Worcester daily spy., 1860-06-06
WEDNESDAY, JUNE s. 1850.
GOV. Washburn's History of Leicester.
SECOND NOTICE.


clergyman of the First Congregational Church,
most widely known, and the last, its present
senior pastor. The first meeting house was
erected in l719. 1t had "three outside doors,
one upon the 'front.' and one at each end, but
no door-steps." "It had neither porch nor
belfry on the outside, nor peers nor gallery IN
the inside. 1t had small windows, made OF
diamond shaped glass; and these swung upon
hinges instead of sliding sashes." Subse-
quently, after pews were introduced, the ''seatS
were hung upon hinges, which were raised
during prayer time and dropped at its close
with a crash like thunder. A Philadelphia
gentleman started for the door on one occasion
under the impression that the gallery was
cracking and coming down around his ears"
The pews occasionally had trouble with the
pulpit. In Leicester, this experience began
with its first minister. An invitation was
given to Rev. David Parsons in 1920 in which
the committee acknowledge themselves "un-
,oorthy of so great a blessing" This, they said,
''ace cannot but see" His salary seems not to
have been paid promptly, and in 1927 a meet
ing 'to see if the town will raise Mr.. Parsons
salary, or otherwise to see if they will be will
ling that he should remove out of the town."
The town voted that it ''was willing Mr. Par
sons should remove and remain out of this
to'on." But he was not ready to do either.
Then came councils, law suits, appeals to the
Legislature, in one of which the town beg to
be "relieved from Mr.. Parsons bondage" AT
last, IN March 1885, mutual council dissolved
the connection but the reverned gentleman
was not reconciled, and when he died, by his
own direction, he was buried apart from the
graves of his people, in land of his own. The
question as to the time of his death having
arisen not long ago, his tombstone was found
in use, as covering stone for an ash pit, in
house built several years since. ga mans
head was sent into the ash-hole,' the date as
certained, and these words read thereon -
CATER many years OF hard labor and suffering
was laid here, &c.
Nineteen years afterwards, the church had
another trying experience in the person of the
Rev. j. Roberts, ordained in 1854 and dismiss
ed in 1852, "very much against his will" He
was anxious to save-money. In Weston,
where he subsequently lived, he was imprison-
ed for debt between two and three years, while
bags of money were boarded in his house, and
until his creditor was glad to compromise.
"He died, as he had lived, a beggar. He had
for years denied himself the necessaries of life,
and not an article of his wardrobe was fit for
the tenant Of an almshouse." Such painful
trials must have made clearer the truth which
We are all so slow to ea1n, that no "order" or
"soundness in the faith" can be substitutes for
character. Possibly, too, they may have led
to the discovery that the Christian virtues
may exist independent of either Their effect
has been to do away forever with all these out.
ward, artificial barriers by which the clerical
body were formerly surrounded, leaving their
authority dependent upon and varying accord
ing to each individual life. Wilfulness like
that OF Parsons, and greed like that of Rob
erts, in teacher of religion, find in this
changed public sentiment an efiectual and
speedy cure.
Since 1862, that pulpit has not been dis.
graced. Rev. Z. S. Morse was there from
1877 to 1911, when he left universally regret
ted, for wider and honorable sphere of use
fulness His name and works yet 'blosson
from the dust" In 1872, his successor, DIR
Nelson, was ordained, who is now there, afte
forty eight years peaceful and successful ser
vice. To large majority of his congregation
he has ministered from their infancy, and h
is bound to them by memories and association
more tender and precious than words will eve
speak.
We see no reason for speaking with 'bateC
breath" here and could have wished the his
torian had spoken the words that ''pressed fol
utterance, not waiting for Death to break the
seal" Whitefeld was here Oct. Is, 1740
"when,' as he tells us, he spoke with some
though not so much power" as he had done in
the morning Of the same day, at Worcester
We find no reference in this history TO his
visit, from which we infer no record worth
transcribing exists. We miss the creeds OF
the church We think they ought to have
had place They are reliable landmarks OF
lheir time, showing its average religious
thought, and in their revisions, where reyis.
ions have been had, bearing witness of an ad.
vancng intelligence and a larger spiritual
growth.
tOne OF the institutions of the good ole
times" was the whippingpos In Leicester
1t had disappeared before the beginning of the
present century: its last appearance on recor(
was in 1853. AS illustrating habits, we quot
from the travelling expenses Of representa-
tive OF the town, Oct 20, IT'S. Oats, 3D.; din
ner, los. flip, IS. breakfast, rs. shaving
Cos; flip, 9s. May 27, l778, another recor
says Sling in the morning, sd ; half a bow
of toddy, 3D.. mess Of oats, 4d. dinner, Is
toddy, 3d.; oats, 4d. grog, I'd. AS to bal
we are told, the foretathers, with their wives
did not 90 at eight or nine O'Clock, and q
home in the small hours after midnight, bt
"aiey went in broad daylight, in the middle
the afternoon, and staid till broad daylight
the mex. morning p The last Of these anciel
DANES in Leicester, who went from family
family to do their spinning, with her stories
witches, robbers, Indians, false lovers an
true, was named Sally Bradsh. She carrie
large budget of gossip, From the te
grounds, she toretold funerals, weddings an,
riding IN coaches" Her oracles were silent
10 steam and the railway nor did they war;
her that the power.loom and spinRing,ienny
were to put her occupation among the thing
uat were. And the last "school.marm" wa
aunt Hannah, who exercised a marked inAu
~ her pupils OF all ranks. She hac