Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-05-01
The Episcopal Society in Mont


The lowly, unadorned house Of worship that
stands upon the banks of the Winooski, though
humble, has happy congregation who enter Its
peaceful walls with kindred hearts, and souls
kindled by reverence to God, and love toward
their fellow-men
Their paetor-the Rev. F. W. Shcton-al-
though his stay has been comparatively short,
has endeared himself to his people with more
than common interest. Possessing high Or
der of talents, both as a pastor presiding over
his congregation, and as an author sketching the
fine pictures of the social and natural world,
his appearance in the pulpit or the social circle
is always welcomed with pleasure. His dis
courses are drawn with a pen used to the delin-
cation of truth, and marked by all the interest
of essays upon each time and period of tho
Christian year always selected with an adap-
tation to the occasion, which cannot fail to
impress his hearers with the necessity Of tenn
perate, moral lives, just works and daily watch
ing He has a time for everything. and each
appropriate subject falls within its allotted
time. His manner of delivery is peculiarly in
teresting; with slight impediment in his
speech, which perseverance has so nearly over
come as to render his voice musical, winning,
and his utterance at all times distinct, and far
above aaectation.
Although his more immediate usefulness is
confined to the local sphere Of presiding over his
congregation, his circle Of admirers is extended
not only to the other societies of the village,
and in the State, but to the people of the United
States who admire the moral phase of light
reading.
While not professed lecturer, we occasionally
meet him in the lecture world His lectures al
ways embody moral truths, while he delights to
dwell upon the popular manias of the social
world, and frequently INDUCES in humorous
structures upon society; yet, while so doing he
brings US the result Of earnest thought and we'll
grounded opinions. At times we see him grasp
ing with the giants of metaphysics, but his in
tellectual resources are better adapted to i'm
pressing more apparent truths upon the minds
of general audience.
As II writer, we have many beautiful emana-
tons of his genius, which have earned him an
undisputed and enviable rank in the literary
world The magazines have given place to his
more numerous short illusions, while the publ
cation in book form of such works us =" Salander
and the Dragon "a work written when quite
young, yet possessing truths and instructions
which the reading public will not soon let die
" The Rector of St. Bardolphs," Up the River
Letters "a series of rural sketches first pub.
lished in the Knickerbocker " Crystalline, or
the heiress Of Fall Down CASTLE" and Peeps
from Belfry "a work published since he has
resided in this village, and from which our read
ers have seen u selection--stamp their author at
once as man Of refined taste, with quick
perception Of the good the beautiful, and the
| true.
With such pastor, a congregation may be
justly proud Of their prosperity, and know that
while his life and their own are marked with vir
tue, morality and temperance. their presence
must have benign influence upon the rising
generation.