The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-07-18

announced, and had most gracious recent;on
from my genial hostess, richly attired in hand
some garments When looked at the dinner
table and saw steaming bacon ham at one end,
splendid roast turkey at the other, Joint of
fresh meat on side and six or eight varieties
OF vegetables spread out and later on luscious
and abundant dessert, the explanation of the late
dinner was not far to seek But was stumped
thought that this kind of thing, if it were con-
tnued would be an encumbrance to me and a
burden to the people After reflection, at my
next appointment at the court house, without the
slightest allusion to what had occurred, l gave
notice that l engaged in an effort to meet
the people of the congregation in their homes;
that in making these visits L would fall in on some
OF them about dinner-time; that l hoped they
would receive me not stranger, but as
friend and member of their family, without max
ing particle of preparation beyond what would
be made in my absence; that by acceding to this
request they would greatly help me in my work
and be saved from all unnecessary trouble on nv
account. From that time l never hesitated to
drop in on any of our families, and always recev-
ed cordial, homelike hospitality
1t soon became understood that when l visited
families too remote for the children to attend
Sunday school, | would hear the Catechism
can now recall seeing the dear little things PLAYING
about in the yard, who, when they saw would
scamper into the house, and pretty soon appear
where was with smiling faces, brushed hair and
spotess white aprons, ready to be quizzed. When
out error he received copy of the New Tesla
ment and when he had mastered the Shorter Cate
chism, he got a neat Bible. Since l have been
living in Richmond, one of its valued citizens, a
gentleman now perhaps of fifty -or-six years
OF age, who was then member of the Amelia
Sabbath school, has told me that he has in his
possession the Bible presented him, and that he
holds it among his chief treasures
The people with whom l associated in Amelia
were chiefly Presbyterians, and those who needed
my pastoral attention | made many pleasant &C
quantanceS on the court green and at other public
gatherings, and the best of terms with
brethren of other Christian denominations but
my time was mainly occupied with the work 7
had come to the county to do Such sentences
from the Bible as Whatsoever thy hand fndeth
to do, do it with thy might" and this one thing
do, early impressed me and perhaps a consti-
tutional tendency added force to their teaching
The citizens with whom l into contact
were generally IN comfortable, few in afluent
circumstances / recall but a single family
which needed and received assistance, and that
was owing to protracted sickness. There was an
old gentleman, about sixty years of age, l guess,
who was well off, with good farm, number OF
servants, money to lend children, but wife
fond of fine dresses and bonnets. | was told that
he gave ten dollars annually to the pastors salary
and nothing to anything else. | had made his ac-
quaintance, was favorably impressed and wanted
to do him some good. He was sober sedate
thoughtful man, regular at church and prayer
meeting, and Was regarded as strictly honest and
upright, but he evidently not happy My inn
preston is that he was too selfcentre d-not sell
fish in the that he would injure any one else
to promote his own welfare, but that he did not
make the interests of others his care, and thought
too much of worldly accumulation. He needed
broaded life.
One patent want that struck me about the Sun
y-scho was that of library. There were no
books for the children to take home with them
h.
On inquiry / found that suitable library of one
hundred volumes could be secured for thirty dol
lars. But where was the money to come from?
That was problem easy of solution, for if | had