The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-18
Meeting Of Theological Class
After twenty-five Years.
WITHlTS RANKS UNBROKEN
A Sketch ofthe Occasion BY One Of It's
Thirteen lively MEMBERSHIPS
Bachelor or a Whoever
Among the Lot

sble reunions In Virginia history was.
that at Hampton In July. when Rev. C..
Braxton Bryan, the rector OF st. Johns
Episcopal Church, gathered around him
tho members Of his class with whom he
graduated at the Theological Seminary
twenty-five years ago. Rev Arthur p.
Gray. OF Amherst. under the head Of
Twenty-Five Years After" gives the
following rather breezy account OF the
gathering: A
5 AZ TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AFTER.
TN many respects that reunion at
Hampton. on July 9Th. 9th and 10th. OF
the class OF '7s, Virginia Theological Sem
mary. was d unique and memorable af-
fair. While OF the i've classes at the
Seminary, from 1875 TO 1878, nine have
died and eight have dropped out or re-
tired for disabilities, yet OF the thirteen
who entered the junior class, 1876 every
man Is alive. healthy active and doing
full work In the ministry. From the way
they did justice to Sister Bryan's good
old Virginia dinners, | Judge there Is
not even dyspeptlc In the claus The
youthful appearance of many OF them was
striking and frequent was the remark to
this or that one. individually: Why. you
don't belong to- that crowd? Which re-
mark being made to q particularly youth
1ul-lookng member OF the class. brought
forth very broad smile and the reply:
why, i am the only grandfather in the
ciass.
who will say that thirteen Is an I'M
lucky NUMBER Why. there is not
bachelor In the class, not widower
among them, and every helpmate is a
Eolpmeet, and that accounts for great
deal OF their blesscdness. Not only are
they unbrokcn in ranks. but the class
now numbers seventy. a number consid-
cred peculiarly blessed under the old
dispensatlon. and It has not lost It's viz
3 tue.
See that venerable looking gentleman
with tho white hair, dignlhed face and
gold glasses? Old man? Why. don't you
know what you are talking about; he has
the baby Of the class-only seven months
old. God bless him! Eleven were pres
Chesley and Rev. 8. 8. Ware, sent deep
regrets and valid excuses.
A GRAND ILLUSTRATION.
II; was a grand illustration OF how
sweet thing It is for brethren to dwell
together In unity, for the characteristic
OF this class has been Its unity. fellow
ship and esprit de corps From New
York and Florida. from city and country,
from the mountains and the sea. they
gathered at the CALL and were we'll re-
\ paid How those twenty-five years seemed
TO have vanished. and once again we were
looking into the faces OF tha comrades
OF our youth. recalling the amusing and
pathetic Incidents OF those days, feeling
like boys again, laughing, jumping and
swimming together. Oh! who would have
missed II.
Once moro together we knelt In class
prayer and praise to the Father who had
blessed US so; together we chanted the
Gloria In Excelsis' and 'Blest Be the Tie
That Binds
eve organized the class by eleoting the
senior member, Rev. Byrd T. Turner, as
president and Rev. Arthur p. Gray as
secretary. We rehearsed some OF our ex-
periences and gave special thoughts. and
were 20 enggrossed we forgot the appoint
ment Of good, hospitable friend to take
us boat riding. We had our picture taken
again In the same Identical attitudes as
twenty-five years ago that we might
compare them.
"wednesday night, July 9Th. was the
especial service Eleven Of the class
OF tho service. Special hymns were
chnnted, special lessons read and special
prayers offered to suit the occasion.
Rev. P. r. Phillips made an address clear,
strong and impressive, on tho JOY OF the
Ministry and Rev. Frank Page spoke
on the Need OF Men IN the MINISTRY.
1t was the same old frank, In his strong,
ringing, enthusiastic, practical and plain
manner. as In the old Piedmont conven-
ton There was large congregation
present, and afterwards hearty, cordial
old Virginia reception In the parish
house.
MIR. BRYAN's CLASS.
"lt was 'Brax, who got up this re-
union; 1t was 'Brax who invited them all
to his home by the sea; It was Brax'
who wrote three. four, and In some In
stances, FIVE times to the same person, to
make sure he would come; It was 'Braxs'
swarm heart that was the soul OF It all: 1t
was 'Brax's' congregation who vowed
1t should be held nowhere else, and each
tried to outvie the other in showing hospi-
tally to Mr.. Bryan's class. That was the
only name by which we were known there.
And SO army and navy, North and South.
mae and female entertained Mr.. Bryan's
class In royal manner The class, as
recognition OF this fact, and memento
of an occasion never to be forgotten,
presented the dear old man with chair
on which was a silver plate, bearing the
inscription, To the Rev. G. 3, Bryan,