Death of Rev. L. B. Minor-His birth and boyhood-C teristic incidents.

WE come now to the period of melan when the Church was called to mourn t first clergyman who had fallen in her mis On the 29th of May, the African Missi most deeply afflicted in the death of t Minor, who, among the first to offer fo Service, had, for six years, devoted himse ing energy and zeal, to the cause of Chris most laborious fields. We have hithert noticed Mr. Minor's labors in connection sion; intending to present, in one view, s of his life and death as we have been abl

Launcelot Byrd Minor was the son Minor, of Hazle Hill, near Fredericks Lucy Landon, daughter of Landon Carter George county, Va.; and was born on t tember, 1813, at "Topping Castle," C the country seat of his parents. We r very early period in his life, those strongl of character, which, when sanctified by peculiarly fitted him for the work of a

service of the Church. His philanthropy was ardent and expansive; his benevolence disinterested and selfsacrificing; and to these moral qualities, he added a natural love of enterprize and adventure, a courage insensible to danger, and great powers of physical endurance. Narratives of travel were the favorite books of his boyhood, and among them, he was especially delighted with the story of Mungo Park. Even in early childhood, he seems to have manifested an interest in Africa and her degraded children. With an older brother and sister, he was accustomed to deposit a portion of his little savings in a joint money box, whose contents were carefully hoarded to aid the benevolent designs of the Colonization Society. His diligence in reading Rollin's Ancient History was rewarded, by his mother, with the sum of twenty-five cents a volume; and this, augmented by the profits of his own industry in the manufacture of little boxes and other similar articles, was brought to his sister "for the Missionaries in Africa."

When quite young, Launcelot was entrusted to the care of an uncle in Louisa county, where he remained several years. This relative is described as "a wise man in the education of his children; a true patriot of the old stamp, full of ideas of Roman simplicity and virtue; designing to bring up his children in habits of hardihood and virtuous exertion of mind and body." It is easy to discern the effects of this early training, in the future character of the pupil. His love of rambling and athletic sports was, at times, rather too apparent in his soiled and tattered garments. On one occasion, his

mother remonstrated with him on the reckless wear and

tear to which his apparel was subjected. Hi characteristic; "Mother, I want to make th He was reminded that his heedlessness wa the money, thus expended, might be more ployed. The admonition was not lost; for were always found, when not in use, carefu and laid away, with a cloth spread over ther cident was worthy of note as evincing a st to principle in one so young. His subsequen days were spent at Edgewood, Hanover when about sixteen years of age, he became Kenyon College. At the close of the year, the money which had been provided for h he set off for home on foot; and twice af complished the whole journey, a distance dred miles, in the same way. The exposu he was subjected on these occasions, was, permanent injury to his health. It was th rheumatic affection which never ceased to and which so contracted the sinew of his that writing became an irksome and pain It was in one of these journeys just referred incident occurred, strongly illustrative of s his character. He was in Canada, on his York, when he met with a poor Irish bo having no one to direct or assist him. in his possession, besides a draft which could not be cashed until he reached New-Y money enough to defray his own expenses; not to be considered an obstacle to his With characteristic disinterestedness, he

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lad's patron, and undertook, by some means or other, to convey him to his friends. Of course, this could not be accomplished without much self-denying exertion. Whenever it was possible, they proceeded on foot, and when this could not be done, they travelled in the cheapest manner. At one time, Minor himself, ate nothing for twenty-four hours, lest his little stock should be exhausted before they reached the end of their journey. Having taken a deck passage on one of the boats for himself and the boy, he overheard the cabin passengers disputing about some point, upon which his excellent memory furnished the desired information. Forgetting the position in which he had chosen to place himself, he joined in the discussion. This called forth some rude expression of contempt for the opinion of a deck passenger, which Launcelot's somewhat fiery spirit could not brook, and a rather serious altercation ensued. Meanwhile, a party of the lad's countrymen, having learned something of the kindness of his young friend, could hardly be restrained from deciding the argument with the shelalah.

Mr. Minor seems to have been, naturally, of a diffident and reserved disposition. One of his relations writes: "His diffidence, indeed almost feminine bashfulness, was, I remember, great. I do not think he talked much, but if roused, his earnestness was beautiful. The diffidence of which I speak, would not have extended to such a degree as to prevent him from expressing himself decidedly, if need were, on any subject, for there was an independence and recklessness of danger in his character, which would have graced an ancient martyr. On

one occasion, (I cannot remember the subject sation, for I was quite a child, but the ci made a deep impression on my mind,) I wa ter's, there were several persons present, a little part in what was passing, looked embar I believed, almost suffered from their presenc ally, the conversation grew animated, and s dual took, what he considered, a false positi ple was involved-he became instantly r getful of all previous timidity, he rose from position, sat erect, his eye brightened, his changed, and he waited for an opportunity t pause at last ensued; gently, but with firmne and earnestness, you could scarcely have expec so shrinking, he pointed out errors involved in showed the evil consequences which would it, then, with simplicity and clearness, truth in love," directed the mind to what was right, as "founded upon true principles