The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-10-27
Volume XI.
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the Columbian Magazine.
The ELDERS DAUGHTER.
A TALE OF FAIRFIELD CO. IN 1907
BY MISS MARTHA RUSSELL.

cestors did not oftencr retain the Indian ap.
pcllations. We may fancy it would have
been 4 mournlul pleasure TO the wrosged
aborigincs to have known that their white
brothers, on expelling them from their
possessions, had reverenced and spared the
Ole names Of places, mountains and rivers.
And we should have been gamers; Tor, in
stead of this endless repetition Of hackneyed
names, borrowed from the old world, we
should have had land itch in applications,
all novel, striking, and often musical exceed
ingly.
The old purchase of Unquowa, in Con-
necticut, embraced BEAUTIFUL region, and
Rodger Ludlow must have had TIE feelings
of poet when he named il Fairfield And
yet, surely Wodoage Cupheog, and Rippo-
vans were quite as pronounceable and quite
rs appropriate as Milford, Stratiord, and
Stamford
In this country there was many fierce
skirmish between the early settlers and the
Indians. Here was The great swamp oil Sas-
CO, the last refuge in the state Of Sassacus
and his remnant of unamable Pequots.
Poor Sassacus With few followers he
escaped 10 the Mohawks, who murdered
hlm. His captive women and children were
DIVIDED among his enemies, and the good
people OF Massachusetts sent some OF them 10
the West Indies and sold them into slavery.
Poor sufferers! But, in this respect ut least,
the social conscience in New England is
somewhat different now, In these 'degen-
crate days the good people OF Massarhus-
etts would regard such an act as too infa-
nous TO be tolerated.
At the date ofmy story, sixty-eisht years
had passed since Mr.. Ludlow and the six or
eight families who had accompanied him
from Windsor, began the plantation. THESE
strong hearted. iron-nerved men were quietly
sleeping in their graves, and another and
more numerous generation had taken their
place. But the new generation was strictly
Puritan, and that was NOT the age Of relig-
ious tolerance. Taught from the cradle TO
receive and reverence the tencis Of their
fathers, they were stern aud unyielding in
their principles, true 10 their conceptions oil
right, and rigid and severe in their views and
practice of religion. The fathers had fed
from persecution, and certainly the children
had not been trained to cherish feelings Of
lenity and Iiberality towards those who held
the creed oftheir prosecutors.
Hitherto the Congregational had been the
only mode Of worship in the colony. But, in
some of the settlements. and particularly in
STAFFORD, settlers had appeared, who were
attached to the Church Of England; and, be-
sides these, there were some others in the
congregation of the standing order who
we're inclined TO he rebellious 'disscnters
fror;, the rigid doctrine and discipline of the
Puritans. In 1707, the Rev. Mr. Murison
was sanctioned at Rye, as missionary oil
the church of England. lie was soon invi-
ted to preach at Siratiord, and the nextyeai
he visited Fairfield. We of the present day
can form but very poor conception OF the
dismay and adherence with which the Puri-
tan settlers at that time view ed any move
\ rnent which might lead to the introduction Of
I Episcopacy among them. Minister'S church
+ es. and magistrates took the alarm. Every
4 effort was made, every precaution was taken
e to prevent the pc ople from being led away to
;. the abomioable doctrines and ceremonies o.
E preacy. The Rev. Joseh Webb, who Their
e illuminated the church in Fairfield wa uD-
n wearied in warning and exhortaiion, and the
:. ruling elder, Levi Judson, went from house tc
n house, enforcing the admonitions ofrhe pas
# tor, and threatening whoever should 60 &c
hear Mr.. Murison or in any way favor In
Y cause with all those fearful curses uttered
. against Israel for the son Of idOlatry.
{ 4 stern, inflexible man was this elder, Lev
! Judson. In his youth, his powerful soul haC
n seemed to be very susceptible and very iul
: of strong passions But he had been trained
u in the strictest school Of Puntanism. liz
c had sternly disciplined under a stern ideal o
e religion, where he had learned to regart
Il some of the strongest and hottest instincts
e OF his soul rs many obstacles IN the wa,
IL tn holiness. With all the might Of an lroI
: will he had fought with them and conquered
His heart had became kind Of petrifaction
u Cold, rigorous aud tacturn in his manners
5 he was feared rather than loved. Yet within
= his heart there were strong passions, thougl
they were regulated by his rigid notions o
duty, which could not suffer him TO be yer.
gen.Ie, nor allow him to feel much sympa
thy for the weakness and errors of others.
Ills family consisted oftwo daughters ant
o if he was ever tempted to much gentleness
it was by the influence Of Faith, the youn
d sest. She was the child Of his old age. ant
: her'mother had died when she was an infant
: The elder sister, Susannah, who was tn
e child of previous marriage, had been as
l. mother to Faith. Indeed, she had bestowe'
/ on her more than mothers care and almos
y a mothers love.
II Faith in her fathers house wac like sun
= beam in a closter. or like a bird IN dim oil
! wood. 1t was in vain that the quet, demur
=, sister, Susannah, endeavored to tram tina
:. glad young spirit 10 the sober, household
- gait, and smooth the wilful dimpes and wa
y Wy curs ont Of her check and hair. Thu
bright chestnut hair would crimp and kinl
u as if in defiance of blue laws and elders, ant
N the dimples only left her cheek to laugh on
Of her deep blue eyes with redoubted roguish
ness.
IT Susannah was twenty-one ycais older thai
;, Faith. She was one Of those gentle, affec
>, tomato beings. who go through life to,
quietly to win much attention, and vet with
q out whom society would soon fall into EN-
il. barrassments. She had always submitted Il
the discipline which prevailed in her fathes'
house with reverence. Year after year sh
was there, thinking as her father thought
r. and always happy i'll pouring out the pent y
m affections of her heart on The head OF IN
G child, who had lain in her bosom almos
mr. from the hour Of its birth.
, Faith Judson was now eighteen. Within
=. the last year there had appeared change i
4 her character, over which the good sister re
| Eaifh