Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-04-07
lso to which they had ever been put.

~ lohBi sulalls graylSn Dluc cyVS' ~"
light brown hair. In short for a common
farmer, which was all he pretended TO be,
he was in middle life very fine looking.
His wife, my very dear mother-what
shall | say of herl cannot describe nor
as she is in my own remembrance. she
was of medium size, and once handsome,
black-hairod, back-eyed girl, though The
hair became prematurely gray; whose
coming to Jamaica, about the year lIs1,
Immediately spoiled matrimonial pol-
Get then much talked about. She wasihe
daughter of Deacon John Wellman, who
came from Packersfield, n. H., to Jamaica,
and settled on the opposite side of the
West river, about a mile from my fathers
residence. A bargain between two good,
faithful hearts was soon made, and the
young man made a journey, long in tlIfo
days. from .Ianlai.... - " rrr-, y. VI. j. Ns4ye-
Miss Hannah Wellman was living in The
family of Rev. Aaron Hall, a Congrega-
tional minister.
The deacon was deeply impressed for
some months on religious subjects, before
experiencing that change which brings
light out of darkness. Then came TO
trouble him, the subject of churches and
ordinances. The protesting Christians
around him were scarce, and all belonged
to the Standing Order, as those were called
who adhered to the Saybrook Platform,
meaning Congregationalists. lie was not
satisfied that their view of baptism was
right, and studying the New Testament
faithfully, especially the third chapter Of
! Matthew, he was convinced that baptism
meant immersion, and should be preceded
! by repentance. This conclu sion being ar
rived at, he looked about him for some
body who had similar views. lie could
find none-finally, he learned that there
was Baptist minister at Chester, twenty
miles away, whose name was Leland, and
whose residence he Immediately sought.
one cold November day, in the year 17s9,
he set out on horseback for Chester. The
roads were bad, being frozen, and partially
broken up, so that the whole day was spent
| in the painful journey. l shall not attempt
to analyze the feelings of the new convert,
nor detail the interesting conversation with
the young minister who afterward became
| quite famous in the new State. The min
lister asked all needful questions, and was
satisfied that his visitor was proper can
didate for baptism. 1t was, however, con-
cluded that an appointment should be made
at jamaica, in a few days, when Elder Le-
land was to preach and baptzo the con-
vert.
The time for the meeting came. An elo-
| quent sermon was succeeded by the bap-
tism, which took place in the West river,
near my fathers hous'. A great crowd at
tended, attracted by the novelty of the
sight, "the "baptisms" they had witnessed
having all been by sprinkling.
Whatever might have produced the effect
which followed, it came soonl and perfi,L q
| ed the whole surrounding country. Rdef
Leland returned often to preach and bap.
tize, and a large church was organized,
with my father as deacon and leader in the
absence of the minister. a great sensation
followed the introduction Of the new relig-
ion, as ii was called. The denial of bap-
tism to infants, by which they lost all claim
to church privileges, and even endangered
their final salvation was denounced as an
awful heresy, and the immersions preach
ed and practced by the Baptists, some
times even in cold weather, were said Ia
be unnecessary, indecent, and dangerous.
! My good mother soon became n convert,
and Joined her husband, becoming an ac-
tive and determined worker in the vine
ward of her new Master. This last prose
lyte of the new faith reused the spirit oi
Deacon w Gilman, who led the hosts of the
opposition. The deacon was strong in arg
ument, and did his best to prevent my
mother from taking the dreadful step of go
ing over to the Baptists. She had, he said
been baptized in infancy, and was already
member of the church of Christ. Bu
all the good deacon's eloquence, resolutely
repeated, was of no avail. A separation
unpleasant to all the family, and btterl,
maintained by my grandfather, followed
lie never afterward entered my father
house. lie lived five or six years afte
this, and died without any mitigation o
his feeling toward his youngest daughter
His other children, number of whom
lived near, all retained their attachment
the Pedobaptist faith.
The deacon was pleasing in his addres
and full of zeal in the service of his Mas
, ter. He had happy way Of addressin
, persons, whether in private or in large as
semblies. He was sought by all in any re
ligious trouble, and his advice in such cas-
es was excellent, and generally efIectiv,
! The meetings for religious improvement
in those times, were called conference meet
, ings, in which prayers, exhortations, an
, singing were mingled. The deacon wa
not a scientific musician, but he used Ia
good tenor voice in singing the tunes tls-
in vogue. a favorite one was the Garde
| Hymn, 1.-THE Lord into his garden comes,
. and the Union Hymn, "Attend, yo saints,
4 &c. besides others which / remembC
= well. My mother was not so good sing
= er, but used to Join with the rest.
The church of Jamaica soon becam
Y large very many of the farmers and the
v wives, with not a few young persons an
@ children, joined, while my father reside
% in Jamaica, about seventeen years after i
G organization in that place. Other church,
h were soon formed in the neghbOrlng towi
i in WardsbOro, in Grafton, In Rockin
@ ham, and some others-so that the Bapti
denomination soon became u power f
d good in the land.
II The gathering of the Woodstock ASS
+ cation was in those times an importa
g event. 1t included the Baptists in sout
N eastern Vermont and western New Ham
d shire. The reading of the printed mnut
k was a most interesting business. The o
Y dained ministers, in capital letters, were
d me objects of reverence. 1 rememb
IL Soma of Them who lived I'm the DeriOd
Ie have described. Ariel Kendrick, of Cor
is ish, was one of those who stood very hil
ID with the deacon-whose third son roceiy
70 the minister's name. Jeremiah Higbee,
v Alstead, was another, of almost equ
n standing. But Aaron Leland stood, wi
c. the deacon, at the head. The first son h
been named Calvin, after himself; but