Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1890-01-16

ter words could be written over the doors of the
temple which has risen, phoenix like from the
ashes of the old2 God forbid that any one of
these great factors of the past should lie covered
and lost in the ashes of the old temple which once
enshrined theml Our fathers religion though
marked by some asperities the religion of
the Bible. 1t was their solace in sorrow, their
strength in weakness, their courage in peril their
joy in life, and their hope in death. Itsurround-
ed with a halo of glory every dark experience,
and made the rugged way o4 life shining path
to heaven In the name of the cody men who
have ministered in holy things to the Westmin
ster of the past who have moistencd with bap
usmal dew the generations that have walked
these streets and worshipped on this holy ground
who have stood with comforting words at the
graves of our fathers and our fathers fathers in
the name of Goodae and Sage. and the long line
| of good men who have come after them, charge
you to hold fast the faith which they proclaimed
ana when our ancestors practiced in simple
rugged righteousness 80
Our fathers were not all of them learned men,
but they believed in learning, and got much of
| 1t as their circumstances would allow. The dis
| trict school was to most of them academy and
college, but their quick wit there took form and
gathered material which served them better than
college schooling has served some of their de-
scendants. lfthe disposition to learn is large it
will do great things with small opportunities
| The opportunities for acquiring education are
large for this generation. See to it, my yOunr
friends, that the disposition to improve them is
CORRESPONDENCE large. The times are swift and
you must know good deal to keep up with
them.
Our fathers have the reputation of voting as
they prayed. The right of suffrage was with
| them matter of conscience. Once in a while
| you might find a man who would sell his vote for
glass of grog but not often. There have been
some mastery debates in the old Town House,
and a good deal of independent voting. The citi,
zens of Westminster have always shown them
selves competent to manage their own affairs
and they have sent good many men to Mont
pelier who have done splendid service in manag
ing the state. What has been, shall be- The
past shall not outshine the present. The new
town house shall not be overshadowed by the old
You have listened to me long and patiently. l
thank you for it. A few words more and I am
done.
l have introduced into this address much of the
personal element. l could not help it, for all
that am l owe to Westminster and to the dear
ones who sleep the sleep of the just in Wonder
burying ground. There lie my parents and nv
parents parents. There lie many of the old time
friends whose lives were woven into my child
hood. 1t Is not only with a feeling of sincere
gratitude, but of, honest pride that come back
from the rush and whirl of the great city from
the scenes of busy and eventful life, to this my
childood's home to lay upon this new shrine of
yours the tribute of my thought. count it as
the greatest honor of my life to he able to do this
service for my native town. Ionly regret that it
has not been better done. The past has been
, with me tonight. The years most clear, most
full of scenes that can name are the years when
/ a careless boy played 81 spy with some of you
, around the old meeting house, or climbed the
tower to rea,i the names upon the belfry shingles.
Those were happy days lightened by the sunshine
of a mothers smile, and inspired by hope that
took hold of manhood's future. What got from
the bracing air, the pure friendships, the quiet
scenes of this New England village 1 have now.
The impressions made then, the lessons learned,
the mothers counsels, the preachers words are
i part and parcel of the life which l am to-day
| humbly striving to make blessing to my fellow
men. All the years that lie between then and
now are not to be compared to the years that
made up my boy-life within the circle of these
noble hills.
: All this l say as personal testimony to the
value of early impressions, and 1 say it to
1 emphasize the influence which such town
e as Westminster has upon the great rushing
current of life and thought beyond her quiet
: precincts Her children grow to maturity,
. and many of them seek their fortunes in
4 other states, but they go with her stamp upon
e them. They will be Westminster boys and
t girls in Boston, or Chicago, or San Francisco.
In fact these teeming cities owe the bones
e and snews of their character to just such
e country towns as this You make the cities.
r Your boys and girls must save the cities if
they are saved at all.
f have spoken tonight of the past, and Of
/ some of the grand characters who lived in
early times. In the excitement of our busy
lives the past is soon forgotten, and the wires
are cut that might bring to us the electric
/ stimulus of those characters which are below
V the horizon of to-day. 1t is a noble company
/ which has passed over that vanishing line.
e And the half has not been told. The great
n unnamed multitude lies over there in the
e shadows. Farmers. mechanics, tradesmeE,
Il VINO served wen InclT udy anu generation,
S fathers and mothers who were content to
d walk in sequestered ways and to work for
s the world through the children whom they
:. reared. Yes, it is a noble company. Men
l. and women true and faithful Who have done
k their work well, adorned their age, and eft
e to their posterity that good name which is
s. rather to be chosen than great riches. There
e were giants in those days in both parishes,
- but, my fellow toWnSmen, let us not commit
5. the error of thinking that the race is extinct.
:: ''The fathers sleep, but men remain
q AS wise, as true. as brave as they:
|, Why count the loss and not the gain?
, The best is that we have to-day
: The past of Westminster lies in the ashes
II upon which this building stands, and in the
hallowed dust of our cemeteries. The future
- of Westminster is in the lives and characters
- of those to whom | speak tonight. 1t is in
u the homes which lie among these hills and
along these plains; the homes which now as
a in the days of fathers, the sacred con-
y servatories of the family character: In your
- children which romp at the fireside and
"a gather around the family board. These chill
ID dren are not numerous in the individual
r. household now as they We're in the olden
IL times, but that suppose is because there are
lie more households to share them. They are a
y goodly company, however, and we need fear
~ no disastrous uprising of the beam if we
m drop them into the scale of the future over
= against our ancestors. God bless the BOYS
m this new building as their fathers honored
n the old
"a So much interest seems to attach tG
u the valuable historical matter embodied
II in this report of the dedication that the
I'd Times Company proposes if sufficient en-.
III enlargement is received to publish the
ne account in full in pamphlet form on book
~ paper, with the excellent illustrations
10 given herewith, which were obtained
Sc with much trouble and expense. These
to pamphlets will be valuable and everyone
70 interested in Westminster should have
ne one. In order to secure one without fai
hit and that we may know how large an edi
ne ton to issue, orders should be sent il
h Immediately. The price will be ten cents
m a copy, cash with order. By mail two
" cents extra.
;, Epoch.
" The transition from long, lingering anG
I'd painful sickness to robust health marks al
e. epoch in the life of the individual. Such