Conversion of a High Priest into a Christian WorkerGolden, M. (Meletios)
Religion
Conversion of a High Priest into a Christian Worker
Golden, M. (Meletios)
Golden, M. (Meletios)
This is my first day in New York. And looking around to find the number
of the house where I was going to stay, my thoughts were so animated as
to feel that all the arteries and veins of my body through my feet were
kissing the ground upon which my heart would soon appease with its
Maker.
A few people, going to the Low Mass, I should judge by the solemnity of
their walk, men and women, sent curious glances at the stranger dressed
in the robes on the street. By this time approaching the 7th Avenue and
not finding the desired number I was just directing my steps towards a
gentleman dressed in some kind of uniform to inquire about the place,
when a young man tipped his hat in front of me and raised the finger of
his right hand and pointed to the sign of the florist's store just a few
steps backwards. I could then plainly read the name on the board above
the door. It was the name very dear to me, which, with longing heart I
was looking for. Almost immediately a man came out from that same store
with a broad smile on his face and with a gentle bow, as though asking
my permission, he took my valise thus relieving me just in time, and
leading the way into the store I saw another gentleman behind a counter
preparing a large floral design from the rarest flowers of the season,
for the funeral of a most distinguished politician of Harlem.
Although I yield to no man in the appreciation of a good smiling face
and here I had two of them and the most typical faces which are
prominent in the making of this heterogeneous republic, John,
representing the Huguenot and Dutch, and Jack whose father and mother
were Irish, and Jack was Irish too. Both these gentlemen with pantomimic
actions in a few words which now I know were English words but at that
time I could not tell if they were Chinese or Hindoo. They tried to make
me understand that Mr. George N., whom they knew I was looking for, as
they had heard him speaking of me and they saw my photograph, and they
were waiting notification of my coming, and that they were struck by
ecstasy at my sudden appearance, he was at breakfast and that he would
soon be back so I had better step into his office and rest myself while
waiting for him. The expectancy to meet my friend George N., it
lengthened every moment for me waiting in that little office.
Twenty-four years since I saw him last when I was only ten years old,
and even if I had not seen his photograph in all these years I could
distinguish him among ten thousand. He was my first teacher in the
grammar school; neighbor in my home and a very great distant relative.
He always took especial interest in my scholarship. My childhood and
school days were not all that I could desire for me, to be, for I was an
orphan, yet it was that orphan who always carried the first or the
second honors in the annual examinations. It was for this reason,
perhaps, that my teachers were all well pleased with my progress. The
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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