The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1878-01-09
Or. DoUcHERTY.


been stationed many years agoin John
son. Westford and other adjacent pla-
ees. writes long letter to the Yer
mon. Chr0Ricle. in which he gives his
impressions of Rev. James Dougherty,
d. d.. cf johnson. 1t is customary
TO wait 6ntil men die before publicity
is eiver to such "reminiscences, but the
Rev. Brother will pardon us for copy
ing the following from the Chronicle,
since so many of his friends and ac-
uuaintances will find it an article of
interest to Them.
The preacher whose discourses have
instructed and stimulated me more than
all the rest put together which have
ever heard, was long the pastor OF a
Congregational society in one OF the
mountain towns of northern Vermont,
Rev. James Dougherty, d. D., of
johnson. II is doubtful ifDr. Dough-
ertv ever received a salary of over
five hundred dollars per annum. lie
was Irish-born. but American in all
his instincts, and educated at one of
our best New England colleges, COM
inc from his shoe-bench to the halls of
the University; early disgusted with
Romanism, in which he had been bred,
and in communion with which he form
ally remained until he reached his ma
iority. Communion with the New les
lament and Young's Night Thoughts,
of which he was very fond, and which
he at one time very nearly committed
to memory, together with the Gospel
Message" on the lips of victorious
Methodist itinerants, rescued him from
the slough of unbelief and despair in
TO which be had at first well-nigh slip
ped. and introduced him into the glo-
rious liberty Of the sons of God. For
many years he had been known in the
state of Vermont as a profound and
versatile thinker; and, as in his prime,
a preacher of extraordinary eloquence
and powcr-a preacher uniting in him
self the Arminianism Of the Metho-
dist, the liberaity Of the broadcast
school in philosophy, the humility of
the most rigid Calvinists, and the fer
vcr, pathos, and simplicity of the most
ardent eXperimentalist. Stationed, in
the same village where he was settled,
for two years, | was permitted only
occasionally to listen to his ministra-
tions-he even then having become
aged aud inirm. But | have heard
single sermons from the anointed lips
Of that preacher that contained origi-
nal matter enough-true as divinity,
and as fresh as though the speaker
had never read book in his lite-to
stock half-a-dozen Of some Of our
wandering stars whose orbits are as
wide as the east is from the west.
Alas to think that now, in the fee
bIeness Of extreme old age and SUI
perannuation, his lips will never blow
that rare gospel trumpet again
Permit me, while happen at this
time to have my pen still in hand, to
recall a single instance Of the i'm
pressiye effect Of this able preachers
pulpit oratory. One Friday afternoon
soon after my arrival in town, VEN
turcd to attend this good doctors pre-
paratory lecture. | was stranger,
but, attracted by his local fame, l de-
termined to improve my earliest OPP
portunity to hear him. | found, sit
ting in the lecture-room desk, man
Of very venerable appearance and of
sedatc countenance, having a wide and
lofty brow, well-crowned by locks of
iron-gray. His discourse was mainly
for the benefit Of some young Chris
tians--the fruit of recent and very
precious revival-pleparatory to their
being examined and ''propounded" for
admission to the church. His slightly
foreign accent, his quaintness ofspeech,
the constant surprises he was mad
vertently springing upon us, the ten
derness Of his manner, the pathos of
his tones, and the fearful eyes that Of
ten accompanied an allusion to the
name of Jesus, all conspired at once
to rivet attention, and to captivate
both thought and feeling.
At length his discourse to the young
people was concluded. Then by way
Of concluding remark, he turned for
moment to those who were already
church-members, and in a most effec-
tionate and impressive manner, with a
sweetly-melancholy smile playing on
his aged features, he said: s'And now,
o We people of God"-as if it were in
his heart to have added, "And now,
what shall say to you" But at this
point his rising emotions, stirred up
apparently by the vast significance of
the style of address be had employed,
suddenly interposed, and lifting up his
hands and his face heavenward, with
streaming eyes, and voice now raised
to its utmost wailing pitch, he reitera-
ted the words "Oye people Of God p
The effect Of this utterly unpremed-
itated and unanticipated sally, may be
far more easily imagined than describ-
ed. Few indeed were the eyes in that
auditory in which did not tremble the
moisture Of tear. Then ensued a
momentary pause. How was the
preacher safely to descend from this
giddy height! With the most perfect
deliberation, he wiped his face, and
then, i'll subdued and tremulous tones
simply added "God forbid that thi,
tile should proue moekery." 1t was
enough-the rich substance of man,