Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1922-11-23
REV. f. A. BROWN, FORMER
PASTOR IN THIS LOCALITY
(By Silas ThOrlal

1t was the Sunday following Ar
mistice Day. A mild temperature
prevailed, with the atmosphere
laden with a blue haze which our
fathers back in the middle of the
last century designated as I'm
dian Summer" Occasionally it
would threaten a gloom, but the
soft shadows Of the sun were in
evidence most of the time, and al
together it was an ideal day for a
cross-country auto trip if,-if
such a trip was necessary
But the writer had nothing of
the kind in view beyond that of go
ing to the little church in the
wildwood" and wrestling with the
difficult Sunday school lesson for
that day, taken from the Sermon
on the Plain" not so difficult to un-
derstand, but putting it into prac-
tice, "Ay there's the rub" when,-
knock at the door, and the next
instant a man bounded in and
"Say! Let's go to Cambridge today,
attend church, and hear DR.. Brown
preach, maybe The very idea!
Preposterous! But, upon a moments
reflection, l was game.
1t was j. C. Dickinson who with
chauffeur, was starting to Belle
Valley to catch the morning train
for Cambridge in order to get to Co
lumbus that night SO as to reach a
point the next day where he was en-
gagged to hold farmers institute.
He saw he was getting a late start,
with the probability that he would
miss his train, and a new idea had
struck him. He hurried back home
with the old f1ivver, as it was de-
cided that the better halves should
accompany us, (wise conclusion)
and soon we were on the way.
Eleven o'clock! Wheeling Aven-
ue, and next the stately facade of
the M. P. church, and a few min
utes later we were comfortably
seated within it's walls. There was
a good sized congregation, but the
first man our eyes rested upon was
DR.. Brown assisting the pastor Rev
Morton in a sacramental service.
(They have no preaching in con-
nection with this service.) Grand
old man! When the opportune time
came we received the bit of broken
bread from his hands, but he recog-
nized us only as strangers But
when the service was over, he with
others found us, and to him it was
a surprise. He could hardly be-
lieve that we were the boys and
girls of more than 40 years ago
whom he had known so we'll.
Forty-five years ago F. A. Brown,
strong, vigorous, and full of love
to God and man, lived in McCon-
nelsville and served old Pisgah cir
cult. He often made his trips on
horseback when the roads were al
most impossible, and at other times
when the thermometer was register
ing around zero, and yet he did his
work uncomplainingly annd served
the people we'll.
But what next? This little i'm
promptu visit was not going to suf-
fice,-we must see him at his home
So it was arranged to call upon
him in the afternoon. By that
time he had gotten his bearings
more clearly and he remembered
more distinctly where we belonged.
Old Renrock! That was one Of the
places dear to him. Friends,
wish you could have been there and
heard the sanity old man unfold
and narrate incidents pertaining to
that particular work. He inquired
about so many of the old folks, but,
alas! They had gone to their re-
ward. He asked about Bro. Boyd
Mccormick of the Salem appoint
ment and we were glad to tell him
that he was living and well, a live
wire, like he, Bro. Brown, was him
self He put the questions to us
thick and fast, and we all talked at
once, and how his kindly eyes lit
up when we told him that our mis-