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DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.
VOL. VII.
ATHENS, GA., SATURDAY MCH 3. 1888.
NO. 19
MEMORIAL services.
FOR DR P. H. MELL, UNIVERSITY OF GEOR
GIA, HELD BY THE TENNYSONIAN SO
CIETY OF THE LUCY COBB INSTITUTE,
IN THE SENEY STOVALL CHAPEL,
FEBRUARY 27, 1888.
A Tribute to the Memory of Dr. Mel!.
BY MISS WATT.
It is deemed a privilege to pay respect
to the living ; to those who have comman
ded our admiration by lives of devotion to
duty, of consecration or of holiness; it is
considered agieater privilege to honor the
dead. To this labor of love I come, not
presuming to.offer any elaborate wreath—
aright which only those more closely re-
lated can claim—but to lay a simple tri
bute, not the less sii cere, upon the grave
of one whom we all loved and admired.
Would that it had been our privilege to
have heard from the lips of Dr. Mell some
account of his early life; of the dawning
of the desire wh ch developed into a re
solve that resulted in a glorious life-work ;
how his attention was tumi d to the col
lege which he afterwards attended—of the
impress ons that were so deeply graven on
his mind at that lime. But it hs beyond
suteh a K(-ini' if,. -,v, ae;l
We can but picture to ourselves the rfforts
he must have put lorth, and the earnest
thought he must have had, before the step
was taken that led him many miles fro.
home, to tile people of a Northern Stfrte,
to the haid study and discipline of ycol-
lrge lite, to the varied experiences, of a
teacher’s work, and back to his nuj/ve and
beloved Georgia.
It is pleasant to dwell upon (lie promi-
nent'ptiinls of this chnracter/arid from a
short stuitjove can gain so,rid help which
will not only b'ts-911 incentive to continue the
work which wecoaiH^nptd here under his
direction, but also a supppirt^to us in the
sterner duties ot lite, that are a-t-eady
pressing upon some of us so heavily,, aud
that await others of you at no distant day.
One of the characteristics which was
manifested at an early dale, was a mter-
mination to procure an education. When
but 14 years old he was left an orphan,
and yet, though stern facts were brought
so closely to him at that early age—facts
that were enough to destroy any ambitious
dreams he might have indulged ; yet their
eff'eci seemed to produce the opposite re
sult, for we find him studying the means
by which, in ihe very f llC e of great obsta
cles, he could still obiain the longed for
advantages of higher education. Doubt-
less the question was not rashly and hasti
ly settled, hut aii phases were, probably,
carefully regarded, and when at last, his
mind was luliy decided as to the best
course,I cannot imagine that there was any
looking back—any cherishing of regrets
that the decision had been made as it had.
Gladly would we listen to his class-mates’
accounts of his college life, for unques
tionably the man who, when we knew
him, had such a genial and" sympathetic
nature bad, even in tarly manhood the
same characteristics, aud recitals of epi
sode's and events which had probably
passed almost entirely from his memory,
or to wl.icb he seldom referred, would be
full of interest to us.
I have- sometimes wondered if, as he la
bored during the long summers in New
England to gain the means by which to
pursue his college course in Ihe coming
fall and winter, there were granted to him
any faintg] mmeringsof the distinction for
which those days of toil and self-denial
were preparing him, or if he quietly and
carne.-tly labored on With a cheerful spiiit,
ncc pting his position willingly and be-
1 eving that, in some way, it would all re-
sull in good.
Was it not this discipline that caused
him to feel a spj cial interest in those
whom, iu after life, he found similarly
placed? Du.ing this whole college course
his example was an honor to that Gospel
he had openly embraced, when 18 years of
age, and v.hjch he.tiuly loved.
When the college days were over, offers
worthy of deep consideration were pre
sented to tun to remain still longer away,
aud accept responsible positions nearer
those ins, uotois to whom lie realized he
owed so much, but at 24 he returm d to
lus i.fc. .«• and .recommenced here
the 11 ork in which he was so eminently
successful, and which he continued until
only a lew weeks ago. Four ytars later
he added to this profession that higher and
more exalted calling of a minister ot that
Gospel he so earnestly loved and lived.
To realize the power he had in this direc
tion, recall the high official positions he
has held for so many years ; not accepting
them at the sacrifice of less conspicuous
labor, but in conjunction with that. The
deep regard of those to whom he miuis-
tered so tenderly for so many years, s
proved by t he heartfelt words of affection
with which they always speak of Dr. Mell.
A great want is felt now, and it will be a
long tune before another c m hope to fi,l
the place to them, that is now vacant.
In 1856, Athens first received him as a
Professor m its University,and in 1878, he
changed from this position to the higher
and more re.-ponsible one of Chancellor.
I fear we did not fully realize how much
he was doing for us of the Institute when,
in the midst of these arduous duties, lie
consented to give us his valuable instruc
tion. Pleasant is it to remember his look
of satis:action when some carefully ex
plained piii ciple had been grasped and ac
curately applied by us. Valued, indeed,
were the words of commendation which
he often felt we had earned, and which he
so gladly bestowed. Comforting is the
thought that to him the hours spent with
us were seasons of pleasure, and that our
interest helped him, for a season at least,
to forget the heavy responsibilities that so
weighed upon his heart. Gratifying the
r mi mbrance of the social meetings with
our instructor, when the labor w as past,
and the interest which we knew he felt in
each, separately. Can we prove our ap-
prtciation in a belter way, than by resolv
ing that we, as a Society shal? still con
tinue put in practice the lessons which 1 • | tiful life. Such an influence, he, being
so faithfully taught ? j dead yet exerts.]
Last spring he left; when duties cot - ; Time passes on. Tenderly and rever-
nected with the University called him eu?ly would I lay a teacher’s tribute upon
from h ire; left us expressing hia-^Ujv' ’’ i grave of a teacher, feeling that the
faction at our prognss, and appreciation i pro;ession was exalted and ennobled and
of the efforts we had put forth to carry out enured by Dr. Mell.
the plans which he had laid down for iisdui j 1 -Farewell ! A little time, and we
ing the year. We did not think it was 11' ljne ' v thee well, and loved thee here,
be a final leaving; we had hoped .hat i y
the autumn we should see his stately form
re-enter our school room, but this privi
lege was not allowed us. The last visit
had been made, the last lecture had been
delivered, aud the places here that had
known him, were to know him no more
From another State came tidings of his
illness; and yet we scarcely tealized whac
sickness meant when it attacked one oi
h ag'. Tut re is something pathetic in
his longing to come hack, that lie might
pass away in the home so near the Uni
versity he so truly loved.
During the homeward journey, bis
thoughts wi re full of appreciation of the’
fact that the end
tot*. c ~ o - o'—i of fear
>y nick,opens on eternity.
Yet- shall we cherish not the less
All that is left our hearts meanwhile;
The memory of thy loveliness,
Shall round our weary pathway smile,
hike moonlight when the sun has set,
A Fweet and tender radiance yet.”
ALUMNI NOTES.
| Marcus W. Beck, Jackson Ga., class of
81, is;%;prom:ncnt lawyar of his town.
Wnker W. Hardy, Senoia, Ga.., is Prin-
u.-cigal. ofyExcelsior Academy, Senoia, Ga,;
°:4 e of-the rising lawyers of the place;
/iso Mayor of Senoia in 1885.
was fast approaching— .
, . , , , ■ J<»e B. Alexander, of c.ass 82, is a very
J hat life s work was soon to end, and that ,t\ J
Ihe rest ar.d quiet that he nad so longed young man in tue business cir-
for were tiuly coming. l des of Marietta, Ga.
It, s said that a poet wished for but one,,
sentence wherewith to cjosqa was •t,
which he had expended much an "heavy!
labor, and as he wandered by the seasbord,
wondering how he could best express (ns
thoughts in words, the billows brought \o
Jt oneL 01. A. DcMleoiq.Americ.us, <Jg.,-gradu-s
‘ V f--.V - .1 ' -J
F |, Female Academy, and is now a
his feet a broken oar, and carved thereon
lie read: “oft was I wearied when I toiled
at thee;"’ “ and as a man who finds what
he had lost,he wrote the words, then lifted
up his hand aDd threw the useless pen
into the sea.”
Oh! friends, I fear that as Dr. Mell
passed through tlie campus for the last
time and by the University, had his
thoughts been formulated into words, the
burden of them would have been : “ Oft
was 1 weaiied when I toiled at thee.”
ptD3 /ii- g lawyer at the Americus bar.
Walker DunsOD, class of ’82, has a posi-
'ion in t|ie Internal Revenue Department
in Atlanjta, Ga.
Joseph. W. Bennett, class of ’83, of Quit-
man, Ga; Prof, of Martin Institute in ’84
was admitted to the bar in ’85, and is now
a prominent member of the legal profes
sion.
J. T. Lofton, Fort Worth, Texas; Clerk
of the Horse of Representatives of Tex.;
Secretary and Treasurer of the Tulhoka
As the days passed on, life appeared to CaUle c
be almost in a balauce, and at times a hope j
strong enough to build upon, seemed to! Wm. D. Carswell, class ’85, of Irwinton,
Ga., is a school teacher in that place.
V. S. Willcoxon, class of '85, is one of
the most prominent young lawyers in
Newnan.
W. W. Osborn, class of ’85, is tilling the
upon, seemed to
justify us in believing that rest and quiet
would soon restore him to bis accustomed
place; but we were too short-sighted to
see into ihe future; for “ the end was
drawing on ; the golden bowl was break
ing ; the silver cord was fast being loosed
-the body and soul, companions for more j BO il, and bids fair to be one of the most
than seventy years were being sund't'recl
and taking leave ; he was walking alone
through that'valley into which one day we
shall all enter—and yet he was not alone
for we know whose rod and staff wire
comforting him.”
“There fell upon that house a sudden
gloom,
A shadow on those features, fair and thin;
Aud softly from that hushed and darken
ed room,
Two angels issued, when but one went
in.”
There is an influence which does not
stop at death. Happy that teacher—bless
ed that teacher’s life, whose memory is
tenderly cherished, for a life time in the
hearts of his pupils—whose example is a
constant incentive to a noble and a beau-
successful farmers of his section.
Wm. H. Cobb, of class ’85, Gainesville,
Ga.isone of the ablest and most influen
tial professors of the Baptist University;
marriage a Humbug.
There were twenty young ladies in a
Northern city who formed themselves into
a society, and adopted a constitution de
claring that marriage is a humbug and
men are a nuisance. They pledged them
selves To be continued in next
weik’s Chronicle, for the benefit of the
young ladies of Athens, who are kindly
asked to speak a good word for Skiff the
jeweler.
