The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-05-11

this church represents, but they
have taken a full share of respon-
sibility in the advancement OF
every good work tn their tempo
raj affairs. Theylove their church
above all else, but this does not
prevent their labor in any work
that may advance the religious and
the material benefit of their neigh
bors.
AS educators, and as friends of
school and colleges, the Metho-
dists are in these lines the same
, pioneer workers that their fathers
were in religion.
! About twenty years ago they
awakened in the public mind of
Abbeville the great need of a bet
ter school system in this city.
Through the agitation which they
brought about, under the leader
ship of Judge ]. Fuller Lyon, we
have in Abbeville today a thor
ough system of schools ranging
from the beginners in education
all the way up to equipment of
our youth for the college classes.
This it would seem were honor
enough for the average ambition
of the average organization of
good men and righteous women,
but not so with the Methodists.
To an officer in that church, May
or !. L. Mcmillan, under the sus-
tanning influence Of the brethren,
is largely due the credit of the
elegant city hall or opera house
of which all Abbeville is proud.
1.-THE methodists of Abbeville
can build cation mills; if they can
inaugurate the best school system
on earth; if they can lead US to
build the best opera house in the
!: State; if they can build for them
selves and for all men, one of the
finest churches in upper South
Carolina; if they can contribute
! large sums for church purposes;
. then are they not ready to look for
new worlds to conquer? Great is
| Methodism in Abbeville. The ben
efaction of their presence is felt
by all, and it has gone -out to dis
tant places to bless and to purify
the lives of others. 49,
n The Methodists of Abbevifle,
like all other good men are a mod
est people. Theydo much, but they
say little. They obey the injunct-
ion Of the wise man who said:
"Let another man praise thee, and
} not thine own mouth: a stranger,
and not thine own lips" Having
been born an Associate Reformed
Pres byterian, and having lived in
that faith all my life l may attempt
to say for the good Christian
Methodists of Abbeville some
things which they would never say
for themselves. You will never hea,
from them anything of their patri'
otism, and they will tell you moth
ing of their noble fidelity to thei,
Church. They will never tell you
l of their love of the service to the
7 Lord, nor will they tell youaf theil
5 innumeral deeds of charity to the
l poor and the needy. You will hear
nothing from them of their efforts
: to put their arms around the err,
ing that they might bring them
safely into the fold The gentleness
and sweetness of the efforts of theil
women to bring their brothers and
t their sisters into the haven Of resi-
t and eternal glory are not recorded
l in books nor are they chiseled in
t marble. They are registered only
in the hearts of those who have
been blessed by their loving kind.
? ness. Their deeds of charity are
! recorded only by the angels thai
| Jacob saw in his dream ascending
I and decending on the theological
r ladder from earth to heaven.
: Perhaps the most notable o:
most distinguishing characteristic
: of the congregation lies in tn
7 '