Washington, its sights and insights [1909]Monroe, Harriet Earhart
History
Washington, its sights and insights [1909]
Monroe, Harriet Earhart
Washington (D.C.) -- Description and travel
You remember President Roosevelt, in his New York speech concerning
missions, spoke of the great underpaid army of faithful clergymen all
over this land who, in obscure places, hold up the correct models of
morality, who keep the ideals of the nation to honest, simple, earnest,
true daily living. Much more is this true of the missionaries among the
Indians.
I remember once visiting the Indian school at Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Professor Bryan was then at the head of it. The school was partly
supported by funds from the Presbyterian Church and partly by government
money. At the table I was trying to find from each one his or her share
in the great work they were doing. I asked each one, and each gave me a
short, graphic account of his work. I sat at Professor Bryan's right
hand; just opposite me sat a bright-faced German, looking the wisest
person at the table. As I came to him I said, "And you, Professor?"
"Madam, I am the cook." Whether my face flushed with surprise or not I
do not know. No one smiled. After a somewhat embarrassing moment for me,
he said: "Madam, since I was a little boy I have desired to be a
missionary to the Indians. I received a good education, graduated at the
Berlin University, took a course in theology at a seminary in Germany,
then came here, where I found that my imperfect English was an
insurmountable barrier to religious work among the Indians. We had no
cook. Some of our best teachers were ill nearly all the time, so I
became the cook, and I do it unto God, believing that every soul saved
by these devoted workers, whose health I have improved, is part of my
work. Do you approve?"
"Do I approve?" I said. "Why, every pot and kettle becomes a sanctified
implement in your hand. The Master said: 'And whosoever of you will be
the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom
for many.'"
XXIII
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
THE great necessity for a separate building for a Congressional Library
was first urged by Mr. A. R. Spofford, in his Librarian's Report in
1872. An appropriation was made for the purchase of the ground in 1886.
The site consists of ten acres of ground, facing the east front of the
Capitol. The ground and the old buildings upon it cost $585,000, and the
building itself, $6,032,124.34.
It is the handsomest, most convenient, and best lighted and ventilated
library building in the world, and I believe it to be the handsomest
building for public purposes in the world. The building is of the
Italian Rennaissance order of architecture. It has three stories and a
dome, and covers three and a half acres of ground. Its dimensions are
470 × 340 feet, and the height of the wall 69 feet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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