Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-04-08
From the Knickerbocker.
THE SINGING MASTER.

------u-
From the Knicker6ocier.
THE SINGING MASTER.
Melhinks see hun now, Standing as was
bis wont, behind tho little desk in front OF
the pulpit. IN the - street church. The
same SUIT OF rusty black which, for the las,
twenty years, has on Sundays encased his
| six feet two inches Of skin and bones, stll
hangs upon hun. The long, thin face, the
smoo'h'y>combed hair. the nplurncd eyes,
| the subducd look, the meek expression. and
wtha the proud humility ofmlnner of Obed
Parsons, while in the discharge of his du
ties a. leader Of the choir, are now before
me. can see him standing with his huge
p-alm-book in his left hand, held at he ex.
| lrcmty of his out chGd arm, while his
right, keeping the time, moves up aud
down with the regularity of the walking.
beam of steamDOat-eVefy time i; snkS.
touching the book and while it rests for a
moment upon the fingers, rising and falling
with short. uneasy motion : | can see
the peculiar and acknowledgements express
| sion which his features for a moment assume
as his eye gIances to the pew. u, the right
Of the pulpit, occupied by Deacon Il,
and his pretty daughter Grace and never
shall forget the mingled look OF sadness
and despair which overspread his counte,
nance the last Sunday he appeared in
church. while, partly turning toward her,
he sang the following lines Of the psalm
which had been selected for the conclusion
of the services of The day.
'lly heart, like the grass that feels the blast
OF some infectious wind,
Does languish so with grief, that scarce
My needlul food find
By reason Of my sad estate,
spend my breath in groans
| My flesh is worn away,-my skin
Scarce hides my starting bones
The two last lines, in the spirit which he
appeared Involuntary to apply them, were
but TOO true. His flesh lcas worn away to
such degree that his skin could scarcely
hide his starting bones, Poor Obed -
thine was indeed an unhappy fate. Ma
ture, in forming thy unseemy person, 1t is
true. gave thee mind in some respects pc.
culiGr. but she also endowed thee with
sensibllres as keen and tender, and with a
heart a. susceptible, as she ever bestowed
upon the most lovely of her creations. Ii
the pen of one who loved thee wllh all thy
pecullarities-who knew thee well, and
prz'd the abundant good that was TO be
found in thy simple aud unpretendlng ma
ture--can do aught 10 rescue thee iron
that oblivion into which thy name and his
tory are fast sinking, the effort, at least
sha Il not be waning.
Obed Parsons was one Of those charac
tiers marked from the cradle for parlIcu
lar vocation. Born in Italy, he wonid hav'
been a RaragAa, but born as he was IN TN
eastern part Of Connecticut, he lived an'
deda Yankee singing master. Most trnI
could Obed Parsons have been said TO hav
been psalm singer by nature. The pro
pensly las believe cranlologsts call II
was developed in him during his most ter
der years, not where they find il, on til
head. but through T. is mouth. HIS infal
cries were metre, ard while he yet lay ~
o. his mothers breast, instead of CROWN!
,ovfu sound by which babes first mamie;
their sense Of enjoyment, the notes OF y
Hundred drooled from his lips. The go
old PRESBYTERIAN psalms with which h
venerable grandmother every evening SAT
J Nun 10 SIGGp' III iut IHhI hlhS "''I ''N'j
nsed in his first waking cries. As he gre
in years, he grew in musical power, {
: his first attendance at meeting, the mus
: Of the choir affected hun as sens5Iy as
l did the E,rick Shepherds dog. and III
0 that susceptible animal, be instructive
n raised his voice and added his infant not
;. to the song oF praise that went forth thr(
!, out the congregation. He soon after b
!, came conspicuous IN the neigh borhood
c his skill IN psalmody; and before he "
thirteen years old, he taught slngn
school 10 his native town. His life. for 4
next ensuing fifteen years, would prese
le lutte of interest to the reader, and sh
- therefore take the liberty of passing ov
II w'lh the single remark, that 1t was cha
80 ac'erlsed by the usual spirit of change q
&c enterprise TO be found in those migrate
sons OF New England, who, from The ear
est times, have devoted themselves to /
duties OF public instruction. After maxi
u the tour OF most of the towns and yllIan
IN IN what are denominaled the Nortbe
NJ States, and becoming at difl1yen, period
IN solourner IN each of them, at the age
nd twenty. eight, bachelor, poor IN the goc
I'D Of this world, and poorer still in flesh. |
j rich IN his meIodlous powers-lonp, lar
Ia aud extensive IN perSon, but with A wa
nd robe scanty and stint he arrived IN the c
he Of New York. Through the influence
es some natives Of The town of has birth, ii
IN holding the elevated stations and perfor