Year: 1872

CHRISTIANSVILLE, MecKlenDurg 70,


May, 1872.


Dear DIR. Brown,-We have been living
for several months in this neat little village
and have become so much interested in it
people, Chat 1 have ventured to send you 8
few lines, trusting that your readers may BE-
pleased to know something of the struggles
and hopes Of the little church established
here a few years ago by some settlers from
Ohio and Pennsylvania. 1t is an Organiza-
ton which should enlist our warmest sym
pathies, from the fact that, while from edu
cation and association its founders were
attached to the Presbyterian Church in the
Northern States, as soon as they decided to
make our State their home, they determined
to connect themselves with the Southern
Church, and have heartily entered into all
its schemes for advancing the cause of our
common Redeemer, and have steadily refused
several offers that have been made them to
be supplied with pastor from the North,
unless he sO0uld connect himself aOith their
Pres5ytey.


Indeed this church, though a small one
both as to members and worldly goods, pre-
sents an example of faithfulness and activity
in every good work, well worthy of the i'm
itation of many an older and larger church
in our bounds. The elders are men who by
their daily life constrain every one who
knows them to believe that they think it no
merely honorary title to be ofice-bearers in
Gods house; but whenever they cannot OBJ
tain the preached word from the regular
ministry, the people collect together at the
regular hours for worship, and each elder in
rotation conducts prayer meeting, thus
keeping up the important habit of assem-
bling themselves together, commanded by
the Apostle. The Sabbath School, on the
Union plan, is an interesting one; engaging
the attention of elders and members, as well
as of the children of the church. At the
time the church was organized, there were
but seven members, and no house of wor-
ship in the village. Messrs. Boyd and
Endleg, the owners Of most Of tie houses
in the village, with characteristic generosity,
gave large tobacco factory for the purpose,
and had it SO repaired and furnished with
pulpit and seats, that it is now very neat
and comfortable house of worship. They
have also set apart large and well finished
house for parsonage, and as their present
pastor is about to leave them for home in
the far South, it is to be hoped that so de-
serving people will not long be without
some one to fill his place.


The people of ChristianSville, old as we'll
as new settlers, are as generous and hospita-
bic neighbors as any one could desire, and
it is pleasant to see the sympathy shown to
each other, either in joy or sorrow, The
city, as the people around call it, is sur
rounded by large body of fine land, and
now that the railroad viii soon be completed
between Clarkesville and KeysVille, it will
be probably the most important depot on
that road. What is not true in every case
of persons settling in a strange land, is found
to be true here; all who have chosen this
place seem delighted with it, the climate
and the people, and are anxious to have an
increase of settlers of good character. 1t
only requires more of such active Christians
to make this one of the most important
churches in our Synod; for in three years
the church has grown from seven to more
than twenty members. May Gods smile
aud his richest blessing rest upon them and
all his faithful ones