Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-08-10
MARVIN GROVE.
Great Oak Forest Rings With
PRanS of SONG.

P4dnS OF Song.
The 10Th annual meet of Marvin
Grove Camp, in the Northern Neck,
began Friday last, to continue until
Monday morning next. Rev. DIR. III.
+. Johnson, of Suffolk, has charge of
the meeting, assisted by Rev. G. Wesley
Jones, of Park Place Methodist church.
Norfolk, and the preachers of the
Northern Neck. The latter in atten-
dance are: Rev. w. A. Tompkins, of
Richmond Circuit, within whose bounds
the encampment is located; Rev. III. H.
Smith, of Westmoreland; Rev, w. j.
Williams, of Wheaton,; Rev. E. F.
Garner, of Heathsville; Rev. Porter
Hardy, of Lancaster; Rev. ]. R.
Laughton, of White Stone, and Rev. ].
S. Wallace, of Bethany. Rev. c. Tinsley
Thrift, of GAINESVILLE; Rev. John Eure,
representing the Alumni of Randolph
Macon, and Rev. A. A. Jones, of Peters
burg, were also on the ground all or a
part of the time. A number of the
preachers attending have their families
with them.
The choir singing is of high order
harmonious and full. The use of last
years book-"New songs of the Gospel,
No. 2"-results in good congregational
singing. Messrs. Elliott Wallace and
t. Augustus Jett are in charge of the
singing.
VIM. G. Beane conducts both hotels,
and is giving service never before ex-
celled. He is assisted by M. F. Ficklin,
James Beane, Archie Beane and Capt.
Lee Sanders, besides a full corps of
competent walters under head-waiter
Alfred Campbell. The main dining
tent has been enlarged and newly
rooted with felt.
Messrs. Peirce and Bryant, as Of old,
manage the confectionery stands, which,
every day but Sunday, are well patro.
nized. Messrs. Frank Settle and Willie
Bryant assist at these depots.
Both liveries are in operation, con.
Quoted by Phil. M. Thomas, but in i'm
mediate charge of M. Columbus Lewis
and holland Hank.
Thus mans physical welfare and
personal convenience are being album
dainty cared for. In addition, the
weather is all that could be desired.
No flies, no mosquitoes, no dogs
Huh, what relief We feel that we
could stay here Away. The babies
bless their little prattle-by day vie
with katydids of the night. The tire
less romp of the juveniles all the day
long puts them to unbroken sleep al
night, and the katydids lull the victim
of insomnia into the arms of Morpheus.
Newspaper men, as well as other
humans, are prone to overestimate
crowds. and the public takes such figures
with many grains of allowance In this
account we endeavor to avoid our
natural propensity, and so have con-
servatively estimated the attendance at
Marvin Grove this year. Early Friday,
tenters began moving in, and by the
middle of the week fifty cottages were
occupied. Probably seventy were used
by their owners on Sunday, for there
were more than two thousand people on
the grounds, Notwithstanding the omi-
nous but innocent clouds and the timidity
of some over reported smallpox
trouble. Some days during the week
as many as twelve hundred people were
on the grounds. One is struck, how
ever, with the dearth of men. The
Camp this year is truly paradise-of
women and children. The matrons
never appeared more tidy and comedy,
the maidens more stylish and beautiful
or the children more happy. Some one
remarked. that the Northern Neck would
go to the bow-wows if it were not for
the religion Of the women. Certainly
something else-maybe business seems
to be occupying the attention of the
sterner sex. But a mere handful of
the Fathers in Israel is attending the
meetings, but while the absence Is most
marked it has not affected the spiritu-
atty Of the occasion. The ladies' are
taking matters into their hands, and
the ministers find in them consecrated
workers. So far DR.. Johnson and Rev.
q. w. Jones have done the preaching,
but the other ministers and the laity
are active in the meetings which are of
several orders. DR.. Johnston, who
was here q years ago at the first
meeting, istruly ''campmeeting man. Z"
He understands such things thoroughly,
and no meeting here has ever been
handled better or more methodically.
The resulting harmony tells for good
in every respect.
Beginning with morning prayers under
the tabernacle at $50 O'Clock, the day
goes forward. At o'clock is the some
what novel Bible reading, inaugurated
by DIR. johnson. This is probably the
most interesting of all the meetings,
except, perhaps, the Children's meeting.
All take out their Bibles, and volunteers
IN the congregation read verse pointed
out by the preacher, who proceeds to
expound it and throw in interesting in
cidents bearing thereon. At 9 O'Clock
on the Sunday mornings experience
meetings" are held.
At IL a. m, 3 p. m, and 8 d. m.
regular services are held. The children's
meeting is at 6 p. m, in the Y. M.
c. A. hall, and is participated in only
by children under IA years. These are
managed by Mrs. Willie Walker and
Miss Fannie Robinson. The interest is
very great and a number of professions
have already come out of this little
band.
| A holy sanctity and peace pervades