Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-06-06
In YE OLDEN TIME.

fathers, and Its influence on Generations.
A most delightful article from the pen
of President Porter appears in the May
number of the New Highlander, it's sub
ject being the New England Meeting
Ell USE" which the author considers to
be the symbol of much that is charac
teristic of New England life, as it has
been the ralIying point for nearly every
thing distinctive IN the New England
communities. Out of the church grew
the town, or rather, the town was
evoloyed or developed along with the
church. The church was the germ and
the meeting house the center OF the self
governed commonwealth. The name
meeting. house is significant. The
ediice was used for religious and civic
transactions, and to the early New Eng
lander both were equally solemn and
sacred. There was no warrant in scrip
ture for calling an edifice a church.
President Porter gives an extremely
interesting account of the way in which
the original structures were built, and
of the gradual variations of the original
type as the years went on. The erection
of the Old South Church In 1880 was
the most important advance IN the evo-
luton of the New England meeting
house, and became the typical method of
all such places of worship for nearly a
century. Among the best of the edifces
of this type which survive are the sane
tuaries in Pennington and Westfeld.
(The latter has just now lost many of
its quaint old features by restora-
tion."O
With the present century and its ad-
vance in wealth and culture, the meet
ing-house began to assume form more
like that of London church architecture,
and of this sort of work. we have admir-
able specimens in Park Street church,
Boston, the Center and North churches
in New Haven, and those III GuiIford,
Springfield, and elsewhere.
The first steeple In Connecticut was
erected In Guilford In 1726.
The interior of the meeting
was bare and unattractive. Pews were
of slow growth. There were no means
of lighting them until singing schools
made 1t necessary to introduce candles
and rude chandeliers. Night meetings
In these sanctuaries were not approved.
There we're no stoves for a long time,
and at first no foot stones. The New
England Westinghouse was not arti-
ficially warmed until from 1910 to 1920.
President Porter remembers such scenes
as, he says, "make us shiver as we think
of them. OF cold winter morning the
breath of the worshipers not unfrequent-
" would seem like smoke from hun
dred furnaces as it came in contact with
a frosty atmosphere. These seventies
were mitigated by the free hospitality of
L. 41A
Enormous kitchen fires were kept blaz-
ing, around which scores of people
gathered TO thaw themselv-s out and eat
their luncheons. At summer moons the
farmers would gather In knots here and
there, and the women would get together
in groups, and they had very coy and
goss1py time of It.
In some families there was a Sabbath
day house erected near the sanctuary,
with ample freplaces for the comfort of
worshipers.
TIE meeting house usually was the
central building In the village, as being
the most important. It stood within or
fronting the "green." Roads radiated
from it. 1t was not until a later date
that the sanctuary wss placed upon the
high hill, where 1t could be seen afar,
and so that several of these meeting
houses were within range of vision,
guarding, like sentinels, the hill coun-
try. President Porter gives faithful
and charming description of the spiri-
tual churches that had their homes in
these PLAIN meeting houses. They at
first had no written creed, though their
views of truth lacked neither definite
ness nor positiveness. Their pastors
were settled for life, and when meeting
house was built, and pastor was settled,
g a golden candlestick was set up In
that place.
The meeting house must needs be
Sc seated places assigned to each mem
Der of the community. In New Haven s
first meeting house the sexes we're separ-
ated, and the seating was according to
rank and dignity. The doctrine of
equality In place, station, and honor in
church and state was no part of the
Puritan creed. In the first generations
attendance on worship was enforced
There was then compulsory public wor-
ship as now we have compulsory educa-
ton of children. Until the year 1918,
in Connecticut, and till some years later
IN Massachusetts, every citizen was
compelled to support some religious
organic alton by tax on his estate.
Thus was formed the excellent habit of
regular attendance at the sanctuary on
the Lords day. A graphic picture is
given of the gathering of a country con-
gregation from a widespread township
on a pleasant Sunday morning. What
variety of vehicles, of horses, of dress.
of pace, OF demeanOrl Then the noon
ings, with various gossip, with secret
/" swappings," With care of squealing
horses, with stealthy glances and firta-
lions of young folks, and no end of
news exchange.
Passing by the description of thanks
giving and fast days, the writer touches
the decorum and dignity which in theory
was exactt d in the meeting house, but
which was not always maintained. There
were occasional outbreaks OF lusty