Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1911-12-05
The Bishop Of bonneville.
IBy A. w. Hawks. ]

bonneville lies in the Beautiful Valley,
close by the Bluest Mountains. And the
feet ct the Bluest Mountains are washed
by the Laughing Daughter of The Stars,
a. II goes on lis laughing way to join the
deep bass oil Old Ocean in Gods great
choir.
bonneville has one main street and
two long, narrow streets and they run
from the Sunrise to the Sunset and then
lose themselves in the wood paths OF the
Blessed Country.
At the end of the main street is great
hill and from this hill you see the sun
rise and at the foot of the hill is an old
time pump. If you work the iron han
die the sweetest. purest water comes out
of the wooden spout and finds its way
down Red Lane aud spills ont on your
neck and shoulders, and makes the
laugh come bubbling to your lips.
At the other end of Main street in
bonneville is another hill. which passes
toward the Sunset. and when the day is
done you climb up this gentle hill and
see the Great Sun go down behind the'
Bluest Mountains.
On this hill is the silent city, where the
people of Homevile-oh. so many of
them-have entered in through little
Green Doors.
Grandfathers and grandmother and
mothers and fathers and the little chill
dren all rest so quietly there.
And from all over the world pilgrim
feet come to wander in the City of Sleep.
! remember the first time / ever saw
one of the little Green Doors open into
the Earth Chamber below and the clods
fell on the Mother face way up there in
bonneville.
But that was in the Long Ago. OF all
the Babies and Children and Women
and Men in bonneville who are dear to
us there is one that we all love and are
proud of.
The church IN which he is preaching
Elder has no Bishop and yet he is the
Bishop of bonneville,
For thirty years or more he has been
there.
has listened to his heart and stayed in
bonneville
In the Glory DAYS the Bishop was
young and vigorous and patriotic and
prayed in the battlefield and now and
then took fallen comrades gun and
shot it atime or two,
And when the Gray Men came home
he came alcng. and, true to his colors,
stuck to the boys of his regiment in
bonneville. His hair is very white now
it catches the light from beyond the
|range-his beard is silver, but his voice
is golden,
And the gate that opens to the Mans-
could tell many tales of heart-hun2ry,
tired, world STAINED, sin-cursed men and
women who have entered in and come
out from the Bishops presence Blessed
and uplifted.
The children rush to meet him in the
streets,
The Young folks gather around HIM in
his walks,
The business men always have time to
talk to HIM.
The shut-ius know his footsteps
squares away.
And if you are sick or in trouble, or if
Death comes s-knockirg at yoDr door. it
doesn't make any difference what church
you aye member of. you send for the
Bishop and he comes, Aud if you are
away outside-not belonging to any
church-why. his hand is ready to clasp
yours aed his eye fills with the dew of
pity as he helps you.
But if you are fraud or a hypocrite
or an unrepentant wrongdoer, you had
better keep away from the Bishop.
He is the ideal Gentleman.
He is as gentle as woman. as manly
as man. There are great many of us
from bonneville who have gone to the
four corners OF the earth. our feet have
trod in many ways, our ears listened TO
many voices, our hands touched and
clasped many hands. but all paths lead
toward bonneville. and am sure all of
US at the end would like the Last Words
to come from the lips of our Biship OF
Homevi lie and the last Hand Clasp to be
from, Hic Hind