Evening star., 1928-10-10

growth of the wall near this lockwood
garden, with a flight of steps leading
down to the Yew Walk. The stones of
these steps are from the historic house
Abingdon, Virginia, birthplace of Nellie
Curtis.
| Among examples of other types Of
| interesting plant material might be
named: Ancient yew from Port Royal.
| Va: a great pine, one Of the largest
! trees ever transplanted in America; six
picturesque holly trees over one hum
dred years old; ivy from Canterbury
Cathedral, and some cedars brought
from Lebanon Is years ago.
The great cathedrals of the world
have been democratically as well as
| dramatically built. The grandeur Of
their architecture is eclipsed by the
simple beauty of the devotion displayed
| by their builders. They were demo-
! cratically built in the sense that entire
nations and communities participated
| in the building and in the sense that
| the strongest men lifted the heaviest
burdens ard lifted them first. Twen-
tieth century America in the building
of Washington Cathedral Is not lacking
| in this respect. The spirit of sacrifcial
giving which has made the building
of cathedrals possible for centuries still
prevails.
And who then is willing to conse-
crate his service this day. unto the
Lord?" asked David, who planned the
Temple. Whereupon, the chronicler
tells us. the chief of the fathers OF
Israel and the captains of thousands
and of hundreds with the rulers OF the
kings work offered willingly. After
which all the people gave OF that which
they had.
The Chartres Cathedral.
At Chartres. centuries later. another
! temple was being built, and prince ana
peasant alike began ito harness tnem-
selves to carts laden with stones, WOOD
and other things, and drag them to the
site of the church, the towers OF Wnlcn
were then a-building."
1t is difficult to conceive of "princes
and peasants" of matter-of-fact Amerl-
Gems Harvesting themselves to carts that
their spiritual ideals may be expressed
in enduring stone Yet 1t is merely q
! difference of mechanics. A sympathetic
study of the present age, as evidenced
by the interest In Washington Cathedral,
reveals a spiritual kinship with the
brave ages of the past.
This is truly widows mite. Please
accept it as such" read note received
recently by the Bishop of Washington,
the Right Rev. James E. Freeman. IL
ACCOMPANIED a box containing oddly
ornamented jewelry worn when the Ma
ton was very young, silver spoons, gray
with age, and the silver rims OF very
old Spectacles. These were added to
the collection of precious metals des-
tined some day to be melted for the
holy communion service OF the nlgn
altar of the cathedral.
Many similar offerings have been re-
ceived and the vault of the cathedral
contains opa!s. garnetS, amethystS,
diamond cross and four wedding rings
and thimble, symbols of the devotion
of the women who wore them.
| Acknowledging the gift of the we'd
| ding rings and thimble, Bishop Free
man wrote: II am deeply touched by
the gift in gold that came to the ca
thedral Offices this morning from you.
1t made me think of the wise men oil
the Bethlehem manger."
Thus have the people offered willing
ly and given of that which they have.
There have been other g1fts-many
of them-all more prosaic, OF course,
but it is to be remembered that the
widows mite was judged an acceptable
gift to God not because 1t was small,
but because 1t was proport1onately
large.
And it is because of these more prac-
'tical contributionS-So representative OF
| the entire Nation from which they
come-that steady consistent progress
/ is being made in the creation of this
noble house of prayer in the Nations
Capital. which even in its building Is
| symbolizing and stimulating the lc-
| ligious life of the country.