Part 25 (1/2)

Dr Tal for the ocean Five or six years later, during the winter of 1899, the Doctor met him in one of the rooms of the White House He tells this anecdote in his oords, as follows:--

”I was glad I was present that day, when Mr Andrew Carnegie decided upon the gift of a library to the city of Washi+ngton I was in one of the roo with Governor Lowndes, of Maryland, and Mr BH Warner, of Washi+ngton, as especially interested in city libraries Mr Carnegie entered at the opposite end of the roo ether soie to permit me to introduce him to some friends After each introduction the conversation iie was then constantly presenting them in this and other lands Before the conversation ended that day, Mr

Carnegie offered 250,000 for a Washi+ngton library I have always felt very happy at having had anything to do with that interviehich resulted so gloriously”

Dr Tale's opinions upon the aftermath of the Spanish idely quoted at this tiht never to have occurred,” he said ”We have had the greatest naval officer of this century, Ad orders, and General Shatter denounced for being too fat and wanting to retreat, and General Wheeler attacked because of so business I never knew acommittee as not himself somewhat of a hypocrite

The question is what to do with the bad job we have on hand I say, educate and evangelise those islands”

As he wrote he usually talked, and these words are recollections of the subjects he talked over with me in his quieter study hours They were virile talks, abreast of the century hurrying to its close, full of cheerfulness, faith, and courage for the future

He was particularly distressed and moved by the death of Chief Justice Field, in April, 1899 It was his custo He chose for his serreat jurist, and his text was Zachariah xi, 2: ”Howl fir tree, for the cedar has fallen” Many no doubt reme hich the Doctor read it to me in the secret corner of his workroom at honed fro of the Gospel has always been my chosen work, I believe I was called to it, and I shall never abandon it”

During this season in Washi+ngton we gave a few fornetic host, though he accepted few invitations to dinner himself No as served at these dinners, and yet they were by no uests were men of ideas, men like Justice Brewer, Speaker Reed, Senator Burrows, Justice Harlan, Vice-President Fairbanks, Governor Stone, and Senators who have since becoton at the tihtful, because they were ostensible opportunities to hearto say The Doctor was liberal-, but his standards of conduct were the laws of his life that no one could jeopardise or deny

A very proe one day to ask the favour that he preach a temperance sermon for the benefit of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, whoislation She pro him to the Doctor's church for that purpose

”Madalad to have Sir Wilfrid Laurier attend my church,” said the Doctor, ”but I never preach at anybody Your request is soree to” The lady was a personal friend, and she persisted Finally the Doctor said to her:

”Mrs G----, my wife and I are invited to meet Sir Wilfrid Laurier at a dinner in your house next week Will you omit the wines at that dinner?”

The lady admitted that that would be impossible

”Then you see, Madame, how difficult it would be for me to alter e and I left Washi+ngton and went to East Ha his summer home between seasons, the Doctor had allowed a minister and his family to live there for threethat ti in the house to be burned, and the walls scraped So the whole house had to be refurnished, and the Doctor and I together selected the furniture It was a joyous ti our lives with a new charm and senti I remember the tenderness hich the Doctor showed me a place on the door of the barn where his son DeWitt, who died, had carved his initials He would never allow that spot to be touched, it was sacred to theaffection of his life He always called East Hampton his earthly paradise, which to hi, and his chief recreation was running on the beach He was 65 years old, yet he could run like a young man These feeeks were a ement to attend the 60th coe in Due West, South Carolina This is the place where secession was first planned, as it is also the oldest Presbyterian centre in the United States We were the guests of Dr Grier, the president of the college It was known that Rev David P Pressly, Presbyterian patriarch and graduate of this college, had been , and this association added some interest to my presence in Due West with the Doctor The Rev

EP Lindsay, , had also been born there, and his orous Secessionist Her greatest disappointment was the fact that her son had abandoned the sentione to preach in a Northern church She told us that she had once hidden Jefferson Davis in her house for three days Due West was a quiet little village inhabited by some rich people who lived co class of the college were entertained at dinner by Dr Grier and the Doctor There was a great deal of coe's address, entley of the Rev Dr Pressly, who preached for over fifty years, and was married three tihout his life made the same reply, ”Never better; never better” After he had won his third wife, however, he used to reply to this question with greater enthusias, ”Better than ever; better than ever” Another resident of Due West, who had heard both the Booths in their prie has more dramatic power than I ever saw in Booth” This visit to Due West will always remain in my memory as full of sunshi+ne and warmth as the days were themselves

We returned to East Hampton for a few days, and on July 4, 1899, the Doctor delivered an oration to an iminning of a suan, then up the lakes near Mackinaw Island, and later to Jamestown, New York

In the Fall of 1899 we a, Birhae's public life was the way in which he was sought as the man of useful opinions upon subjects that were not related to the pulpit He was always being interviewed upon political and local issues, and his vieere scattered broadcast, as if he were himself an official of national affairs He never failed to be ahead of the hour He regarded the affairs of elical purpose The Spanish war ended, and his vieere sought about the future policy in the East The Boer war came, and his opinions of that issue were published

Nothingthese lastand its going His readiness to penetrate the course of events, to wrap them in the sacred veil of his own philosophy and spiritual fabric, co characters of his ti I ever knew, eager to see, to feel the heart of all huha the disaster that visited that city after the great cyclone The first thing the Doctor did on our arrival was to get a carriage and drive through those sections of the city that had suffered theabout the streets awaiting burial But that was his grasp of life, his indoy, always alert to see and hear the laws of nature at close range

We were entertained a great deal through the South, where I believe my husband had the warmest friends and a more cordial appreciation than in any other part of the country There was no lack of excitereat preacher, and so crowds did not tire me To him they were the habit of his daily life, a natural consequence of his industry

However, I think he always found me equal to them, always happy to be near him where I could see and hear all

In October of this year we returned to Washi+ngton, when the Pan-Presbyterian Council was in session, and we entertained the The International Union of Won Missionary Societies of the Presbyterian and Reforton at this tis of the Council Dr Tale invited them all to his house from the platform in his characteristic way

”Coave Eve to Adaht be able to stand it She was taken out of ht be near the door of his heart, and have easy access to his pockets Therefore, co the ladies with you My wife and I shall not be entertaining angels unawares, but knowing it all the while To have so much piety and brain under one roof at once, even for an hour or till be a benediction to us all the rest of our lives I believe in the co”