| The Life of Dr. J.R. Miller |
Chapter 12 |
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During the thirty two years of his service as editor, he took but two real vacations. The first of these was in the spring of 1893. The Hon. John Wanamaker, his friend since the days of the pastorate at Bethany Church, was celebrating the close of his four years’ service as Postmaster General in the cabinet of President Harrison by making a ten weeks’ trip to Mexico and the Pacific Coast. Dr. Miller was urged to join the party, which was made up of the merchant’s family and intimate friends. The busy editor felt that he could not think of such a long absence from his duties, but he finally consented to join the party, four weeks after leaving Philadelphia, at El Paso, Texas, at the conclusion of the Mexican tour.
At El Paso, where he spent Easter Sunday, the pastor of the Congregational Church took advantage of the opportunity to have Dr. Miller preach one of his tender Easter sermons. Dr. Miller’s heart went out in sympathy to the lonely pastor whose nearest Presbyterian neighbour was two hundred miles distant, and whose people were zealously working in their difficult field. This Sunday service by the wayside was a prophecy of later Sundays of the vacation – always such insistent demands were made on the traveler that he forgot weariness and spoke to people who heard his word with gladness.
Next day Dr. Miller joined Mr. Wanamaker’s party in their private cars, and continued the journey to California. Every mile of the way was a delight to him, as was shown by full letters to the New York Evangelist. The busy pen was not permitted to be idle even one day.
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