Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1905-09-12
Bishop Of bonneville.
From the Baltimore Sun, Sept, 8

lrfOm the DaillmOTe cuus obpts .
/ bonneville lies in the Beautiful Valley,
close by the Bluest Mountains. And the
feet Of the Bluest Mountains are washed
by the Laughing Daughter of The Stars,
as it goes on its laughing way to join the
deep bass of Old Ocean in Gods great
choir.
| bonneville has one main street and two
long, narrow streets. and they run from
the Sunrise to the Sunset and then lose
themselves in the wood path of the Bless
ed Country.
| At one end of the main street is great
hill and from this hill you see the sunrise
and at the foot of the hill is an old-time
pump. If you work the iron handle the
sweetest. purest water comes out of the
wooden spout and finds its way down Red
Lane and spills out on your neck and
shoulders and makes the laugh come
bubbling to your lips.
| At the other end of Main street in
bonneville is another hill. which passes
toward the Sunset. and when the day is
done you climb up this gentle hill and see
the Great Sun go down behind the Bluest
Mountains.
On this hill is the silent city. where the
people of Homeville-oh, so many of
them-have entered in through little
Green Doors.
Grandfathers and grandmothers and
mothers and fathers and the little children
all rest SO quietly there.
And from all over the world pilgrim
feet come to wander in the City OF Sleep.
! remember the first time | ever saw
one of the little Green Doors open into
the Earth Chamber below and the clods
tall on the Mother face way up there in
bonneville,
But that was in the Long Ago. Of all
the Babies and Children and Women and
Men in bonneville who are dear to us
there is one that we all love and are
proud of.
The church in which he is preaching
Elde9has no Bishop and yet he is the
Bishop of bonneville.
For 80 years and more he has been
there.
Other voices have called him, but he
has listened to his heart and stayed in
bonneville.
In the Glory Days the Bishop was
young and vigorous and patriotic and
prayed in the battlefield and now and
then took fallen comrades gun and
shot it a time or two.
And when the Gray Men came home
he came along and. true to his colors,
stuck to the boys of his regiment in
bonneville. His hair is very white now
it catches the light from beyond the
range-his beard is silver. but his voice
is golden.
And the gate that opens to the Manse
could tell many tales of heart hungry.
tired, world-stained. sin-cursed men and
women who have entered in and come
out from the Bishops presence blessed
and uplifted.
The children rush to meet him IN the
streets.
The young folk gather around him in
his walks.
The business men always have time to
talk to him.
The shut-ins know his footsteps squares
away.
And if yon are sick or in trouble, or if
Death comes a-knocking at your door,
it doasn't make any difference what
church you are a member OF, you send
for the Bishop and he comes. And if
you are away outside-not belonging to
any church-why, his hand is ready to
clasp yours and his eye fills with the dew
of pity as he helps you.
But If you are fraud or hypocrite
or an unrepented wrongdoer, you had
better keep away from the Bishop.
He is an ideal Gentleman.
He is as gentle as woman, as manly
as man. There are great many of us |
from bonneville who have gone to the |
four corners of the earth, our feet have
trod in many ways. our ears listened to |
many voices. our hands touched and |
clasped many hands. but all paths lead |
toward bonneville, and l am sure all OF |
us at the end would like the Last Words |
tocome from the lips of our Bishop of
bonneville and the last Hand Clasp to be
from His Hand.
A. w. HAWKS.