Original eironniuniratinns,
VENICE. 111.
There are scores of other churches in Venice
besides St. Mark's, all of them rich in paintings,
sculpture and precious stones. Many of these
we visited and examined in detail, until the eye
became wearied with seeing, and the mind refused
to classify and retain. A very handsome one
stands on the Grand Canal nearly opposite the
Piazetta of St. Mark. It was erected 250 years
ago in commemoration of the Plague, which de
stroyed tens of thousands of the inhabitants, and
which was stayed " by the gracious interposition"
of the Virgin. A splendid group in marble rep
resents the Virgin banishing the demons of the
Plague. Over the entrance to this church may
be read the following inscription :
"Indulgenze come in can
Giovanni Laterano in Roma."
Who need suffer the reproaches of conscience
after this!
ARMENIAN MONASTERY
One of our pleasantest excursions was to the
Armenian Monastery, on the island of San
Lazaro, half an hour towards the sea. This was
originally a hospital for lepers, but for 150 years
has .been occupied as a monastery. There are
from two 'to three acrels in the island, and the,
whole establishment belongs to Turkey. A
Turkish war vessel was anchored in the Canal
not far off. We were met at the landing by a
brother of the order, who spoke English admira
bly, and who was very polite. He shoWed us
through the house and grounds, and the latter
are in high cultivition, producing in great abun
dance the fruits and vegetables of that region
The Chapel was a plain building, decorated with
a few paintings ; with a high altar, a continually
burning lamp and some other arrangements very
much like those of the Roman Catholic Church,
In fact, the Armenian Church is divided into
sects, most of which deny the infallibility.of the
Pope. The sect to which this J3rotherhood be
longs believe in that dogma, however, and they
differ from the Church of Rome mainly in allow
ing Parish priests to marry, and in denying the
use of instrumental music in their churehes.
AMERICAN BOOKS AND SUNDAY SCIIOOLB
Our guide learned English in the school of the
house, but bad never seen a book printed in
America except a Bible. He had seen and
read a translation of "Uncle Tom's Cabin." He
seemed much surprised to learn that in the United
States we have schools for teaching the Scriptures
on Sunday—free to ail, and without expense—
and that myself and the young ladies with me
were engaged in such schools. I tried to describe
the American Sunday School Union to him,
society of persons representing nearly all branches
of the Church, whose object is to propagate reli
gion,by establishing free religious schools in des
titute parts of the country, and preparing a reli
gious literature for the young. I promised to
send him a parcel of American books , of this
character. He showed us through the printing
office--the most extensive establishment -for
printing books in the Armenian language in the
world.
The type setting was a very slow process there
They print now not much besides the Bible and
scientific works and a periodical pictorial, of
science, very simple. lie showed us, , however,
a copy of the " Paradise Lost" in Armenian,
printed and bound in the Monastery—a very fine
book with an engraved title page. The monk
showed us a portrait of Lord Byron, for it was to
this place he came while a resident of Venice to
study the Armenian language.
ROMANCE OF VENICE
One who has not read Shakspeare, nor Byron's
" Marino Falierci" and the " Two Foscari," nor
the "Bravo" by our own Cooper, cannot half
enjoy Venice. Some books have been written
whose object seems to be, to strip the subject of
all the sentiment and romance which naturally
surround it. I shall not pretend to give a history
of the RepubliC in its best or its worst days; but
I went there determined to give myself up to the,
impressions of the place without inquiring too
critically whether this or that were true or false.
There is enough in the situation of the place and
in its present condition to interest the merest
stranger greatly ; but the part she played in the
history of. Europe and the East, from four hun
dred to one thousand years ago, will make her
famous and romantic as long as history is read.
I was prepared then to enjoy abundantly the
impressions and the influences of the old city.
When Othello's palace was pointed out with all
the gravity of reality, and De.sdemona's, on the
Grand Canal, the latter with a beautiful front,
the former with a statue of the Moor—and Shy
lock's house on the Rialts Square, from which the
lovely Jessica was wooed away, I did not pause
to inquire into the probabilities of the locations,
or rather the impossibilities, but I took it all in
as if real. When I heard the great bell of St.
Mark, in the. campnilo tolling, and saw, within
a few feet of it, the great clapper swinging and
vibrating, almost deafening me with its clamor, I
had no difficulty in believing it to be the very bell
which the Doge Marino Faller° ordered to be
rung to call the senators together to massacre
them ! So I fancied I could see the head of that
same Doge rolling down the Giant's Stairs, and
could fancy I saw the fazes of the citizens look
irtg in on the scene through the gates, but not
near enough to hear his dying speech. And in
going through the Doge's palace—down into the
cells on a level with the canals, so cold and
amp in winter—up under the leads—so hot and
dry in summer—both as• dark as midnight—it
was not difficult to believe that Jacopo Fronto
pis' father was a real prisoner, confined in these
awful places for years. Nor in going over the
dreaded " Bridge of Sighs," could I help realiz
ing that it was here, according to Cooper's beau
tiful tale, that the Bravooio called, and Gelsomina
his betrothed were entrapped by the Senate's
order,—soon to be followed by the examination
before the council of three ; and his execution on
the following morning between the two columns
on the Piazetta in full view of the Doge's palace
and within a few yards of it. Those columns,
75 feet high, were brought from:the Greek Acrhi
pelago 700 years. ago, and are still standing, one
surmounted by.• San Theodore, who, before St.
Mark, was the Patron of the Republic, the other
by the winged Lion of St. _Mark. While stand
ing in the room of torture, I could easily conceive
what a fearful inquisition the "Question" was,
and how the stoutest nerves would shrink from
such an ordeal.
But whatever may be said , of the romance and
the story of the place, the city has changed very
little, except in the natural wear and tear of time,
in the last five hundred years. So far, as its
buildings are concerned, it was finished , four hun
dred, years ago, and from the appearance of
things, few houses have been erected since. The
three great masts or flag-staffs in front of St
Mark's Church, from which formerly floated the
banners of conquered Cyprus, Candia, and the
Morea, still stand there, most conspicuous objects,
and we saw them bearing the royal-'standard of
Italy, on the occasion of the French Empress'
visit. The splendid square of St. Mark is still
there, with its smooth, shining, clean pavement,
the pigeons in hundreds, still come daily to be
fed there, the cafes, the shops are as brilliant as
ever, and more so, for, gas is brighter than oil; a
throng less gay, less treacherous and without
masks, but far happier, gather on this square
every evening; the moon rises and shines appa
rently brighter here than anywhere else, and
Venice, the beautiful, the luxurious, the historic,
the poetic, the romantic—the bridegroom of the
sea, will long continue the resort of those who love
the memories of which her history is so full
CEMETERIES AND DEAD HOUSES OF
CENTRAL EUROPE.
The cemetery at Nuremberg contains the tomb
of. Albert Darer, whose paintings are so highly
prized, and who was a native of the place. The
giaves in the cemetery are afranged in regular
rows, and each grave is numbered. The tomb
stones are generally flat, with but little ornament.
Durer's is covered with a long inscription in
Latin. He died in April, 1523, but the tomb•
stone was not placed here all 1681. Near by is
the grave of the wife and daughter of a gentle
man from New York. One of the most curious
tomb stones covers the grave of Andrea Georgius
Paumgartneruk, whose wife murdered him by
driving a nail into his head, but managed to have
his death attributed to natural causes, and
thought herself secure from discovery, and mar
ried again. Years afterward, in moving the body
during some change in the grave-yard, the skull
was discovered With the nail driven into it, the
flesh and hair having fallen away from the bones.
This discovery being told to the wife, she con
fessed her crime and was executed. Upon the
foot of the tomb stone is a skull and crossbones,
life-size, in bronze, by Peter Vischer. The nail
is represented, and the lower jaw of the skull
moves on hinges. The idea conveyed is that the
dead may speak.
In this cemetery I saw for the first time a
Dead-house, where corpses are laid for some days
previous to burial. There were but two bodies
there at the time of . my visit—one'of a very old
woman, and the other of quite a young child.
Upon one finger of the old woman, was a ring at
tached to a wire which was connected with a bell
over a couch in an adjoining room, where an at•
tendant slept at night, ready to respond at the
slightest sound of the bell, should there have
been too great haste in arraying the body for its
final resting place, and life yet remain sufficient
to give strength to move the hand ever so slightly.
The child was so young that,it had not been con
sidered necessary to take the same precautions.
No ring-or wire was attached to its tiny finger,
unmistakably cold forever in death. The old
sexton who was in attendance, and who kindly
Showed and explained to me all the details of the
arrangement, shrugged his shoulders and intl.
mated that even in the case of the old lady there
was little fear of her ever reviving, as he took
the ring from her finger and rung the bell With
which it was connected, so that ' I might see just
how it would be in case of any restored anima
tion. In the seventeen. years that had passed
since the Dead house was first opened, there ne
ver had been a case, he said, of the warning bell
having been rung at the hand of a body laid out
there for burial.
It seems, however, that here in Nuremberg
the custom is neither compulsory nor general,
that bodies should be 'laid in the Dead-house be
fore being buried. Families who are 'conipara
tively comfortable in circumstances, and have
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 18G9.
B. B. C
sufficient room in their own houses, where they
can place the body of one of their deceased mem
bers, without inconvenience, for a time long
enough to render the fact of death beyond ques
tion, do so. But in the case of those of the
poorer classes, who occupy perhaps but a room or
two, in a building which others share with them,
it is a great convenience and satisfaction (instead
of hurrying the body of the deceased to its burial,
or else being compelled to lie in almost immediate
contact with the .dead) to have the privilege of
removing the body at once, so soon as to all ordi
nary judgment dissolution has taken place, to an
apartment where it can remain decently cared for
till such' time as no doubt or question of the entire
extinction of life can exist.
But in the large cemetery of Munich, when I
visited it, but a few days since, there were no
less than thirty-s • ix bodies, ready for burial, laid
out in the Dead-house. All were visible through
the glaied windows which surrounded the build
ing. They lay each in'his or her coffin, with the
lid off, arrayed in their usual garments according
to the fashion now general in America, when
bodies are dressed for the grave. There •seemed
to be three or four separate apartments, and some
sort of distinction to be made between those of
different ranks of society. The bodies of some'
were elaborately , dressed, laid out in handsome
coffins, and covered and surrounded with wreaths
and bouquets, and garlands of flowers and ever
greens. Others were evidently of the humbler
classes. But on one finger of each, was a ring
with a wire communicating with a bell, to rouse
attention in case of returning anitnation. Out
side, in the vestibule, which ran in front of the'
building, tablets were hung up, giving the• names,
rank and ages of the persons whose bodies were
exposed to view, each one being numbered to fa
cilitate identification. The ages ranged from
almost immature infancy up to 96. Can the
imagination picture, however, the feelings of hor
ror and fright which must overwhelm one, should
he suddenly awake in the dead of night, or even
in broad noonday, and find himself thus arrayed •
for the grave and surrounded by ghastly corpses--
all the more ghastly from the•ve
_ry flowers, and
garlands, and bouquets. I had often heard of
this provision as in practice in Europe, for the
prevention of premature burials. As used in
Nuremberg, it seems well enough, and a wise and
merciful arrangement. But certainly no neces
sity exists in America for any compulsory public
laying out and exposure of the bodies of deceased
relatives and friends, in the midst of an assem.
blage of corpses of strangers. It might be use
ful to have provision made by which such an ar
rangement could be available in any case when
desired—but beyond this, it seems unrecessary
and repulsive. S. C. P.
REV. A. M. STEWART'S LETTERS.-L.
THE WORLD'S ADVANCEMENT.
" Ile who inquires and tries to show that the
former days were better than these, does not,"
says the King's Son, "inquire wisely." Wis
dom, however, may be manifested in making in
quiries, observations, and comparisons, in order
to show that these days are better than the for
mer—that the world does advanca—the King
dom of Christ does come with accelerated speed
and power.SSir
Dan Newton and Benjamin Franklin were
more than ordinary persons in their day. Our
grandfathers and grandmothers, who laid the
foundation fur our wonderful national develop
ment of the present, were giant men and great
women. Bat suppose that these were all now
introduced to the places of their former earthly
activities, and in the possession of all the attain
ments in science that they had at death. Sir
Isaac Newton must needs commence as a school
boy to study astronomy. Franklin would be be
wildered and terrified at the results of his own
simple inventions. A company of Revolutionary
soldiers would run and hide from a loco Motive in
more terror than from their own number of red
coats; and their wives, who clipped, washed,
carded, spun, wove, dressed, cut and made their
.husbands', 'sons' and brothers' uniforms—were
such material seen by them thrown within the
grasp of modern machinery, and without the
touch of human hand, carded, spun, wove,
dressed, and then operated upon by the sewing
machine—they would declare that the wool, flax
and cotton had become bewitched. Better times
these are for us. And all these superior advan
tages are for the glory of God.
Nowhere is the thoughtful mind more inte.
rested and profited than by visiting a large exhi
bition of modern machinery and productions of
art.
INDUSTRIAL FAIR, SAN FRANCISCO
I have made a visit to this grand show, now in
the full tide of its interest. Nearly every thing
on exhibition is the production of the Pacific
side: • Here is the accumulated evidence of what
an Empire has sprang into existence, within the
past twenty years. And judging fronl the past,
it seems ready to lead the world in all its mate
rial interests.
THE PAVILION
is the name, given to the magnificent structure in
which the Fair is held. The building is on
Union Square, and has been erected by the me
chanical interests of California. It is somewhat
in the form of the old New York Crystal Palace.
Its material is of California Red-wood-- - -in ap
pearance light,,strong and tasteful, and covering
an area of ninety thousand square feet. The in
terior capacity is nearly doubled by two large
galleries encircling the entire building, which,
when lighted in the evening by its thirteen hun
dred gas jets—its large central fountain playing—
its bewildering display of machinery, productive
skill and fine arts—California fruits, grasses,
grains and vegetables—two large bands of music
playing—together with thousands of gaily dressed,
chatting, promenading people—presents a scene,
to miss seeing which is a loss, and to witness it
will be a life-long pleasure.
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."
But such increasing wealth, gayety and luxury
cause uneasiness, lest the doom of ancient Baby
lon may return.
VAIN THOUGHTS
"Jamie," said a Scotch divine to a pious yet
illiterate parishioner, who was a weaver, '"can
yeu keep your thoughts on,sacred things on the
Sabbath, when in the house of God ?" "Aye,
can I," was the confident reply. " Well, Jamie,
if you honestly tell me, after next Sabbath, that
ye had no vain thought, Pll give you a guinea."
Iu due time thereafter meeting, inquiry was made
of the confident Christian about the trial : " I've
lost the money," was quietly murmured. "Jamie,
tell me, what got into your bead ?" " Why,
when you were busy preaching, it came into my
mind, How many l ooms the large 'church would
hold!'„_
It came into my mind while walking round
and through this immense building: "What a
church it would make!" And why not ? I hive
preached with ease to ten thousand people seated
in the Mormon Tabernacle. This building would
receive with ease all the seats of the °Tabernacle,
together with those from Spurgeon!s chureh in
London,—thus seating twenty thousand people.
And there are twenty thousand people living
within a few minutes' walk of the Pavilion. Such
a building would be an ornament any where. It
possesses far more architectural beauty than the
famous Tabernacle, which is Spurgeon's church,
or than Beecher's, in Brooklyn. And yet the
Pavilion, with all its appliances, only cost thirty
thousand dollars. There are, moreover, plenty
of living preachers with head, heart and voice to
fill the entire building. I
After the union of our Assemblies, may there
be such beautiful, cheap; capacious churches for
the multitude in all our large cities.
SEMI-CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF
MARYVILLE COLLEGE.
This took place in New Providence Presbyte
rian church, immediately on adjournment of the
Synod of Tennessee, Oct. 2d, 1-869. The meet
ing was organized.by appointment of Rev. Wm.
Brown, Chairman, and Rev. J. A. Griffes, Se
cretary. After prayer and a preliminary, state
ment by Prof. T. J. Lamar, of the object of the
meeting, he introduced to the crowded audience,
the venerable Rev. Thomas Browti, well known
to the fathers in the General Assembly of 1837 ,
and to their sons in the Assemblies of 1866 and
1868 in St. Louis and Harrisburg, as the fitting
historian of Maryville College, since, witg a sin..
gle exception, he is the only living link, binding
the present generation to the founders of the in
stitution.
Father Brown then presented a most interest
ing and graphic, history of the college, illustrated
with many incidents, and especially reporting the
faith and labors of Rev. Isaac Anderson, D. D.,
its founder. Feeling the great need of ministers
for this region, Dr. Anderson attended the Gen
eral Assembly at Philadelphia, then visited
Princeton Theological Seminary, and pleaded for
men in vain. Discouraged by their common in
quiry, What salary can the people pay? and con
scious of the poverty o the people at that time,
Dr. Anderson returned to Maryville and opened
a school of the prophets in his own house. This
was about the year 1816. Among his first pupils
were Rev. Eli N. Sawtell, D. D., and Rev. Geo.
Erskine, afterwards a celebrated missionary
in Liberia, who was bought out of slavery, and
whom Dr. Anderson treated as one of his 'own
family, eating.at his table and sleeping in his
house. In 1819 this school was enlarged and
was able to occupy separately a small house, and
hence the date of the founding of the college, for
it did not begin with an act of incorporation nor
with the sound of trumpets. Under the influence
of Dr. Anderson it soon enlisted the sympathies
of many of the churches of the Synod of Ten
nessee, and in 1821 it came to be known as the
Southern and Western Theological Seminary.
The location of the Seminary soon encountered
opposition. - Al early as 1818 the Synod con
sisted of the Presbyteries of' 'Union, Shiloh, West
Tennessee, Mississippi and Missouri, but one of
which was East of the Cutiberland: mountains.
Hence an attempt to remove the Seminary to
Murfreesboro, which failed. Stibsequently; the
friends of' the school met in force with the Synod
at Columbia, and voted that the Seminary be per
manently located at Maryville. The next year,
1826, the enemies of the present location of the
school, met with the'Synod in 'large numbers at
Maryville, and attempted to divide the Synod by
the Cumberland mountains, giving the name of
the Synod of Tennessrie, arid all the rights and,
property of the Synod, to the' division West of
the Cumberland mountains. But this effort fail-,'
ed. The Synod was divided, but East Tennessee
The trustees then appointed a financial agent
to raise an endowment at the North. I n K e ,
tucky he was dubbed D. D., on the condition. or
with the assurance, that be should manag,e to se
cure the transfer of the college to Danville, Ky.
On his return through Virginia, he obtained the
signatures of a large majority of the ministers of
Abingdon, Holston and Union Presbyteries agree
ing to the transfer. The articles of agreement
were presented to Dr. Anderson. No words
could express, his bitter anguish of soul. H ere
all his labors and prayers in behalf of this college
seemed suddenly rendered fruitless, and at the
moment when he was confident of its permanent
success. But how shall this overwhelming Ca
lamity be averted r At once the trustees resolved
to raise $lO,OOO to found a professnrship of Di
dactic Theology' on condition that the college re
main at Maryville. ',One, month remained before
the meeting of Synod. Three agents were ap
pointed. One raised nothing, the second but
$800; and the'third, the speaker, raised the ba
lance of the $lO,OOO. Synod, therefore, at Knox
ville, settled the location of the college perma
nently at Maryville.
Afterwards a subscription of $15,000 was rais
ed in East Tennessee, and a profeSsor of Sacred
Literature was appointed, and the chair was filled
by Prof. T. J. Lamar. The funds were, in part,
losi. with the fortunes of the rebellion.
The iyeaker then diseussed the difficulties of
securing a ministry from the North, and the ne
cessity of training up here a native ministry.
Hence the original design of a theological semi
nary should not be lost sight of. He also advo
'cated to some extent a briefer course of study for
the ministry, and instanced the names of Dr. An
derson, Hardin and Blackburn, who were never
in a theological seminary.
An address was next .delivered by the Hon.
James Monroe Meek, an alumnus of Maryville
College. Acknowledging his obligations to the
college in giving him success in life, he referred
in most eulogistic terms to his former professor,
Dr. Anderson, commending his wonderful power
in developing working men for
,professional life
in East Tennessee. He then recurred to the his
tory of the college. Founded in 1819, when this
region was almost wholly occupied by the Inddians,
twenty years of its early history were spent in
procuring a charter to secure and protect its
rights of property. Then East Tennessee was
isolated and shut off from contact with the world.
The ideas and methods of the people were much
like the country, too narrow and contracted.
W hat-do I find here 'now? The old college
building dilapidated and unpromising, a new
costly and beautiful edifice in rapid process of
erection, a new set of men engaged in the educa
tional work, and abroad new ideas and methods,
everywhere commanding attention and demanding
approval. We are living in a time when more
general and Catholic views, must be adopted,
when we must reject narrow and isolated notions
and opinions. We are, living when great events
are before us and pressing upon us, when narrow
prejudices cannot and should not longer control
us. We must remember that the old issnes are
past and gone. This truth applies to society, to
the State and to the Church. And hence I say,
that the Church or State - which will hang on to
the dead issues of the past, must become fossil
ized and dead. This college, which has had such
a noble history, like the superstructure being
erected yonder, will be built up, and will live and
be successful. It is not worth while in it and by
it to go back to the dead issues of the past. Ra
ther, we must heed the demands of a common
humanity. The future is hopeful. The advance
made in the past fifty years is as nothing in com
parison with that which may be realized in the
next fifty years. The speaker then concluded his
remarks, which were loudly applauded by the
very large and intelligent audience, by reference
to the free schools of the State, and to their great
necessity, when the deplorable fact can be an
nounced undisputed, that Tennessee expended
more last year for the punishment of crime than
for free common schools,
Thus, you have a meagre outline of two ad
dresses, which were received with great interest
and approval. The two speakers were truly re
presentative men; the first, venerable in age, te
nacious of the sacred memories and associations
of the past, with tremblins , speech. yet with gr eat
force and power, reviews the conflicts of the pass
for Presbyterianism, which centered in Maryville
college; the second, in the full vigor and hope
fulness of an experienced and successful manhood.
living in the present, but with earnest eye and
heart, fixed for himself and for all upon the fu
ture, breaks free from the trammels of prejudice.
and pleads with earnest eloquent and 'magnanimous
speech for free and thorough education f'or all,
that Maryville college may largely aid in making
East Tennessee what she ought to be, a choice
part of our national dominion.
A. 3.11. STEWART
The times and circumstances seem auspicious
for Maryville college. Its friends at home and
abroad are increasing. The' members of its fa
culty are hopeful and laborious. Its students are
diligent, men of fine talents, many of them of
earnest working piety, none of them college row
dies, and of rapidly increasing numbers. A com
pleted college building, which will be realized in
a few months, will ensure throngs of students A
beautiful collco ° m campus of sixty acres, ensures
a permanent foundation. An increasing en
dowment, the uninterrupted and hearty en
dorsement of Synod, the sympathies of the
chuiches here, and at the North, and the
approval of the great Head of the Church,
ensure its 'success. Yet its endowment is not
completed, its library is too meagre, its building
is not. fully paid for, its professors are toiling on
scanty salaries, in a word, the work is but begun
now at the ate of its semi -centennial, and much
more money is needed to carry forward and "com
plete that work with the success which our day
and Presbjterianism justly demcnd.
Who then shall be added to the increasing
list of its friends and benefactors ?
retained the original name of the Synod and it
Seminary at Maryville.
The next effort was to secure a charter for the
college. The measure met great opposition on
the ground that it was an effort to unite Church
and State under the guise of Presbyterianis m ,
and under the leadership of Dr. Anderson. Ma ny '
inflammatory speeches were made against it. For
a long time a known friend to the college could
not be elected to the legislature. Yet after a
struggle, protracted through many year; a char
ter was at last obtained.