The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-21

A brIeI reference tU the pastors or | the church on the Green erected i'll '2Z and zo. l neeu not mention SamueI | Luckty, the ursL preacAer WlI not spean ul heman bangs ana Uthets wnO pIeacned AieLHouIsm anu nVed II from -o Lo IS, excepting Daniel curry, Who In 4o anu I. Mas Iue pastor Ut the tllst cnurcn. DanleI curry Was notaDIe man, deyout. A man WlIn cOnVlctlous, | IearIess, earnest.
 James Troy Ill AS and AS, a distin- guisned preacher, IolOwed Daniel Cur ry.
 After him, the persuasive, irresist- ible Norris, then the commanding Mitchell.
 l In '54 and '55, John Kennedy, model Christian minister, gifted, great. Then scudder, brave, of iron win, yet tender and genial.
 In oS and '5s, young Weed, forceful' magnetic. Again kennedy. Then Nadal scholarly, beautiful.
 In 64, '65 and 'b6 Thomas H. Buren, social, interesting.
 Then Fletcher a great preacher, deep thinker. After him, Wilbur FISK | Watkins, fluent. Then George Wood ruff, an impressive preacher, genial | eccentric. After Woodruff, John w. Beach, erudite. A thinker-a preacher' In away back in the early years ot the seventies, suffering had stamped ltseh upon Dr. Beach's countenance. Anxlous concerning his loved boy, he seemed sometimes indifferent but his heart was tender and responsive.
 Our lamented Brother Barker was permitted to listen to the story or heartache, of frustrated hopes.
 In later years when misfortune's hurt had stung deeply. John w. Beach at my summer home would often LOOK with delight at the little fishing boats and larger craft, at the regular brilliant flashes of Stratford light, and looked at Dr. Beach's brilliant flashes of dry lhumor, appreciatingly.
 To-day John W. Beach is at rest. The First ch-WesleyaIp-the eld- ership may have prepared him for oc- cupany of his permanent home.
 In '75, '76 and TT again the thought full Weed. In '7S, '79, 80, Benjamin M. 1 AudIllS, SIlIl dCllNS dALAI1uSA eSNSAhNJ eight years of age, spiritual, an exem- plar of common sense sanctitication, in- teresting, stimulating.
 Then Charles H. Buck, lovable, an excellent sermonizer, sweet pastor. After him, D. A. Goodsell, preacher, a pastor, a large man, courteous, a born bishop. Then M. B. Chapman elo- quent, original, thinker the friend of the unfortunate, the sick, the aged, the infirm. In '92 William V. Kelley, rare combination of feminine sweetness and masculine stalwartness, eloquent, mag nificent. Then W. G. Williams, able, social, a man with an infectious smile.
 In 94 from a great western church, Charles P. Masden came to us. He re- mained during '95 and '96 and in '97 was called and accepted the call to one of the large northwestern churches. If Brother Masden had accomplished nothing else during his pastorate, his ministry would have been successful when my dear friend (the first letter of whose given name is the twenty-third in the alphabeD entered into the active, religious life of the church. Thank God for Charles P Masden, sincere-a man of excellent intentions. Thank God for the brother whose middle name begins with the tenth letter in the al- phabet.
 Again the genius Chapman, then Gardner Eldridge discreet, delightfully."- social, manly, able, an excellent preacher. God bless him, one of my dearest friends.
 Last winter at the Floridian paradise, Palm Beach, at the Hotel Breakers, about February 10th one beautiful win summer morning, sitting in an easy chair within one hundred yards of the Atlantic, nurse at my left, my faith full wife who had never forgotten and will never forget the bigness of the word duty, at my right, I sat intently watching half hundred sea bathers, listening to masculine hilarity and feminine joyousness, looking with de- light at the numerous craft with white sails tossed by the angry dark waters of the Gulf Stream as if they were 1it- tie tops, noticing the ceaseless competi- ton between the pelican and the sea gull-the captured. suffering, strug- gling fish, and often sending up little prayer of gratitude to Almighty God for his wonderful goodness to unworthy me and frequent supplication that if consistent with the Divine will in the early April days I might, along the meadows bank and in the running waters of my own loved trout brooks thank God that in them I could gather physical strength for use in the old First
 Suddenly my wife remarked J. F. Adams writes that Gardner Eldridge is to go. My heart sank. loved Gard ner Eldridge-a beautiful character But Gods ways are not ours. Unable to understand why Eldridge was to leave us, for a moment was despond- ent, but I raised my head little high : CT and with the grit of better days ] said. Well, I'll remain in the old First until elected by the official board ol , called to the countries of the skies by my Heavenly Father to occupy my pre-. pared home, even if compelled to re- main quarter of a century.
 But the Lord always provides. He
 sent Henry Baker great preacher. 2
 manly man. Already he has drawn us
 to him by his persistent, tactful, ire.
 sistible, unique, undemonstrative be
 witching, magical manner. , It occurs to me that I have surpassed
 W. P. Corbett in his general use o1 adjectives in my special use of then concerning my dear friend Dr. Baker | 0h Cod wa haseech Than tho yar1