The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-03-07
Rev. Daniel Wild.

was written for the Congregational
Quarterly by his son, Rev. A. W. Wild,
OF Peacham
Rev. Daniel Wild died at Fairfield,
VT, May, Ia, 1878. lie was the eighth
child Of Randall and Sarah (Hunt Wild,
and was born in West Fairlee, VT, Dec.
16, 1901. Both parents were natives Of
Braintree, Mass.
Randall Wild was an apprentice, at
Norwich, Conn, of the Hon. Nathaniel
Niles, afterwards widely known as the.
ologian, jurist, and member of Congress
from Vermont, and was induced by the
offer of a homestead from his patrons to
to form one of company Of pioneers for
a new settlement in Eastern Vermont in
1888. He was the first white man known
to have spent night in what was subse'
quently the town of Fairlee. After suf.
fcient beginnings had been made he re.
turned to Massachusetts,, and was married
at Brantree in 1885, taking his wife i'm.
mediately to their new home in the will
derness. In deprivation and poverty
they developed strong Christian charac.
ters. The family altar was maintained,
and Coils covenant recognized Upwards
of Fifty years were spent happily together,
during which twelve children were born
to them, eight Of whom reached adult
life. The mother lived to the ripe age
of seventy.two years, and the father died
in his ninety third year, while the aver
age age Of the eight admit children, at
the death Of the first of their number in
1869, was nearly seventy'two years.
All early became members of the Con-
gregatlonal church
Daniel the eighth child and fourth
son was very early the subject of serious
impressions. He had been instructed in
the Shorter Catechism." and taught a
reverence for sacred things. At about
the age of seventeen be experienced, {,
hopefully, change of heart.
He early desired to become minister,
aud from the period of his conversion
this desire received a fresh and higher
impulse but the obstacles to prepara-
tory education seemed insupelable. With
the promise of aid from an uncle in
Braintree, Mass, he, however, proceeded
to fit himself for college at the acade.
mics 10 Bradford and Thetford, Nt.,-at
length entered the University of Yer.
mont, and was graduated in 1928, at the
age of twenty y.seven. During his college
course his energies were taxed to the Ut
most for the means Of support. He
taught district and singing schools stimuli.
taneously in Burlington and adjacent
towns, invariably returning to the college
term to make up lost studies without va
cation or rest. BY this overwork his
nervous system greatly suffered, and at
graduation he found himself physically
PROSTATE and mentally despondent and
misanthropic. ln this condition of body
and mind he was compelled. reluctantly,
to abandon his cherished hope Of theo.
logical course at Andover, and returned
to his native place, Here, by the judi
cious counsel and aid of his pastor, the
Rev. Joseph Tracy, D. d., late of Bev.
erly, Mass, he gradually regained his
v'gor, and was able to accomplish con.
siderable amount OF theological study.
Upon the dismissal of Mr.. Tracy to
enter upon the editorship Of the Vermont
Chronicle, the church sent a request to
the Orange Association to grant our
brother, Daniel Wild, temporary license
to preach the Gospel, with the view OF
securing his services The license was
granted for three months in May, 1929,
and afterwards was extended to the usual
term of three years.
Mr.. Wild supplied the church at West
Fairlee with general acceptance until
March, 1880, when being averse to a
settlement in his native town, he accepted
an invitation from the church in Brook.
field, Vt, and was ordained and installed
as the second pastor Of that church, and
successor of the Rev. Elijah Lyman. July
LIST of the same year. Thio, bio ouly par.
torate, was among the longest aud the
most successful known in the history oil
churches of the State, covering formally ly
a period of upwards Of forty.one years
and embracing thiTty.sevep years Of con.
tinuous and active service. la sermon
og the tbirtieth anniversary Of his settle
ment, he was able to make the record
that on average OF a fraction over twelve
additions every year had been made tc
the church during his connection, amount
ing to total Of three hundred and sew
cnty during the whole period
lie brought TO his work the energy o.
a strong nature, with readiness and rar,
tact in pulpit discourse which soon CAV,
him strong hold upon his own peopl,
and an eminence among the churches o
the region. In seasons of revival be would
often preach, for weeks together, twice OIL
three times upon the Sabbath, following
his work by pastoral visiting, and lectures
on nearly every evening of the week, ant
come to the pulpit On the succeeding
Sabbath with no apparent diminuiion o
freshneT- or vigor,
Under his ministry revival Of grea
power began in 3rookfeld in 1881, con
tiuuing through the following year, b.
which one hundred and eleven person
were added to the church In 1885,
another revival occurred which addet
sixty.iour to church membership. An,
still another took place in ls42, by whicl
seyenty-eight members were added
These we're seasons ofprecous experience
, and the whole town was moved.
In 1867, and again in 1912, hi
! church was reported the largest in til
, county, the number of members 10 the lat
ter year being three hundred and twenty
/ A period of distraction and trial, con
/, sequent upon the rebuilding of the hous
r of worship, followed the height Of thi
r prosperity, which did not culminate unit
n the organization of second church i
! Nov, lS4s. The movement originatin
Q in partisan interest, was fostered by oui
/ side influence until, in violation of a
), previous pledges by the withdrawn
8 members, another meeting house wa