Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-03-17

! extravaganza of owning two), one for
each Sunday in the year. 4 most fortu-
nate circumstance was this, for it furnished
4 ready and perfect solution of the prob
lem of occupancy. At the beginning OF
the year subscription papers were circu-
lated among the pew-owners, and they,
,ccording TO their UNCONVENTIONAL prefer
snces, signed their Sundays to Baptsts.
Methodists, etc, the number of names on
each paper indicating the number of Sun
| lays that denomination might control the
house that year. Generally. as already
ntimated, the same congregation would
he present whoever preached, though as it
must be confessed when the Unverssliss
occupied" the congregations We're
pretty SLIM
Few spots on this green earth are to me
rs this old church. have sat on its hard
| benches Ior never were seats constructed
with 81 more sublime unconsciousness of
the anatomy of the human frame) for
many dismal hours, and ofttimes with a
burning Indignation against the minister
tor his bad faith in that he had finally
come TO say once more" and then, after
thus raising my hopes, had rudely dashed
them again by keeping on, as thought, a
good many times more. My most sacred
| md most cherished memories centre here.
| Here | first became accustomed to the
| services of religion for the voice of prayer
| md praise was not went TO be heard in
| nv childhood home. Here | recited my
first Sunday school lesson. here l first
| knet rs "seeker at the "anxious seat"
here | stammered out my first words of
Christian testimony, here l was baptized
and licensed to exhort, here | spoke my
| Iirst words us n Christian minister, and
| here too | WAS married. Here with an
inefflble sense of desolation, a pitiabe boy
| of nine, last looked on the dear face of
my mother, and fifteen years later, in the
very same place, the words of religion
were spoken at the funeral of my father.
In the old burying ground in the rear
sleep my parents, my wife's parents,
sister of each of us, together with many
friend and playmate of our childhood
years.
Various indeed have been the /" gifts "
which have been exercised in that pulpit
sermons of the vealy type, sermons of the
traditional hard shell variety, and sermons
rs keen and resistless as one ever hears
would follow each other in close order
Tie holy tones OF the Free-wiler," the
roarations > of the Ctmpaigners, and
| the alterations Of the college, bred minis
ters were all familiar to the people who
worshipped there. The singing ranged
from such minor fugucs as Complaint,
Russia and New Durham, either of which
was dolefu enough to start tears from
anybody who had tears to shed, to" q" The
Old Granite State - which was made to
carry such choice and devotional lines as
You will see your Lord coming,
You will see the dead arising,
Wen march up into the city
While band of music
While band of music
While band of music
Will be sounding through the air."
By way of awful warning to all choris-
ters and choirs I must relate what once
happened because of fugue tune there.
1t was on 4 bright afternoon in mid
summer that the minister, from his tub
shaped pulpit which was just little lower
than the singers gallery, gave out that
most searching hymn of Joseph Hart,
20, for glance of heavenly day"
The faithful chorister had all ready
before him his lists of tunes, and the mo-
ment the minister said LONG metre" set
to work looking up the tune. His choice
was telegraphed to the various sections of
the choir and the singing began. The
hymn was solemn. and the tune in keep
ing with it, while Il fugue arrangement of
the last line added to its expressiveness.
But alas, little did we suspect what was
before us; for when we came to the third
verse it came upon us in this fearful fash
ion
| Thy judgments too which devils fear.
| Amazing thought unmoved hear;
Goodness and wrath in vain combine,
| BGsc-To stir this stu
| TCH0r-To stir this stu
| 1HOTo stir this stu
| IHTo stir this stupid heart Of mine"
But after all,my main interest, as look
| bnnl 10 I,nt oll oI,nrnb ~ H..
people who used to worship there. As l
think of one after another who used to
tread those aisles and sit in those pews,
what m interesting and o(ttimes grotcsque
panorama passes before me. Here is
Deacon II. who invariably came to meet
ing late and marched up the aisle with hat
in one hand and whip in the other. with
his thoroughly dried calf,skin boots squeak
ing like band of music. And Deacon L.
who, rs the reward Of long and faithful
practice, had come to that rare state of
harmony between body and soul that he
could sit bolt upright, and close his eyes
It the beginning of the sermon as if for
livine communion, sleep soundly and
Sweetly rs an infant in its mother arms,
md wake up promptly at the amen with
nut any starts or false motions. Not SO
'xpert however was II son of another Of
he deacons-Deacon S. His name was
John and on one occasion in sermon time
he had leaned forward, resting his head
on the back of the pew before him, in
which unhealthy and uncomfortable posi-
tion he fell asleep. Soon however the
preacher having occasion to refer to the
beloved disciple called out in a clear and
somewhat dramatic tone-John. Our
friend, being suddenly brought back to