The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-01

manhood, SO full of hppy anticipa-
lions, in an expected long life; but,
one by one they were cut down and
Withered as the grass, and to-day they
are forgotten. except by near rela-
tiVeS.
The Baptists have worked wonders
in this city within the last fifty years
when they had but one church and
one small body of worshippers, And
they have wrought well in the entire
State, having the largest membership
| of any denomination. And, what IS
calculated to give permanency and
still greater acceleration to their work,
| is the fact that they are making edu-
| cation the handmaiden of the
| church. With Wake Forest for the
young men and the Baptist Female
University for the young women, that
| church is abreast with the others. in
| the effort to promote the chldren'S
| highest and best interest; and above
all else, to advance the Redeemer's
| Kingdom
| DR.. C. T. Bailey, my personal friend.
was fond OF good joke, whether on
| himself or the other man. Here is
| one we had on him, which he enjoyed
| as much as any of us.
DR.. Pritchard was called to preach
out in the country one sunday, and
| requested DR.. Bailey to fill his pulpit
L l.
! o'clock hour. knowing how prompt
| DR.. Pritchard was i'm commencing ser
vices exactly to the minute, DR.. Bailey
went around to the church while the
Sunday School was going on, and en-
tering the study, in rear of the pulpit.
sat down to collect his thoughts and
get his sermon in shape. 1t was i'm
the spring thine when bees were hum
ming, and birds were singing, and
blossoms were sending forth their
sweetest perfumes. and the gentle
breees, laden with droWSineSs, were
floating in just right to make one feel
good. Dr. Bailey thought awhile, and
then a dreamy feeling came over him,
and then-yeS, he was sound asleep
All at once the ~'reat bell, overhead
began to ring, and the Doctor about
half awake, caught up his notes and
rushed out on the platform just as the
bell ceased ringing. He noticed that
but few persons were present, but he
attributed that to the fact that the
regular pastor was absent, and pro-
ceeded at once to the performance of
his duty. He read his Scripture and
announced hymn but no one raised
the tune; SO he called the half dozen,
who were present, to prayer; arose
and announced another hymn; but.
as no one sang, he read his text and
preached about fifteen minutes then
prayed a short prayer and gave out
the long metre doXolOgy. A brother
over on one side of the house started
"Old Hundred" while a sister did her
| level best with Sessions on the other
| side; so, as the Doctor said after.
wards, telling of the affair they had
| n double barrel doXology; and while
| the brother and sister We're doing
their utmost to fill the empty church
with praise the bell in the steeple be-
| gan to ring and the people came pour
| ing in. Then it daWned on the Doc
| tor that he had preached to the few
| who remained. at the close of the sun
| day School. But he had preached,
and didn't propose to repeat: SO, when
| the brother and sister finished the
! doXology he pronounced the benedic-
| ton while yet the people were coming
! in. That night DR.. Pritchard, in
! sort of humorous way, said 81 UNDER
| stand, owing to a little tangle in the
services of the morning, the usual col
| lection was not taken up. The dea-
| cons will now attend to it," The audi
| ence smiled and glanced toward where
DR.. Bailey usually sat, but he was not
| there.
Memory calls up so wildly the
| smile he wore on his face, on Monday,
/ as he saw me approaching him. |
tried TO look very innocent as if ! had
| heard nothing: but he knew / was
shamming, and said You needn't try
! to look so unconscious know you've
heard it, for DR.. Pritchard has been
| all over town this morning. I don't
regret but one thing, and that is /
wasted so much ammunition on such
good people, as the few who were
there, while those who deserved to be
shot didn't even hear nv gun"
/ love to think over the old times.
and the old-time friends. How we
old people do miss our friends. We
are among strangers even while at
home. Lonely in the midst of the
multitude. Our friends cannot re-
turn to us, but we can go to them.
Getting ready to die is the all-import-
ant matter.
r. Fl. whitaker.