A Biographical Sketch of the Life and Character of Joseph Charless: In a Series of Letters to his GrandchildrenCharless, Charlotte Taylor Blow
History
A Biographical Sketch of the Life and Character of Joseph Charless: In a Series of Letters to his Grandchildren
Charless, Charlotte Taylor Blow
Charless, Joseph, 1772-1834; Printing -- Missouri -- Saint Louis -- History
upon the condition that Mr. Charless and Mr. Keith would go with them
--wisely concluding that the attempt to sustain it without some such
efficient aid, would be utterly in vain. It was thought, however, by
the members generally, that it was a useless undertaking to keep the
little church, as such, alive; and that it would be better for its few
advocates to be merged into the different churches already established.
Yet all seemed to think that St. Louis, growing as it was so rapidly in
population and in wickedness, needed more houses of public worship; but
most of the members of this church evidently shrank from the self-denial
necessary thereto.
Your grandfather did not at once accede to this proposal, without
first consulting his wife, as to her views, and especially her
feelings, and she could not have it in her heart to consider her own
comfort and pleasure, or that of their daughter, when he so evidently
felt that, for him, this was the path of duty. I cheerfully consented;
but, looking back at the "flesh-pots of Egypt" (and there is no doubt a
great deal of this kind of worldliness carried even into the Holy
place), I requested that we should retain our pew, calculating, as soon
as the young church was fairly established, again to occupy it. We
both loved and admired, and, like everybody else, felt proud of our
minister--for, without doubt, he stood among the first, if not at the
head of the Presbyterian church in the West--and we knew that no Dr.
Potts could be obtained for this poor little church, which seemed to be
tossed upon the breakers, and ready to sink. But my husband, like the
early disciples, would have been pleased to toil all night upon the sea
of Galilee, and at early dawn would have been seen mending the meshes
of the broken net, making ready for another day or night of toil, while
I would have preferred to sit with the five thousand upon the green
grass, to be fed. But I never could gainsay or resist the few, simply
spoken words, that revealed the cherished purpose of his soul, adorned,
as they were, with eloquence of his unobtrusive and devoted piety. Of
the difficulties and hardships endured by that faithful little band
before a flourishing church was really established, and what part the
subject of this brief history took in it, I must refer you to others,
who know the particulars better than I do, and will proceed to other
matters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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