The Newtown bee., 1889-09-13
wooDBuRY.

SHliam COIHfen. naVlng been invited to attend the quarto-millennial of tho Stratford church, sent this letter: I re- eeived the kind invitation of your com mittee of arrangements to attend the ancient church in Stratford and to cele- brate with you ''the days of old, the years of ancient times'' with feelings of great qualification. I had hoped to be able to attend and it is with deep regret that l am, at last. compelled to forego that pleasure by circumstances beyond my control. Though never a resident of your ancient town, nor descendant of those who were, yet historically, and in other ways, may claim kinship with those in the old territory and can scarce ly be called a stranger. For more than 40 years, have, from time to time, visit ed your beautiful dwelling place by the sea, have studied the history and char acter of the early fathers and have writ ten, with loving care, the annals of Woodbury, the eminent daughter of a re- nowned mother aud the earliest child to go forth into the wilderness, bearing the ark of God with devoted care. At this time, the mother church by the sea was scarcely more than 30 years old, the Con- necticut colony itself not yet 40 and just 9 years had elapsed since the first Pil- grim foot had trodden the Rock of Plym- .outh. But the shore lands had become we'll occupied and, in the early Spring of 1873, this daughter. at the tender age of three years, resolved on removal. Sev- enteen of her vigorous Stratford sons, with grand faith in God and sublim- ity of courage never surpassed, signed the fundamental articles of settlement, perfect constitution in themselves, fash toned after the Hooker constitution of in the civilized world. They removed their families to the remote and interior solitudes of Pomperaug, built their first rude log cabins, erected their altars for the worship of God and joyfuIly called | their fertile lands by the poetical name of Woodbury, ''a dwelling place in the wood.n King Philips war in 1875 sent these hardy and daring eolonists back again for protection to their former places of abode in the old home by the sea. But, the war being soon over, they returned to their newly chosen homes on the fertile plains beside the beautiful riv- CT and amid the verdant declivities of the hill country. They and their descend ants have had a goodly heritage up here. an inheritance beautiful for situation and, for nearly a quarter of a millennium, they have been on the most filial terms with the aged mother by the sea. while | their children have cultivated intimate fraternal relations with their kindred in the old homestead. The old New Eng land towns are celebrating their centur- ies of religious liberty and law. And your celebration will stand in the fore most rank of them all. Never went forth so noble and splendid an emigration from any land since the dawn of creation, as that which peopled New England, not even the children of Israel, the chosen people of God. chosen from the best ele- ments then existing upon the face of the earth. Fearless of consequences, they dared all perils and, trusting in the ruler of the universe, they dispersed them selves throughout the virgin lands. The
 most glorious results have followed the
 labors and suffering of the fathers. and
 we, their children, have entered into the
 rewards of their sacrifices. You do we'll to celebrate the greatness. the yirtlfe suG
 the religion of your ancestors with rev
 erence add filial joy And it is not too much to believe, on this glad day. that
 the spirits of the just made perfect, their
 spirits, look down with approval from
 the battlements of Heaven on your filial
 devotions. Yours very truly,-[ William
 Cothren. Woodbury, August 26.