The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-04
ENGL4AND'Sr OLDEST
PREACHING MINISTER
Tho He Will Soon Be 80, the Rev.
MIR. Lord Preached Two Ser
mons on a Recent sunday-En-
joys Remarkable Exemption
from the Usual Infrmities of
Old Age-Is a CHEEKY 0ptimist
and Believes the World Is
Growing Steadily Better.
Correspondence Of The Journal,

| London, Oct. l8.-If not actually the
oldest surviving minister of the Gospel
In England, the Rev. Thomas Lord is
certainly the Oldest living preacher who
still breaches. He will be SO next April
and yet. on recent Sunday he deliv-
cred two sermons at church where he
formerly held a passionate over seventy
years ago. Both were forceful@ and elo-
quent discourses. Trim and scrupulous-
~ fresh and neat in person-tho' old
fashioned enough to wear still some
thing in the nature of a stock-Mr.
Lord is as instinct with old-world court
esy as he is with intelligence and good
humor. He is almost as alert in body
as In mind and enjoys a brisk walk as
HIS memory is unimpaired, his hearing
excellent, his voice rich and pleasing
and his sight, tho not what it used to
be, is still serviceable. ~..-
| He was born at Olney, where his fa-
Their had a little shoe making business,
When he was still little shaver his ia
ther moved to Northampton, where
young Tom was duly brought up as a
shoemaker and diligently practiced his
craft until his success as lay preacher
brought with it an inevitable call to the
ministry. He has been thrice married.
His first wife died after two years, but
with his second wife he lived for fifty
three years and is one of the few who
have enjoyed golden wedding with a
second wife. His third wife remained
with him seven years.
Extreme old age has come to Mr..
Lord with none Of its usual attendant
terrors, save the loss Of loved ones.
But he has no secrets to impart by
longevity with equal freedom from men
tai and physical infirmities. He knows
of nothing in particular to which can
DO attributed his immunity from most
Of the heavy burdens Of advanced years.
He has never been a faddist in the
matter Of foods. He has never smoked
tobacco: He used to enjoy a glass of
good ale, and had no scruples about
drinking, until he came to the conclu-
sion that for the sake Of the weaker
brethren he ought to become a total
abstainer. He has always worked hard
but never too hard-and has enjoyed
his work. He has gone in for modera-
ton In all things. But so in an equal
measure have thousands on whom,
nevertheless, the infrmities of old age
have lain heavily. Inheritance will
hardly account for Mr.. Lord Is remark
able exemption from the common lot
of humanity. In the earlier days Of his
ministry he was far from being strong
man, ana round preaching such a Sc
we're strain that he had frequently to
lie down between sermons
Perhaps it is Mr.. Lords optimism.
more than anything else, that has rem.
dered the down hill stage Of life such
a smooth one for him. His outlook on
life has always been cheerful one. and
cheerfulness, the modern doctors saw. Is
the best kind of tonic. Mr.. Lord be-
lieves that on the whole the world is
growing steadily better instead of
worse. In his youth Northampton had
a population Of 10000. It's boot and
shoe industry was then carried on with
Ruskinian simplicity. There were no
huge factories no steam whistles, no