Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-07-10

nominations, and to see them refresh them
selves with nut cakes" "flap jacks"
I" pumkin pies" "sparc ribs" "roast tur-
kies," sausagcs," &C., &C.; washed down
with plentiful libations of good tea and cider
Equal care and libcrality was extended to
the beast in the barn, as to the man in the
house, until man and beast thought it good
to be there"
In that early day, in the history of Yer
mont, rarely Il meeting house was to be
seen, Col. Allen had (wlthout any regard to
crecds) most generously contributed to erect,
until in order to build new meeting house
any where in the neighboring towns, the first
thing to be done was to apply to Col. Allen,
and if he said Go ahead you shall have a
house," now matter in what town, or what
society was to use it, the house went up at
all events.
Thus things stood when soon after dinner,
one pleasant afternoon in the month of May,
as the Colonel was leading his hands from
the house through the yard out into distant
field to labor who should ride up but Elder
Aminidab Robinson, the pious pastor of
Calvin Baptist Church in ncighborng town
The Elders horse was large but very lank,
and the Elder himself looked rather pale,
thin and sober, as if there were some wants
in his mind or stomach, which required inn
mediate satisfaction. Col. Allen thus adj
dressed him, " All Elder, am glad to sec
you-you seem little the worse for wear of
time. How is your good woman and her
children? Get of and let my man take
your horse to the barn : he looks to me as il
good oats and hay would not offend him."
To which the Elder replied" thank you
Col. Allen, firstly as to my wife and family,
they are, by divine favor, well as usual; Sc
condy, came to see you Col. Allen, upon
matters ofimportancc asto the spiritual in
tercsts ofmy people. We want to build a
house for Gods children, and come for as
sistancc to you: my church are few and fee
ble." "Wcll, WE'LL says Allen, Il must 90
into the field with my hands; my man will
take your horse TO the barn, where good hay
and oats will be his company, and you go di-
recty into the house where my wife will take
good care of you, and make up your mind
to stay until morning, and we'll settle the
matter about the meeting house after tea to-
night" The man took the horse to the barn.
The Elder went into the house to the great
| 10y of Mrs. Allen, and the Colonel with his
hands to their labor in the field. Mrs. Allen
supplied the good Elder with abundance of
choice nourishmcnt for the body, and he her
with the most acceptable food for her hope,
and thus the afternoon passed. AT early eve
the Colonel returned with his fellow laborcrs
and after supper retired with the Elder into
into room by themselves and talked over
the meeting house business. 1t was soon
agreed that Elder Aminidab Robinson and
his people should have meeting house that
| Col. Allen was to furnish $40 worth of glass
and nails, pay SO in cash, and as he owned
timber lot and saw mill in the Elders town
to turn out his hands and team the next VIM
ter, help cut and haul the lumber to the mill
for frame and boards; have them '.stuck up'
and seasoned that the house might be framed
raised and finished in good season the coming
spring and summer All which having beer
satisfactorily adjusted, about nine o'clock
the family were all assembled by request Of
Mrs. Allen to Join in prayer with the Elder
and soon after the Elder appeared from tho
other room with Col. Allen and made a yer,
acceptable, long and prosac prayer to all bu
Col. Allen, his maxim being "Short prayers
and long puddings." founded upon the fatl
| that u Cd knows as much more what we slant
in need of, than We do ourselves, as infinite
is before finite, or the mother more than he
new born babe.
Soon after the Elder was shown to hi
chamber, but in consequence of an unusually
full stomach, and the fleeing fairy visions o
the new meeting house, did not fall so quiet
ly in the arms of Morpheus as usual. 1t oc
cured to the Elder in his wakcfuncss durin.
the night, that if Col. Allen generous ant
liberal as he was) had have united himself t.
to one among the many of the Christian
Churches, and had have given the great az
gregatc 10 one, how sensibly they must have
felt that great blessing. 1t also, in the null
titude of his ideas occurred to him that
might be his duty, in CONJUNCTION with Mrs
Allen, to labor prayerfully with Col. Allen
TO Join his church, and to open his contribu
ton box solely for their benefit. Full O
these solemn reflections, hearing some on
stirring about the house, he rose in season t.
| join Col. Allen in welcoming the first sign
from the East of approaching day. Ate
the usual salutatons of good morning. you
rise early, 'and so do you sir" by way ofre
| ply, &c. &c, the following dialogue was com
mcnccd and carried through between then
In substance it is no fiction; it is founded j
fact and is one of the sources from whenc
mgratitude and pharisaic bigotry have draw
their differences, that Ethan Allen, was a
atheist an infidel.
Elder A. R,-Col. Allen, in view Of your nu
merous donations to various christian societe
and the spirit you have manifested in openin
: your house as the pilgrims tavern, for the gri
tuitous reireshment of the ministers of all dc
| nominations, and freely aiding in the building
the temples to God, it has occurred to me durin
my praycrlu CONCENTRATIONS the past nigh
what great blessing you would have been
) one society, had you in early life identified YOU
self with it, and confined your efforts to tn;
alone. God has made you his steward owe
9 much, as | trust for the benefit of his people
t and my prayers will ascend to the throne
i grace and mercy, that you may speedily be bro
to feel this, even now in your time of life, to
! your duty and act accordingly.
Col. Allen. Oh, Elder, as for that, you ha
better not pray at ALL for my God will not thin
S the better OF you for so doing, and as for m,
G Golf 10 INV ,Iorl fnr IL | shall nevar ho viii