The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-29

THE NEWS AND OBSERVER, sU
was genuine type of the unframed but
later as a local preacher. In 1928 he
joined the Virginia Conference, which
then included a large part OF NORTH
Carolina, at its session IN Raleigh, N. G..
which city fittingly became the scene Of
many of the successful la5ors of his noble
son in after years. He was twenty-toIi
years old at the time OF his entrance
| into the travelling connection. At the
] time he stood before the Conference nc
was agenui ne type of the unframed bni
capable, virile and consecrated young
Methodist preacher of his day, with d
glad heart and willing mind ready tC
do and to suffer the will of God, and
burning with zeal to spread scrlptural holl
ness over these lands. He measured five
feet nine inches and weighed at the time
about hundred and sixty pounds. He
was a man OF rather rugged features
stout, muscular, elf-centered-an in
strument chosen and prepared of the
Lord for hard service in the field. Among
those who came forward to welcome him
into the fellowship of the itinerancy
were Thomas r. Brame, Hezeklah T.
Leigh, Peter Daub James Reid, William
| Holmes, and Bennett T. Blake, all CT
precious memory to many of us Of this
generation.
Among those who joined in the years
Immediately following and who were con
temporary with Alfred Norman were:
William Compton, a man of unblemishcd
life: the sanity Sidney D. Bumpas; the
brilliant r. c. Maynard; the stalwart
David B. Nicholson, that man of most
| lovable spirit and withal most engag-
| ing and nourishing preacher; Ire T.
Wyche; the great William Gloss whose
| like has not since arisen among US; that
faithful servant of his Lord William
| Jordan; that clean man whose face shone
with the glory OF his Lord and he wist
| not that it shone; Lemon Shell; Henry
Gray, that flaming messenger of Christ;
Daniel Culbreth who grew old SO sweetly;
Robert o. Burton, one Of the greatest
preachers that has ever been numbered
among us; John Tillett, that intense SOU
and heroic preacher of righteousness
and Washington S. Coffin. that man rich
| in the power of intellect and in the graces
| of good will and of kindly humor. What
! noble company Of mighty spirits who
labored with Alfred Norman in building
the walls of our Methodism in these ends
of the earth! When We think of the
illustrious company of the Lords ser
wants who have wrought in the gener
ations preceding us, we do not wonder
that they took strong hold upon this
land and that out of their labors should
come the great church that we behold
in North Carolina today. When young
Norman joined the Conference in Raj
eigh he showed the spirit of the genuine
minister-the spirit that was the posses
sion in every breast Of all that mighty
host that marched with him to the con
quest of this land. When asked where
he wished to be sent, he said, Send me
where there are sinners"
His first appointment was as Junior
Preacher on the Portsmouth and Ocracokc
circuit. In 1929 Junior Preacher on the
Black River circuit. 1880 Trent circuit
| 1881 he was sent to Banks and Islands.
| Here he fell under the stroke OF typhoid
| fever which lasted a hundred days and
| from which he recovered after q narrow
escape from death. In 1882 he was sent
| to the hill country and was In charge
of Stokes circuit. In 1888 he served the
Randolph circuit. In 1894 he was sent
east again and was put in charge OF
| Camden circuit, where he labored two
| years. In 1886 Gates circuit was his
charge In 1896 the North Carolina Con
ference was formed into a separate and
distinct Conference from the Virginia
| Conference, and Mr.. Norman was sent
to the Tarboro circuit for 1887. In the
years Immediately following, his charges
were: Duplin circuit in 1898; Gullfort
circuit in 1899; Raleigh circuit in IS 40;
Chatham circuit in 1871; Franklin cir
cult in Virginia which circuit at this
time was embraced in the North Carolina
| Conference, in 1923.
At this point the form of a woman
moves upon the scene and becomes q
figure in any true picture of the life Of
Mr. Norman. Hitherto his stout hear
has been untouched by the tender charms
of woman His soul has known but one
passionate love of Christ and the love
of sinners. His mind and heart have
been so conferred upon his work as g
minister of Christ that he has not suf-
fered himself to be diverted by any mat
| ter touching even his own personal hap
piness. But now a fair form has passed
| before nlm-dJIrdCIeu HIS hoIiSo ah'
filled his heart with new and strange
sensation While serving his last yeal
on the Franklin circuit, he met Mary
Rucker. the daughter of Anthony Ruckel
of Bedford county, Virginia. She was
twenty-five years old, a beautiful woman
Just passing out from girlhood, with the
blush of the rose still in her cheek,
woman of superior intellect and OF mos
lovable nature of sweet attractlveness o.
manner-wse, prudent, strong, we'll
suited became the helpmeet Of christian
minister. Mr.. Norman felt the power
her engaging personality and yielded
himself to the gentle scepter of love
And she accepted the homage of his soul
On the seventh day Of November, lS4o
they We're married. For over thlrt,
years they lived in a sweet companion
ship that was marked by mutual coEh
dence and trust and helpfulness-thu
proving how kind was the providence
that brought them together.
1t is now our task to take some meas
urement of the man whose life we ar
studying.
Mr. Norman belonged to that class
Methodist preachers known in history a