Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-03-02
4 NOT1RLE ONCISLON
FOrtieth Anniversary OF IlcV. Alfred
stevens. -. D., at Westniinster west.
ThurAday, Feb. R3, Iss3.

1t seemed almost pity that Washington
could not have been born and DR.. Stevens in
stalled when summers beauty was upon the
hills and valleys of this historic town; but
the severity of this season was tempered by
sunny skies, the drifted roads were made cas-
| lily passublo by the characteristic energy Of
the citizens, and the warm welcome from hnp-
py pastor and people made one quickly forget
the sharp air of carly morning. 1t was man
ifestly gala day for this parish, and goodly
delegations from adjoining towns and many
individuals from more distant places came to
aid in and enjoy what was truly rare occa.
sion.
Some time ago tho church decided to OBJ
serve this anniversary, and appointed as com
mitteo of arrangements Il. Miller, Homer
Goodhuc and Ebenezor Hall Under their
efficient control the various details were care
| fully perfected, and at the appointed hour the
| public exercises began in the church. with an
audience present which numbered $50 ormore.
After Introductory remarks by Mr.. Miller, the
congregation rose and sang heartily the dox-
ology, to the tune Of 'Old Hundred" The
| 13Sth Psalm was then read by Rev. John
Humphrey Of Winchendon, Mass, a college
classmate Of DR.. Stevens. The choir, under
| the leadership of Prof II II Kimhall of Sax
! tons River. then rendered with fine effect the
anthem "Praise yo the Lord Prayer was
| offered by Rev. H. NJ Wells of Caremont.
! n. H.. a classmate of DR.. Stevens both at
Dartmouth and Andover The congregation
was then led by the choir in singing "Rise, O
my soul, pursue the path by ancient worthless
trod.' The next thing in order was the ad
dress by DR.. Stevens No summary Of this
discourse can give any Just iden Of it, even
the full text if printed on this page, would
! fail TO show the man who stood behind it or the
feelings Of those who listened to it. The very
face of the speaker was benedcton his
| presence blessing. Seeming like the ancient
law giver of Israel, BE- stood before his peo-
| pie, his spiritual vision undimmed, hi. natu-
raj force uuabalod. There was no need to go
back to ancient days to recall an Illustration
of the power Of the pastorate, As that congre
| cation turned their eyes toward him Whose
pulpit was indeed IA throne. few gleauings
a few descriptive hints, may be here attempt
ed Of the address which h.l,d to oy.rhowing
the hearts aud eyes of many listeners, Dr.
! Stevens suggested as the basis OF bis remarks
| the passage which had served as his first text
eve preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus
the Lord and ourselves, your ,eryants, for
Jesus's sake He pictured viyidly the sceuo
which met his view on first entering their
meeting house in April lsi2-the pulpit
moderately high, the uncarpeted stairs, the
uucushioned sent; the full choir of rich voic-
es, accompanied by bass yiol and flute the
various occupants Of the pews, named in thu
order in which they sat. From this point the
| discourse naturally passed to the changes
which have since taken place. Not farm in
the parish is now owned and occupied by the
same family as then. Very few houses then
had ever received a single coat Of paint two
only had blinds There was no piano in the
parish, and only one melodeon. There was
| no railroad in NermOnt-in fact, none nearer
than Concord, Mass. the telegraph was not
in existence, the telephone had not been i'm
| agined Yet amid all the subsequent changes
one thing the speaker said has not changed
the gospel message Il loved it then, love
it now, for it is the power of God unto sal
yation. l have preached on questions of the
parish, or the state, or The nation only as the
studied to preach Christ to you and have not
| kept back anything of doctrine or command
that find revealed in the Bible" Fourteen
| hundred discourses fully written have been
| delivered by DR.. Stevens, mostly in the church
and as many more either extemporaneously or
from briefs mostly in the vestry or school
house meetings. Different books of the Bible
| have been treated in order; different charac-
ters, like Paul, Job and John, followed through
their histories. In every house but three,
| funerals have occurred in some houses, as
many as seven such services. The pastor, in
these forty years, has attended 307 funerals
in the parish and 70 out of it; and has sol
emnized 81 marriages
Next followed an enumeration of some Of
the topics which had received pulpit atteu-
tion; civil and business virtues and duties,
good feeling between neighbors, temperance,
bearing one anolher's burdens in taxes, econ
omy, dignity of labor, the sin of avarice. Nor
had all the attention been directed to the
home parish missions had received large
share. Various benevolent organizations had
received annual contributions, and although
no annual contribution had gone beyond $500,
the total for the forty years is undoubtedly
above SO, 600; this not including aid in cloth
ing and such gifts, sent out by the ladies' or
CARNATIONS. "And yet" said the Doctor Il
doubt not there has been more money spent
in this parish for tobacco than this entire sum
increased by my salary !" Regretfu!ly was
the subject of conversions and additions to
the church touched; the greatness of the pms
| TORS dasiras Cbouad itcalf in bio sorrou- that
only % had joined the church during this
time. There has been a net loss of 81 dur
ing the period yet the population has de-
creased in similar proportion and at present
there are only $50 in the parish aud mem
bership of ~.
DR.. Stevens then passed to speak of his
personal and financial relations to the parish,
gratefully and tenderly acknowledging the
ample care and provision which had come,
and expressing the firm conviction that he was
to. day better off pecuniarily than ministers
who had frequently changed their churches in
view of larger compensation. He alluded 10
the custom of ministerial vacations having
grown up since his settlement, and stated that
his health had been so good that in the forty
years lie had lost but three SabbatAs through
illness. Since "A he has conducted class in
Sunday school, aud has witnessed great
changes in this department Of church work.
Eighty three times the church has been in
vited to ecclesiastical councils, West Brattle-
boro has had but three pastors and Grafton
but twoi but other neighboring churches have
changed frequently, and the Doctor recalls
log different ministers with whom he has thus
become acquainted. In the ministerial asso-
citation the Doctors pen has furnished between
40 and so articles.
In closing, Father Stevens spoke of the
growing conviction never stronger than now
of the importance of this parish as Il field
of labor He mentioned the fact that during
these years there had gone out from this OBJ
scure, remote parish nine physicians, foul
clergymen Zone a foreign missionary, foul
lawyers, two college professors, one author
and number who stand high in teaching
music and civil engineering, not to mention
the many business men who are achieving
| honorable SUCCESS all over our land "Eyer,