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UL.D. 4 My porsonul l\nowl(Ml,u(' of, ami rsiitMii for, ilir K<'v. .IdIui Ryersoii and eacli ol' lii-s I'oa- ^Aifird broiliPi's, wIkhii I kiu-w ((George. William, I':,t;<'rl<)ii. and iviwyi, induces me lo say a few words, pariicniarly in r(\uard lo i1m' t'ttnncr. I'^acdi of ili<> brothers was noted tor sonu'tliini; special. 'I'licy wcr(\ :us men and ministers, very dilTereni from one another in iludr mental constitution and hal)iis of tlioui;ht. (;o<)ri;e was well edncated, and was afterwards master of liie I.ondon District Grammar School, and Egerton was liis usher. William, whom I often heard preach, was an impa-ssioned and natural orator ; and Edwy was sharp and iniisive in his pn'aching, and was somewhat satirical in his .siyh> and manner, l)Ut kind-hearted and playful. It is true that the unobrrusive life of Mrs. John Ryerson did not bring her into any prominence, hut it is no less true that the Qtiiet dignity (d' he mann.r. her prudent counsels and wifely wisdom exercised a happy influence upon her hus- band. My personal acqtiaintance with the Rev. John Ryerson dates back many years-to lS:-8. He was then in the prime of life, and had before thai time rendered effective service in the cause of Methodist union, aid in the establishment of the I'pper Canada Academy, now Victoria I'niversity. tM hostile movements of the Hritish Meth- odi.st missionaries in I'ppcr Canada— whlcli occurred during 1824-1832— called forih in liim the highest and best of these qualities. As a solution oi tiie latter dilliculiy, R(>v. .John Ryerson suggested and strongly urged the necessity of a union with the British Conference. His advice was followed ; and the Rev. Egerton Ryerson, who liad then won his .spurs as Di'. Sirachan"s antagonist, and as I'^ditor of The Christian (iuardian. was dei)Ut(Ml in IS'A'.i (the year I came to Canada) to negotiate the union, wliich he successfully accomplished in that year. This union only lasted seven years, and was dissolved in IS40. It was, however, renewed on a more lasting foundation seven years from that date — in 1S17. Rev. .lohn Ryerson was the i)rincipal negotiator of this latter union, to accomplish which he and the Rev. Anson Green were deputed to visit England in that year. The causes which led to the disruption of the union in 1840 were partly financial and partly peVsonal against Rev. Egerton Ryerson. Few only of the older Methodists of to-day will remember the memorable scene in ihe Canadian Conference of 1840. when so many of the ministers of that day separated them- selves from each other, and into two hands — those who from early association and feeling adhered to the British Confer- ence, and those who remained faitliful to the Canadian Con- ference. This noted scene took i)lace in the old Adelaide ( I Pnotomounr ( I i^ircol Cliurch. I was i)rr.st'iit. and .saw liow ^Jiruatly moved all till' niiiiisicrs wrr.' wii.'ii \\vy liiially bad*- "'ach otlior adiiMi. Ai ilir clo.'-t' (if I 111' ("otilVrciu f. Dr. Uyrrson dclivcrtMl a nu'iiioraliU' speech in ilefeiiee ol' ills proeei'diiius, As lio (dosed, he i-efened li) his di.sililel-esled labors lor lilt' (dlUf(ll ol" Ills (hoice. and (lUoled with tollcliili.H el'fect I lie t'ollowins words t'i'oin one (^t' Wesley's hymns : ■■ No fool ,)!' land do I jiossess, No cotiaue ill ilie wiidei'ness ; A i)oor wayfaring; man," I'olilical ferdinu; liad somewhat to do with the di;rni)t ion. The reJMdlion of IMIT-S had its inllm'iiet^ also, alihonnh not one of the Canadian Methodist leaders was implieated in tliat movement. The only one snsiieeteil and l)foii;;ht to trial was Dr. T. I). Morrison, a former mayor of Toronto ; hut he was honorably actinitted. in ed. some (d" the bitterest words ntlered by Mr. \V. !,. .Maci "n/.ie were directed against Hr. Ryorson for iiis warnitii;- letters to tlie peo|)le of ri)|»er Criiiada a.uainst carryint; the baiin* r of rid'orm into the ranU.: of the disaffected. These lettei's. headeil • Imi)re.«sions." were writ- ten after Dr. Hyerson returned from his collecti-\!T torn" for ri)p(u- Canada Aca(b'my in I-:n^;land in ISIUI. (While in Dublin in that year lie was a miest of my father.) The " Impres- sions " were (diielly dircMMed a,i;aiiist the acts and treasonable utterances of .Messr.s. Hume and Roebu(d<, Mr. Mackenzie's allies in E]n^^lan(l and in the Hritish House of Commons. As an evi(lenc(> ss strikin.u; fact, and yet characteristic of these two men. that as thoy advanced in years the relation between ihem was reversed, and Dr. Ryerson became in turn the sympathetic friend and counsellor of his brother John. Nolhin.i? could exceed the touchini;- nature of their intercourse in later years, when Rev. John Ryerson had retired from active labor as a minis! er. As an evidence of Dr. Ryerson's high appreciation of .his brother. I may state that after his return from En.gland in IMT. having with Dr. (Ireen negotiated the union with tlie British Conference, Dr. Ryerson wrote a con- \ if Pnolomount >■> % Kratulatory letter t(, Drs. Ihiiitiiii; aiul Alder, in nhich he said : " Your tn^atniont ol my dear and most bclovid hrnihor .loluj 1 regard as a tavor dour to myself." This leelini; of love and esteem tdr his brother remaiiu d and ircrea.^ed till the close of that brother's lite, in 1S77. On July ;{0 i)f thai year Di-. Kyerson received an affecting letter from his brother John. (MudosinK <<> Mm the manuscript of his "Reminiscences of Methodism," during; his long and active life. These reminiscences were never iHil)lislied. how- ever, but were amon^ Dr. Kyerson's letters and manuscrii)ts which came into niv hand.s after his deatli in ISSl'. I handed them over to \At. Ryerson's widow ai\d dau,i;hter. In rej;ard to them, he said : " Wlial I have written is entirely fr*)m memory. In speakini; about many things I had to do with, of course I had to si)e:iU a Kood (h>al about myself, but I was writing for the public, not for you ; and if any of the facts I have referred to will l',- of any us" to you in your essiiy I shall be glad. That use, however, can l)e made without mentionin,ij; my name, which I hav(' dreaded to see in print any\,'.ier(\ By prayer, readin.g, reflection, and God's grace helping a poor worm, I have so far overcome the natural pride of my evil nature, as to be content, and sometimes happy, in my position of nothingness. A' • circumstances give strength to these feelings of contentment. My age and growing weal<- ness show me that I am come very near the margin of my poor life, and unfavorable symptoms, from time to time, strongly remind me that, with me at least, 'in the midst of life we are in death.' I do not. however, depreciate, nor pr^y deliverance from, sudden death. My prayer is that of Charles *')\ Wesley's : r. \c 7 ;^*ix "'Ill im<- and tccljlencaa exirciur, \\ IK) (JIM a siiil'iil wnrni rcdci'iu ? Jesii.s, iiiy only lii'i|» thou art, Strcn^tli (if my railing. Hosli and licart ; Oh I iiii>;hi I (atcli ono sinilf from tlicc, />nd drop into ricniily." • Sovcral y(>ars a^o I i"<'ad a ]h)ou\. oy part of one, written U) ohl a.i;c l>y tl)(> ich'bratcd KiiMlish poetess, Mrs. Harbauld, whose sweet words I very l're(iueiitly repeat. She says : "'Life, we have been Iom.l; t(),L,M't Iier. Through pleasant and through cloudy weather, 'Tis hard to part wlien friends are dear, Perhaps 'twill cost a sigh, or tear. TlKMi steal away, give little warning, ('hoose thine own time ; Say not " good night," l)ut in some happier elinie, IJid m(> " good morning." ' " These words were ahnost prophetie, for within three nionihs after they were written, Dr. Ryerson left Toronto tor Simeoe to aticMid at the dying bed of his beloved brother. Immediately after his death, Dr. Ryerson wrote to me and said: "Nothing could liave been more satiafaetory than the last days of my dear brother ; and it was a great comfort to him and all the family that I was with him for ten days before his depart lire." I have given in the " story" of Dr. Ryerson's life, and ir. liis own words, the partidilars of the closing scenes of his brother's life. They are very touching and tender — one or two incidents particularly. (i t PhoTomounV It was a Ki-cai ploasiiiT lo \uv m |i;iv.> Mi- Uyn-son as a Buas-I, (iiiriii« lli(> s.'ssioii of ihr (ir..i (i,Mir:Ml ( "(.iiIVitucc. al 'vhlch Dr. liyorson was 'l.Mi.d iHPsidcm. 1 1,, was a most pleasant and 0:11", .ai„j„o , ,„„|,;,Mi,,i,. ;,,iil maiiy ,111 rv.'iiitiu ho (l('Iij;ht('(| IIS all Willi ■•i':ii.i:,c iin hlfiim ,,f |,is iiiini-u.'rial HIV, and nf his visii to Him mission siaiions ,; ih.. Unds-jirs May many years brlnic. All ilip hiotluM-s Ii;ivr now "