Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-04-04
Letter from Rev. J. Copeland.


ROCHESTER, N. Y, March 30, 1877
Nessrs Editors Should come to your village
again, one Of the familiar faces that should most
miss would be that Of Dr. Lord The announce
ment of his death was not unexpected for had
seen brief notices Of his Illness but am one of
that very large circle of friends who mourn for
him, and both myself and all mine are in warm
sympathy with his bereaved family Would that
we might have been Of the number to attend the
last services and follow his remains to the grave.
Dr. Lord was my highly esteemed friend and
Christian brother. When | went into the state
and took charge Of church in a neighboring
town, he was the first ministerial acquaintance
that had the privilege Of making. 1t had been
gently intmated TO me that would not be likely
to find him cordial and free, but rather reserved
and unsocial. This intimation am happy to say
did not awaken suspicion in my mind, and | was
ready to meet him as he was, but 1t was wholly
unfounded, and from the first he received me
most cordially and heartily as friend and
brother, his house was always open to welcome
both me and all mine, and our relations ~ minis
tiers were ever most agreeable and free and
never shall forget the many pleasant interviews
have had with him We'll do remember the
very happy address he made us at our home on
the twenty-tifth anniversary Of our marriage.
Nor shall soon forget the very able and appro-
| pirate address that ne gave in our church at one
| Of the meetings of our county conference The
subject was the need of the Holy Spirit in our
church, and the Doctor took the ground that we
have at all times az much of the presence Of the
| Spirit as we need, and the only difficulty is, we
do not open our hearts nor the church. to receive
it. Like the bright sunshine, there il ever enough
Of it, but we shut it out by our unbelief and other
sins great man has fallen in Israel He has
done great work and done it well. The Doctor
possessed the power of abstraction in an I'M
usual degree You might meet him on Sat
urday morning when he would appear reserved
and unsocia but he was in deep thought, planning
| the sermon that he would soon retire to his study
to write for his pulpit the next morning. lie told
me that at those times he met friends and con-
| versed a moment with them, then passed on with
| out being able to recoect word they had said
or that he had said to them This may explain
the reason of the ntimation that was made to
me before | had seen him lie was hard
worker, and possibly, hard work hastened his
| departure.
Our winter still fingers among us as II reluctant
| to depart. Day before yesterday we had a severe
| shoM-storin, laStllg tWentN-iOur nOufS, plllnB
snow in heaps that greatly obstructed travelling
We have had, the past winter over hundred
successive days of good sleighing. All long for
the warm breath of spring.
large temperance wave has been rolling over
our city during the past three weeks. Messrs.
Mckevey and Frost, from the East, have been
here holding nightly meetings, and over three
thousand names have been added to the pledge.
A very large number of these have come from the
ranks of the Incorporate The badge of blue rib
bon is seen everywhere the street.
Religious interests have been active in the Brick
and Central Presbyterian churches Many con-
verts have been gathered in each Mr. Morehouse
laborcd a couple of weeks in the former and Mr..
Mingins three weeks in the latter Considerable
acCessions have been made also to other churches
Busine : revves little, but very slowly. The
Black Hills fever RACES in the city and has car
ried off quite a number OF our active and enter
prsing young men, Many more will 60 II they
can obtain the means.
The large amount of snow all around us has
been passing away so gradually that no flood has
occurred, as was anticipated The ice has passed
out of the river without doing the least damage
Probably when write again it will be from a
| new place JC