The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-12-15

is tho Rev. Mt. Hepburn OIL
county. and Mr.. Abbott describes IN
most entertaining manner WISH VIM
lie paid to Mr. Hepbur,'s home
gives a rather gloomy description Oh iis
visit to boswell. ard a. humorous aceou''e
Of his journey in tho buggy OF a coioi :"
man toward the preachers mousse i''
dissertation or boswell and the surrou''o-
ing country would not please the soo'i
monte Of Hanover. for he refers 10 thde
section AZ a dcsolatc country OF aTrcsteo
development
On his way out he met Mr. ana Mis.
Hepburn en- route to the station ana as
Mrs. Hepburn was coming to R1chmoho'
Mr. Abbott drove back in the preachers
buggy "The first impression Mr. Hep-
burn made on me- he says. was 0.
strength. dignity. virility anc hinoness.-
AS he sat there erect, with ms olue mill
..rv cane thrown over his shoulders. yet
NOT conceali,,r the clerical coat collar pc
meath. with the rens held taut In strong
hands that seemed to respond WIZ SYM
pathetic control to every nervous move
ment of his figh-strunG horse, with MS
felt hat shading a pair Of friendly eyes.
his hair Just tinged with gray. his neck
and face bronzed with exposure to the
weather. he looked the very figure or
what the minister of God in the church
militant should be-
He tells his readers that for twenty
years Mr.. Hepburn has been travelling
on this circuit. and on their journey they
stopped at a house that had been the
manor house of a Southern major, and
had been the scene of true old-tlme nos
pitality and gaiety." To Mr.. Abbotts
eve there was no sign of past greatness.
but he found in the present occupant of
tho house can old white-haired gentle
man, of no kin to the former owner, but
a true Virginia gentleman with gen
tIe-voiced. fair-faced daughter, both of
whom by their cordially and hospitable
manner quite charmed the visitor.
On the way home he and the rector
passed over one of Hanovers worst roads.
in some parts full of stumps. and in 9th.
ers muddy, and Mr.. Hepburn told Mr..
Abbott that he had been travelling over
these roads for so long time that the
distance which he had covered was equa!
to more than the distance around the
world. They finally arrived at Mr.. Hep
burns home, and after a luncheon OF
fine Virginia ham and rice. Mr.. Abbott
is introduced to tho servants and the
% vi
and quite falls in love with the home of
the preacher whom he has already
learned to reverence. He is particularly
struck with the fact that Mr.. Hepburn
in addition to his religious duties, acts
frequently as family physician. drawing
teeth and performing great feats in sur
gerry.
By and by Mr. Hepburn takes him. to
| Old Fork Church, where the Pages wor-
| ship. and a fine description is given OF
built in 1885 and special reference is made
| to the historic font. which was taken
away during the Baptist uprising in Vir-
ginia but finally restored to its place.
at was with reluctance" he concludes,
that / left this little old church. AS |
caught my last glimpse of it at the turE
of the road it seemed to be the inter
prefer of Virginia rural life. In the midst
of this country region. apparently so I'M
developed as to seem to be new and I'M
settled. this church stood as a monument
to noble past, a. repository of its best
traditions and a symbol Of the reverence
and hope of the present"
1t is an interesting coincidence that in
Scribners MAJ azine for December is an
article by Thomas Nelson Page on "An
Old Virginia Sunday" in which affec-
tionate allusion is made to this same
old church. '"The Old Fork Church, .
says Mr.. Page, in concluding his article.
still stands as a sanctuary to those
who were reared in its teachings. One
cannot leave the dust and turmoil of the
city and spend a Sunday there without
feeling that he has climbed to higher
level and brcathed d rarer air. 1t is as
if he has taken a plunge into cool and
limpid spring. He comes away re-
frcshed and stimulated"
There are some references in Mr.. Alb
bolts article to manners and customs
and conditions in the South now and of
old which a Virginian might very proper
ly criticise, but this review of his arti-
Gle is merely 4 narrative, and so the
illusions ard the criticisms which we
might make arc omitted.
Tho main point in Mr.. Abbott's article
is found in the conclusion, and this is SO
striking ard entertaining that it is re-
produced in full. He says:
''If in the course Of my trip my observsi-
tons had led mo to fancy that insttu-
tional Christianity was only another
phase of human seliishncsS and display,
and that religion itself was but a part
of sociology. tcs one days experience
would Eart, been enough to convict nc
of folly. Tie Episcopal Church is known
to stand a:na.1g Protestant bodies distinct
~ for the claims of institutional religion,