Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-10-09
Among ,ne Green Hills.
LRcv. Henry J. Van Dyke, Jr., in New Yorl
Observer

The following delightful and charac-
teristic letter to the New York ObSerrcr,
from the pen of Rev. Henry J. Van Dyke, |
Jr., of New York, who spent few days
the pnst summer with Hon. Frederick
Billings of Woodstock, will interest all
our Vermont readers, and especially
those who heard "Mr. Billings's pastor
at The dedication of the Billings Library, |
and in the address before the University
Y. NJ. c. A.
How is it," said to my friend and
host one morning as the mail came in
with its big bundle of newspapers, "how
is it that do not see the venerable coun-
tenance Of the New York Observer among
these weekly visitors You certainly
cannot expect to keep up your reputation
for orthodoxy if you openly neglect that
/ hebdomadal means of grace"
! Well" said he, 81 wouldn't willingly
expose myself to any doubt on that point
and when explain think your suspic-
ions will be allayed. In 1923 the first copy
of the New York ObscrUcr came into my
fathers house addressed o. Billings, Roy
alton, VT. In 1885 the address was chang
ed to Woodstock In 1871 Gel Billings
emiurated to better country, even a
heavenly. But if you'll 20 down this
morning to the old house in the village
where my sister lives you'll see the OBJ
Serrcr lying on the table, and the address
on the wrapper is still O. Billings 1t is a
point of sentiment with me. Foolish,
isn't it ? But like to think of the paper
coming on AS it has come for the last
half century, with my fathers name upon
it."
1t seemed to me very beautiful, and it
set me upon train of far-reaching
thoughts. How deeply the roots of the
present run down into the soil of the
past. How life perpetuates itself spirit
uallv rs well as physically. How the in.
fuences of home, slight and trivial as they
may seem at the time, flow on through
the after years and make themselves felt
in every place Here was this active,
stirring man Of to-day, immersed in the
rush and whirl of great enterprises, push
ing forward IN the van of that material
progress which is developing the resources
of our great country, touching the West.
ern prairies and the Northern forests and
the islands of the sea with his activities.
yet acknowledging himself the child OF
yesterday, and holding fast to this slender
thread of association which ran back to
the old farm house among the green
hills.
SO it is everywhere along those lovely
valleys and on those breezy uplands. You
are continually finding the roots which
go down into a buried life. You are
made to feel the power of those sturdy,
God-fearing, Indiandefying, nature
subduiug pioneers who first pushed up
along the valley of the Connecticut into
this wilderness land. Every farmhouse
3, has its history, and the very elm trees
which shade the village streets are laden
with the fruits of memory. In that Old
white house yonder three generations OF
children; each a multitudnous brood,
r were born and reared and sent out into
the battle of life, even unto the uttermost
parts of the earth Up on the ll-side
where YOU see that fallen roof and those
bowing walls lived farmer Powers, and
there Hiram Powers first saw the light
he who enriched the art of the world with
his beautiful creations. That quiet, self
respecting house among the elms was the
home Of Jacob Collamer, whose statue
? stands beside that of Ethan Allen i'll the
National Capitol, as the chosen represen
tation of Vermont.
And up here where am writing. on
g this green knoll at the foot of Mount Tom,
e overlooking the village and the valley of
the swift-howing Quechee, III the old
= Marsh homestead. Broad solid, unpre-
- teutious-a house of wide halls and spa
; cious chambers and substantial walls set
e in Il landscape where the charms of cultl-
| walton are most harmOniously mingled
. with the native wildness of the hillS-it is
t an American mansion of the best type.
+ A generous house; nothing mean
about it; no secret passages and gloomy
- NulllS anu 'lOllJplNSNPoi ip tl'ti'iNlio vi
hloodthirsty braVOes and langushing
. prisoners; no ghosts, but plenty OF All
! and sunlight abundant memories or non
I est, earnest work, and the tradition OF
y the historic hospitalities of the past to lend
c an added charm to the large Christian
hospitality of the present Here lived
Charles Marsh. the leader of the Yer
mont bar at the beginning Of this cen
tury, the man who did more than any
), other to transform his adopted State
from "the asylum of rogues and refugees
. from Justice into model and proverb OF
" virtues intelligence, prosperity and happi-
:. ness" Here many of the most distin
e guished men in the history of our country
+ have gathered to exchange their Thoughts
: and enjoy the atmosphere of house IN
. which the highest culture was blended
with the mast earnest Christian faith
:. Here George p Marsh, the historian OF
= the English language, perhaps the most
Il learned of all our men OF letters, was born
y And here Il son of Vermont has brought
. back n generous share OF the wealth OF
e the great West, to perpetunte and en-
e large the traditions of the place, 10 adorr
t and benefit the village where his father
e and mother lived, and which he has
:. chosen for his summer home. How much
= there is in Il country place like this, with
its noble forests stretching back over the
hills, its fertile meadows and corn-heds
lying beside the river, its pleasure-ground,
growing greener and more beautiful from
n year to year, its lit tie regiment OF garden
ers and farmers and herds OF sleek cattle
and, above all. its streams of beneticencC
:. and Kindness flowing down into the val
h ley touching parsonage here, meeting
4 house there, and watering many secret
" places with sweet refreshment. And al
y this, mark you, along the old lines and
y from the old roots, guided and controlled
e by the same faith and love which came
., into the quiet country home 50 many
wears ago with the name of Jesus Christ
e 1t seems to me that we can see here what
Il Coleridge said was the secret OF true civi
II lization-the union Of progress and per
u manence.
q Woodstock is a charming type of an in
= land New England village country seat
/ fifteen hundred inhabitants, more or lesi
= (three thousand in the township; lone
y narrow park, overarched by elms, sur
/ rounded by old houses of brick, and wood
and stone handsome new memoria
library, with granite pillars and plate
glass windows; large brick high-school
Al factory at upper end of town, not run