Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-02

TIAN MESSENGER:
Most heartily do l thank you for the
the copy of your interesting paper of July
9th, which you were so Thoughtful and kind
as to send me. You can hardly imagine
how vividly it brought to my recollection
the surroundings Of 48 years ago, when !
was pastor of the Methodist Episcopal
church in Montpelier village. Nor did it
interest me alone; it also arrested the at
tention and secured the notice of Rev. DR..
Buckley, Of the Christian AdrscIte.
On removing the wrapper in the post
office the first words that met my eye after
the name of the paper were "Methodism
in Montpelier" sat down to read
paragraph or so, and became so interested
that l read on, and on, till tho last word
was reached. 1t then occurred to me that
| owed you grateful acknowledgment,
and that perhaps some of my early friends
and associates in the conferences and in
the churches where spent the firsttwelve
years of my ministry might be still living,
and would like to hear a word from one
through the CHRISTI IN MESSENGER, who
disappeared from among them 90 long
ago. Six years Of the twelve spent in
Vermont were passed at Barre, Williams
town and Montpelier, two in each charge.
| began to think that if belonged to the
itinerant connection I should 60 beyond a
radius of half dozen miles, old Barre,
my first circuit being the centre. or GER
tainly should never reach the outer limits
OF my parish-the tOorld in an ordinary
life ime! When left Btrre for the con
ference in 1897, 1t was with the universe
expectation that I would return for the
second year; but 10! n sudden turn of the
iron wheel took me up, and without say
ing so much as oy your leave, set me down
at Great Falls, New usmpshlre This
was itinerancy with Witness. The dis
tance, right across the eastern part of Yer
mont and the whole width of New Hamp-
shire was. say about $50 miles, with no
railroad accommodations or any direct
public conveyance whatever. My own
team took the family-four in all; but it
was rough, hilly, hard road to travel in
heat of summer. My household stulfs-
for in those days we found either no par.
sonages at all or those unfurnished-went
by heavy freight wagon without springs
over the roughest of roads. to their destina
ton. This was accomplished in two weeks
in this wise: A team started from Grand
Falls, went to Newbury, Vt, and tool
the preachers goods who was to take my
place to Barre, then took mine aboard for
Great Falls. In about two weeks the
goods arrived safe, but not sound by any
means. The constant friction for such q
distance so1galled and bruised the furni
ture that not an article was fit for use til
J taken to a shop and dressed over. My
part Of the moving expenses was $3.50
Such was my experience in leaving my
native state. Bat the appointment when
} reached was one of the very best in the
} conference. How would young America
in the ministry relish such experiencesp
A few years later the conference was di-
vided, and as was then in New Hamp
shire and found work enough to DO hav
remained here TO this day. But hav
never lost my interest in the Vernon
/ conference. would delight to grasp the
, hand of the older brethren 10 that confer
D ence, and to visit and spend Sabbath il
f every place where have formerly preach
: ed the word OF life. 1t will be still better
, to meet in "the sweet by and by",beyon
: the liability of farther separation.
Let me assure all who rem ember an
t care for me, that in all those years hav'
, had but one object in view; comprehen
: sively stated it has been to glorify CO.
q aud enjoy him for ever; more particular,
: expressed it has been TO maintain trul,
a Christian character, to be a faithful ant
q useful minister of the gospel, and thus
n both by procept and example, to lead a
t many as possible in ways of wisdom an'