St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-07-12

friend, counsellor. we turned to him
not to learn what he would have us do
but that we might learn what was best
to be done. He had the daylight quail
ity of soul in which we saw in it's pro-
per form and color anything upon
which his thought fell. In all the in
terests of this church we did not feel
his will but his love and wisdom and
self-forgetfulness. He did not give us
law but he gave us that truth and
Christian view of things that would
change into law in our hearts, but it
would become our law not his author
ity. His soul had broad hospitality
for our plans for improvement of
church worship and church usefulness.
Without any sense of intrusion he en-
tered into our plans and impaired to
us an enthusiasm and made us feel
both safe and glad in our work. His
wisdom and charity were like a lake
among the hills, whatever pipes or
conduits or channels touched his full
ness, he flowed into them, never ask
ing that they be made after his plan
but that they carry water, and the
power and refreshment of water, a real
water of life to bless the weakness or
thirst of men. He was one to whom
we could always go with the assurance
that he would listen with an assisting
sympathy.
He has taught us all the supreme
worth of listening soul. We often
bruise tender hearts, and shut the doors
through which timid hopes are seeking
for light by the swift utterance of our
thoughts. In conversation we have
the power of self assertion, of clear and
vigorous declaration of wisdom or will,
without the grace that inclines it's ear
that no thought or desire may escape
our knowledge. However weak or del
icate or peculiar the thought you wish
ed to declare, his hand reached for
ward and drew it near, and you lost
your timidity in his listening sympa-
thy. When shall we learn that to be a
good listener is to be possessed of a
divine grace. He blesses life who is
human "paraclete," no less ready to
hear a voice than to utter word. We
need authority, firm, tender, luminous,
but an authority that follows not pre-
cedes the inclination of a listening
heart. If we remember wisely we
shall learn and repeat this mans pow
er, that of listening.
Am l adding to what have said or
simply illustrating, when 1 say, he was
the children's friend. Behind the quiet
and reserve of his face was the child
like heart. He was a child among chill
dren. AS | have seen him with child
in his arms aud witnessed the mutual
confidence, | have said, he has not been
made hard by the weight of his duties
or dull by the exactiOns of business. 1t
was beautifully evident that the heart
of the child was present in the wisdom
of the man and that the wisdom of the
man was in the heart of the child.
Young lives were not to him simply
things of beauty, with whom it was a
rest from WEAKNESS to play and forget,
they were to him as kings commanding
to service. "To the children" he de-
clared, 1--WE must give the best" AS
wise gardeners know that they must
plant in the spring if they would gath
er harvest from autumn, so this wise
gardner said, the church must plant in
the children the truth and the love of
truth, if it would expect good fruit
from the ripening men. 1t was to him
a serious endeavOr that at least two
loves might be secured, the church
must love the children and the children
to his thought not the exclusive offer
ing of maturity, it has, or if not must
be made to have some attraction and
advantage for the young. To him the
one church service of the week to which
all others must contribute, was the
morning worship of the Lords Day.
AS no act is more reasonable than that
of worship, SO no habit can be more
f,,l l,nr hot Of oft
ance upon the service of worship in the
church. Six years ago he offered to
every child who attended the morning
worship for year, valuable book.
The children were to note and record
the text of the sermon and the name of
the preacher. With each year the
number has increased. Seventy one
received from his hand the token of
their faithful attendance upon worship
for the year 1887. Among the many
pictures of events in this church with
which the walls of our memory are
adorned, [ am sure none will remain
longer, or more beautifully remain,
than that of our last children's Christ
mas worship when he stood among the
little men and women who were full of
joy, himself the happiest of them all.
With his own hand he had inscribed
in the books the names of those to
whom he gave them. They felt the
grace of his earnest and beautiful soul.
But in all he was simply and profound
ly impressed with the desire that the
ceremony should be not only a service
of gladness but as we'll service of ad-
vantage. In them he saw the future
men and women of the church. Come,
said he to the pastor, make them feel
that these books are not the rewards of
attending service but the signs and to-
kens of the more blessed rewards from
the worship itself. 1 shall never forget
the longing in his request them
that these books are but outer express
sions of my desire that the children
should form the blessed habit of public
worship, and preserve it till death shall
introduce them to the larger worship
nearer the throne. o children, you
whose presence in the church caused
his heart to smile, remember that day
and the meaning of that day. Take
down from their shelves with reverent
care the books that shall always be a
witness of the deep desire of your
friend, that you should be blessed
through the habit of worship. Do not
look upon them as the reward of wor-
ship but as the sign that you have
learned that worship is it's own reward.
Thus remembering him as a man who
walked with God may you through the
of his desire for you
learn to walk with God yourselves.
1 have spoken, friends in sorrow, of
the life of Gov. Fairbanks as part of
the life of this church. His world was
a large one, his life was one of many
duties and many hOnors, but for today,