Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-02-20

While spending last Sunday in one of the
inland towns OF Massachusetts,. | came
upon little volume entitled Sketches Of
Msrtha's Vineyard and Other Reminisceu-
ces Of Travel at Home, etc. BY an Inex-
perienced Clergyman. Boston, ISIS" In
looking through IL I found a chapter head
ed
"DowS EAST AGAIN.
Eiis,eoria- Character Of tAe Inhabdan,s-
Religious Condition Our Place Of Wor-
shtp-Froores-LyoeuH- Odd Erenis''
This, Of coufse. attracted my attention,
tor Ellsworth does not figure very largely
in literature, and have copied out most OF
the chapter and send IL herewith. II may
serve as a contribution to the history. as
yet uuwritten. OF Ellsworth, and may be
interesting TO those who remember some
thing abou, what 1t relates, and perhaps
also TO those to whom il is entirely new.
The events narrated happened prohsh bly, IN
1861. The writer was Rev. Samuel
Adams Devens. After leaving Ellsworth,
l am told, he married . wealthy lady some
twenty years his senior. aud spent the re-
manning years Of his life In leisure, travel.
and the delights OF uncompelled author-
ship. He died no, long since.
ELDER BERRY.
Nine months in the Eas, again. Ellie
,oorth was the sphere Of my ministerial Ia
bors. This town is twenty -four miles south
east OF Bargor. and pleasantly situated on
either bank Of Union river. have heard
1t called by a traveller the handsomest
town on the shore road from Halifax to
Boston. All towns much larger must no,
be brought into the comparison. Ellsworth
Is = small town containing no more than
niIeen or sixteen hundred inhabitants. Its
local situation however will not suner much
compared with that Of any OF the eastern
towns. Along the banks Of the rapid river
are some bold beetling crags. and = wild
woody eininence on which the wigwA0s Of
the Penobscot Indians are seen At Ger tain
seasons Of the year, when IL would not be
osASSeis " kee Wy htssc iotuhutlS Scust-
bility. The view from some parts Of the
town OF the Schoodic hills on the North
East. Of the broad blue waters OF PAtten's
bay and the Mount Desert chsin on the
South, is such as deeply to impress the I'M
agina,iou OF the lover Of nature.
The village contains about five hundred
Inhabitants and has an appearance Of new
ness. Out Of the village the town exhibits
oil the evidences Of long settlement. The
Inhabitants are remarkable for resolution.
enterprise, and natural vigor Of under.
standing. Every thing is taken up with
warmth and almost all subjects. especially
trade. politics, and religion, give rise TO
competitiop-the first two, at times. to Bit
ter jealousy and its evil consequences. The
social circle is very good, though small.
Several families, some Of which are from
Massachusetts, have given considerable At
tention to literary pursuits aud would be
deemed cultivated anywhere. The inhabl-
taDts generally are something unconth and
do not appreciate what are denominAted
the humanities Of life. Among Eastern
towns however, Z. 10 not alone in this re-
spect.-When went to Z. there were two
religious Societies in the place. Baptist
and Trinitaiisn. Liberal Christianity had
never been preached. and It's character
WAS hardly known. The old minister Of
the Trinitarian Society (who Is now living
and Is 4 isan Of liberal mind and genuine
christian fesliags) though not regarded by
the Orthodox clergy as perfectly sound In
the faith. never was IN acknowledged Uni
tartan. His successor who WAS for some
years preacher to the seamen In Portland.
and whose urbaniiy, Intelligence, and so-
cial harmony are still among my pleasant
recollections, Is, I believe, regarded ~
sound-with00t blemish and without spot.
l do not mean BY this that he is bigoted-
far from il. He has too much OF the milk
Of human kindness for that.-Being the
6rst TO enter the place Is the representa-
tive Of our denomination. I expected TO
laeet with much prejudice and opposition,
and Was told that such would be the case.
To my surprise and very agreeable dissp-
pOintment II WAS not 50. The only place
for worship that could be obtained at the
outset Was . schOolr00m In the second
story Of building near the bridge that
crosses Union river. Everything that pass
ed over the bridge shook the building snd
pulpit very much. aud not pereeiving the
cause II nrsf. thought il was 40 earth
quake. 10 a lew Ssbbsths We obtained the
sse OF the Baptist Church for little while.
and at length removed to ihe Court House
which was u be our permanent place OF
worship. This was new bailding and but
partially completed. The Society fsfnish-
ed the Courtroom, erecting open pews, .