Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-03-28
LONG LIFF
WELL SPENT
Rev. G. Fl. Day, Father of the Central
Penna. Conference.

Rev. q. HI. Day, the only clergyman
surviving in the Central Pennsylvania
conference who was a member of the
Baltimore conference before the former
body was organized, will not be able to
attend the reunion of the two confer.
ences at Hagerstown, Md, on Monday
next, hopefully as he has been looking
forward to the event.
The venerable clergyman, IS years Of
age, is lying bedfast at his home In Riv.
erside. His vitality is rapidly declin-
ing; he speaks with apparent effort; he
is unable to raise his head without as
sistaDce, while the pallor, the whiteness
of his cheek and brow is nearly equal to
that of the pillow upon which he re-
poses.
The aged clergyman was seen by rep
resentative of THE AMERICAN yes
terday. His face frightened percepti-
bly, when the subject of conference was
introduced
With one exception, he said, it is
the first time he missed attending con-
ference during long period of sixty
one years. But am resigned; have
had long life, I do not qfmplain," he
added, wearily.
The former occasion on which he was
prevented from meeting with confer
ence occurred in the early days of his
ministry when he was member of the
Baltimore conference. The place of meet
ing that year MAS Stanton. Va. Rev. Day
with some others set out for Stanton,
but the journey was long and weari-
some one; the roads were almost i'm
passable with mud; the party became
mired and after several attempts to pro-
ceed were obliged to give up the journey.
Rev. Day was born near Baltimore.
Md. He has been in the ministry for q
period of sixty-five years. In 1865 he
was pastor of Methodist church in
Washington, d. G. He was warm per-
sonal friend of John w. Forney, then
speaker of the House of Representatives
at whose request for period of two
months during the absence of regular
incumbent he officiated as Chaplain of
the House of Representatives. He has
held charges in Baltimore, Clearfeld,
Carlisle and other cities of Importance
and gratefully acknowledges that
although his labors at times were very
arduous yet on the whole he was favored
in his appointments.
lie says that people nowadays have
no idea of the self-denial and the hard
ships which fell to the lot of the Metho-
dist minister of half century ago. He
says that a single circuit in Luzerne
county which he once covered on horse
back or on foot, is at present cut up into
fifteen different appointments. In those
days friendly tree was gladly welcom-
ed as shelter for the night, the fare was
hard and meals irregular.
On September 10th last the wife OF
Rev. G. H. Day passed to her reward.
In speaking of her illness, which cover
ed a year, the aged man feelingly re-
marked that he had remained by her
side as nearly as possible during the en-
tire time, accepting at long intervals in
vitations to speak in near by towns.
His own final breakdown he dates
from his wife's death. Yesterday he was
feeling exceptionally bad. He remarked
that he entertains no hopes of ever aris-
ing from his bed. There was no tone OF
sorrow or of regret in his words; he was
perfectly composed, showing that he
felt. as he expressed himself a few
minutes before, perfectly resigned"