Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-09-15
FroIa the Watchman and Reflector.
Representative Wen of our Times
REV. LELAND HOWARD.
BY REV. JOHN GoADBY, D. D.

Another soldier has fallen; another vet
eran has entered into the joy of his Lord
and another place is vacant among the
leaders of the Christian army.
Leland Howard sleeps in Jesus. Hi;
portly form and his benevolent face vii
long be remembered by those who knew
- = !, they will remember, too, th,
wealth OF kindness anu mp. .h,, ba avon,
where carried with him. He had not onIy
the disposition TO make all about him hap
py, but, to much larger extent than i
common, he had an easy and ready facui
ty to do so. There seemed to be no ef0r
in his goodness, it was the mere expression
the natural outburst of a genial nature
under the influence and guidance of Z
Christian heart.
1t was natural for all who knew him tc
love him, unless they were persistent IL
what he felt was improper, sinful, or cal
culated to do injury. He knew how tc
rebuke sharply, but kindly; and often.
the kindness OF the manner and the soft
ness of the words rendered the rebuke
more memorable and more effective. as
when passing man who was swearing
fearfully, he said, in his kindest tone aud
manner, "That's right sir, that's right
out with it, if you have any more of that
bad stuff inside, let it come out" and
passed on, leaving the swearer to his OWL
reflections.
He was highly esteemed by his breth-
ren, and had warm place in their ahsc-
tions, and will be remembered by them as
an humble Christian, a faithful minister OF
Jesus, and wise and judlcious counsel
lor; ever ready to advise when his advice
was sought never intrusive with hints,
suggestions or warnings, and never assum-
ing any thing for himself He seemed TO
recoil, almost instinetively, from giving
any person pain or making one feel in any
way uncomfortable. Such were some Of
the prominent characteristics Of Bro. How
ard as a man and a Christian. As hus-
band and father, the reverence and afec-
tion of his own family tell whar he was,
better than any words OF description. II
is enough TO say, he was all they could
desire, and to them as nearly type Of
perfection as any man could be and no
one intimate with the family and with
him would question their high estimate Of
him. He was highly favored of God,
from his earliest years. The son Of devout
Christian parents, who, though they could
give him only the common advantages OF
an elementary education, gave him the
example OF a godly life, and sowed IN his
heart the seeds of divine truth in early
boyhood. He felt it no hardship 10 work
with his father, when a child, and for him
in his youth. While thus employed in
the town of SALISBURY, Vt, deep and
extensive religious interest surrounded
him. He was made partaker of the
grace of Christ, and was baptized by the
Rev. /. Mattison, in the month Df June,
1911. His heart was full of love and
zeal, and early in the next year he began
TO preach Christ's Gospel His first effort
was at the house of a sister in Jamaica, |
his native town; his text, Rom. 3 last
clause of ninth verse, "Now if any man 1
have not the spirit of Christ, he Is none OF
His.D During the week following he
three times IN the same Town,
and then returned to his fathers house IN
Winhall and began to preach IN the neigh
boring school houses and in the ADJOINING
town of Londonderry, bis father beng his
companion. He then used his fathers
barn from spring until autumn as place
of worship, aud gathered considerable con-
and God made these early and
snootaneous labors successful. He after
wards, for two years, preached TO the
church in Ira, his father having literally
Diet him" to the church there, for GER
tain amount of money and produce per
year. At the expiration of this time he
was invited by wealthy citizen Of Wind
sor to place himself under the instruction
of Rev. Mr.. Bradley, the pastor of the
Baptist church there, this friend under
taking to pay both for board and tuition.
These advantages he enjoyed for year,