The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-09-08
For the Register.
Obituary.

tbicr, Canada East, February l4,ls2c,
died at Middlebury, Vermont, August
25, 1852.
The feeling of our community has
been deeply touched by the removal f.
nally by death of our young fellow cti
zen, the late Principal of the Female
Seminary, STEPHEN w. HircncocK. His
residence here had been but brief, but it
had been active and useful, and such in
its character as to cndear him not only,
to personal friends, but to attach him
strongly to the respect and expectations
of the people generally Coming among
us stranger but sixteen months ago, he
made no acquaintance hardly but such
as concerned the public character of his
position, and in this tho characteristics
of an honest, earnest and devoted life,
attracted to him the consideration of all.
and the hopes of very many that success
would reward his labors, with all the hap.
pincss which he seemed to earn and to
deserve,
lie was intercepted in the midst of
encouraging and flattering progress by
disease He bore up against it with
characteristic patience and resolution
and when at last hope seemed to be fail
ing, when it was finally extinguished, he
submitted with spirit no more amia-
bic and humble than it was cbristian-likc
and exemplary and calculated to win to
him still the deepest respect of those
who could hopo for him no longer. If
able to live in spite of ordinary discour-
agcmcn.s, and bring up the cntcrpsise in
which lac was engaged to point of pros
pcrity, he was able Also by character
of the same gracious quality, to die, to
leave earthly hopes and attachments and
to go to such service aud reward az he
should still further be called to. A dig
nifty attended him in his sphere, hallowcd
now by the benefccnt hand, that hath
given and taken alike in love-
Mr.. Hitchcock's conncxion with the
Seminary commenced in April, 1851.
The Trustees invited him to it when in
low estate. Coming to them recon-
mcnded highly as a teacher, but with less
experience as Principal and manager of
school, they were struck with the mod
est frmness with which he commenced
his undertaking, and were never disap-
pointed in the zeal and energy with
which he pursued it. The institution
rose gradually and surely in his hands.
and, had he been spared, seemed certain
to take its place with those of most pros
porous distinction for thoroughness and
usefulness 1t was deeply indebted,
doubtless, in respect to this to her whom
he had associated with him in his labors,
and who had been called to it no more by
the strong regards of early attachment,
than by certain aflinities of character
that abundantly fitted her for the place.
This circumstance adds new element
of tenderness to the bereavement, on
which the common sensibility of public
as well as friendly sympathy does not
permit us to dwell
The character of our young friend,
thus honored for its maturity, was not
moulded by accident. He had had an
early, careful literary and religious
training. The son of affectionatc and
intelligent parents, he enjoyed their
prayers, and felt the direction of their
parental ambition early. He was at
school early from home. forming habits
of sclf.dependence, and at fourteen be-
came an assistant in the Academy where
preparing for College, thus supplying in
considerable part the means of his own
progress. He entered the University at
Burlington, in lS4s, when ls years OF
age, and bore in his relation TO that in
stitution rank for application and sue
cess as a scholar honorable throughout
and promising of still higher attain
ments and more cnviable distinction in
after life Here his qualifications as an
instructor aided also to sustain him un
der the expenses of collegiate culture
and prepared him, with the highest ap
probation of his employers, for the place
he was so soon and so briefly to fill Re
tanning for some time after his gradua
tion his position as Teacher of French
in the Burlington Seminary, he taught
also with admirable success a school in
Burlington for Boys, till an invitation
from the Trustees of the Middlobury
Seminary withdrew him from his cher
ished associations in the former place, to
the exertions and trials to be encountered
in another. These he chose to attempt
single-handed In zone months time, a
midst n variety of hindranccs, he had
made good his hopo, modestly expressed
at the beginning, that if efforts put forth
with reasonable discretion and efficiency
would warrant the expectation of sue
cess, he was willing to engage. Iu
this time, he had secured the conf
dencc of his pupils, and had impaired q
share of his own resolution to those,who
secondarily to him, were bearing the re
sponsibility of the school lie felt pre-
pared also to assume other responsible
ties, those which belong most intmatel,
to us as social beings, aside from whicl
the part assigned to us in this career o
affection as well as picty and duty is no
responded to in life. A year since, Will
,, the Fail torm this new relation Of dut,
: and happiness commenced
The prospects of his Seminary improv
: ed A spirit of enterprise charscterize'
t his plans in its behalf, and nothing wa
, apparent to cloud the cxpectations,whiel
: friends might cherish, for himself Will
!. the spring vacation, however, something
: Of shadow became pcrcsptibls A mai