking. conscious men;
There was here and there Christian,
there were some who softly wept;
| There was Uncle Reuben Medderland, who
usually slept,
But was wide-awake this morning, with
a look upon his face
As of one who felt most keenly defeat
without disgrace,
For good old Uncle Reuben was Of those
who voted "Nov