Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-09-24
ST. TITUS IN THE WOODS.
BY IDA HAZEIToN.

- - III IfA1N0BAA AileoAOh 0A0-
ton in the midst ofa Vermont wilder
ness. It's church is a primitive school.
houseiof the rudest construction. ItI
was blilt evidently with view of
keeping out the winter storms and lett
iRgiR thesummer sun, whileits bench
es squared up at right angles give evil.
dence that little beside practical utility
entered into the design of the whole
concern. The little mission is only
about three years old, AMI was the
thought of young clergyman who
could not find pastoral work enough
to do in his own parish at the village
of Island Pond.
Oar ride from the village to st. Titus
one summer evening led US through IL
country as wild and picturesque as eau
we'll be imagined. All about us and
above us swept the mountain forests of
Northern Vermont. Frequently the
edge of our pathway sloped abruptly
down to deep ravines forming almost
impossible CULTS between us and the
mountains which rose precipitously
from theiSdspths, while far below us
we heard the murmur of rustic brooks
as, checked by the wild and tangled
undergro with and spanned by PROSTATE
trees, they crept slowly on their des-
tined way. Everywhere us far as the
eye could reach, it seemed to be unin-
habitable wilderness. But, now and
then, at some sharp bend of the road
we came upon rude dwelling in the
midst of a roughly cleared patch of
land, or way up on the mountain side
we caught a distant glimpse of a bright
green spot whicn shone out like an
oasis in the midst of the dense forest.
There in their little log homes a few
pioneer Vermont farmers were begin
ming life after the good old Ailmic
manner. "You would hardly have
the courage suppose" said my friend
as we drove along, "to settle down on
a place like this, giving your note in
promise that you would pay for it all,
in time, from the products of your
farm z"
Not unless hal longer lease of life
than is ordinarily givea to the hi mn
race, thought as looked at these un-
promising beginnings OF agriculture.
1t was for just these isolated souls in
the woods ana on the mountain Tint
the mission ofSt.Titus had been estab-
lIshed. For Gol calls to the inh bit
ants of the wilderness as he does to the
dweller in the town, "Give me thine
hearth Yet how natural it is often
for even the Christian when away from
the familiar scenes of his church life,
and out of hearing of his own church
bell, to think that the voice of God is
not quite so importunat9 and impera-
tive in its call How easy it might
seem to be to forget God, just as the
WOO lSman is in dlnger OF doing when
there is nothing in his surroundings to
draw his thoughts up to a higher Be-
ing Here, then, at St. Titus We found,
beside our own little company of wor-
shippers from the village, these few sat-
tered sfor whose benefit the mission
had been planted. Each man had
brought with his prayer-book rustic
lantern, the only means of lighting the
house, and there in the dim illumina-
ton we all joined heartily in the pleas
ant service, the minister sermon being
short and practical one, as is usually
the ease With an Episcopal sermon AIN
glad to say, although | can not say as
much for the preliminary service.
- The families of the woodsmen were
all represented: the women, neatly
dressed and quietly intent on the SER
vice, and best of all, the children with
their eyes full of soft, wondering looks,
and-yes, even the baby to be chris
tened and baptized sin the name of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost"
1t was, indeed, tender scene the
little infant all unconscious of the holy
sign marked upon its brow by the min
lister, that blessed sign with which the
Saviour has marked every human
brow and by which He claims them
for His own, if they will, and that moth
er solemnly promising there in those
lonely woods before the assembled COM
pany. to bring up her child in the ad-
monitioa OF the church, telching him
so soon as he should come of age the
Greed and the Lords Prayer.
st. Titus, supported and sustained by
the church at Island Pond which is it.
self still only prosperous mission sta
ton, is the kind of blessed service
which the Holy Spirit is constantly
puttinginto the hearts of Christian peo-
pie to perform, and that quiet evening
service will long be recalled as one of
the easantreminiscence of summer
in Northern Vermont.-Dover, IN. H.
Morning Star.
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Idle Experiments.
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