The Washington herald., 1911-07-30
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''The Little Church Round the Corner"
A. LANCASTER.
The Little Church Round the Corner"
By A. LANCASTER.

Bring him not here where sainted feet
Arc treading the path TO glory;
Bring him not here where our Saviour sweet
Repeats for US. his story
Co. take him where such things are done
Fer he sat in the seat Of the sooner
To where they have room. for we have none
In the little church round the corner"
So spake the holy man Of God
OF another man, his brother,
Whose cold remains. they sought the sod,
Had only asked that<a Christian rite
Might be read above them by one whose Hight
Was. Brethren. love another;
Had only asked that q prayer be read
Ere his flesh went down to join the dead,
Whilst his spirit locked with suppliant eyes,
Searching fer God throughout the skies.
But the priest frowned NO." and his brow was
bare
OF love in the sight of the mourner
And they looked for Christ and found Him-vhere!
In that little church round the corner!
All. we'll, God grant, wheu with aching feet.
We tread hfe's last few pacss.
That may hear some accents sweet,
And kiss to the end. fond faces!
God grant that this tired flesh may rest,
CMid many 4 musing noIrner)
While the sermon Is preached. and the rites ire
read.
In no church where the heart Of love is dead.
And the pastor rious prg at best,
But in some small nook where Gods confessed
Some little church round the corner.
There is no church in the United States
whose name is SO familiar to everybody
as the Little Church Round the Cor
ner." in New York City. The church
which has acquired this title is known
properly as the Church Of the Transf1g-
uration, which is located at East Twen-
ty-ninth street.
The church Is of the Protestant Episco-
pal denomination. and was founded in
October, 1S4S, when Rev. DR.. George Hun
dric HouShton gathered twenty-five per-
sons to worship together. and early in
1850 a part of the rambling but pictur-
esQue church was built. At the time II
was located considerably out Of town.
while to-day it Is far down town from
many points of view.
It was the following incident that
brought the church into such notable
prominence. and its narrative prompted
Mr.. A. z. Lancaster to write the poem
printed above:
On the 10Th day of December. 1870.
George Holland. a favorite American
comedian, died in New York City. He
had been on the stage almost continu-
ously from childhood, having been born
in 1871, and was very popular. After his
death Joe jefferson went to a church
then standing at Madison avenue and
Twenty-eighth street to arrange for Hol-
lands burial. The pastor of the church
refused to read the service, telling Jeffer-
son that he had better go to the little
church round the corner" The burial
service was read by the rector Of the
Church Of the TRANSPORTATION. and from
that time on, to the grateful members OF
the theatrical profession. and eventually
to the world 1T large, it became the
Little Church Round the Corner"
The reason assigned by the pastor was
that Holland was an actor. and he could
not conscientiousiy conduct the funeral,
but. he added. there is little church
round the corner where they sometimes
do such things"