The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-01-16
A pRAYER mEErINa AND A DANCE.

Sutton Corner. in Vermont. During the
winter a weekly prayer and conference
meeting was held in the school house,
and most of the time the house was toll
erable well filled. Sometimes preached
to the congregation there collected.
Toward the last of the school term, as
boarded from family to family (board-
ed "round" as that manner of boarding
was called), had to go quite distance
from the school house to board for some
days, and the weekly meeting came on
night while my boarding place was
farthest from the school house, and it
was very cold and stormy night; As
the weather was so rough and wild.
said to the lady of the house, 81 think
shau't go To meeting tonight; it storms
so badly there will not be anybody there
Tonight" She replied, "Yes, there viii
be somebody there" And l asked
who ?' ~ would like to know who
would go on such a wild, cold night as
this p She said deacon Richardson
will be there, for he never misses meet
ing for storm, however wild it may
be-" asked, "Are you sure he will be
there ?" and she replied, HE will GER
tainly be there" said, IF you are
sure he will be there, then am going"
She said again, HE will certainly be
there
So wrapped myself up and waded
through the deep sDow. Before getting
to the school house / saw light there.
behold, Dea. Richardson was there. we
two made the whole meeting. told
him that did not propose 10 come till l
was told he would certainly be on hand,
and then thought II he, a man OF his
age, could brave the storm, ought to
be ashamed of myself to stay away.
After reading Scrip ure, prayers, and
singing, he told me the history OF that
prayer meeting.
He said that prayer meeting had been
held for over twenty-five years; that he
had been absent from it only seven
times in the whole period. And he told
me when and why he was absent each
ime. He said that in the twenty-five
wears and more there had been five re-
vivals OF religion, aud a minister of the
Gospel had been raised up in each re
vival. That Elders Woodman, Nelson,
he two Ed re- HaCketts, and Wilbur
Fisk, the great Methodist preacher, had
been the fruits, with many others, of
those five reviv Ia. Judge Fisk, the
father Of Wilbur Fisk. lived in the nexi
school distrirt east of there, in the edge
of Lyndon, Vt. | asked him, "Have
you Away had as full and good meet
iugs as we have had this winter = and
he replied, "Nnt always, but sometimes
great deal better. Those revivals were
SEASONS in which the power and glory OF
e ID were wonderfully displayed. Sin
,ers could not stand up under such
manifestations of Gods presence and
glory. Then there have been seasons
like this winter, W hen we have had good
precious meetings, sweet and good, but
nothing special. Then there have been
dull times when onlp a few came out
and they were backward about doing
their duty. Then sometimes in the sum
mer there would be only few children
who would stop after school, and
would read the Testament, sing. and
pray and then talk to the children about
Jesus, and then sing and pray, and ap-
uoint a meeting for next week, and dis
miss the meeting. And there have bet n
| 4 great many since this meeting was es
rabished that have been here all alone.
have read the Testament, sung, and
prayed, and appointed a meeting for
next week, and came and attended 1t all
alone. but Jesus was always with me,
and the meeting was always a precious
one" He then said, 81 mean, by the
help of the Lord, to keep up this meet
ing as long as l have strength TO gel
here"
| The name Of Jesus was always pre-
cious to him. He used always in bis ex
hortations such expressions as the love
of Jesus" the "blood of Jesus" "thi'
same Jesus the disciples saw go up intC
heaven shall so come, in like manner a'
they saw him taken up to glory. to Judge
and reward all men, ard to take his true
disciples to the place he has gone to pre-
pare for them" There was peculiar
and indescribahle articulation. emphasis
a I'd infection, which he gave to thu
name Jesus, that must have impressed
every attentive hearer that the name o
Jesus was inexpressbly dear to him
lChristian society and religious meetipg
u ere the occasions OF his greatest de
light. | never attended a Quarterly
Meeting in that regon without seelnt
him there. d. not RENT mber OF nj
ever taking alv 'ry active part In the busl
ness of the meeting, hut in the season
of social worship can never forget tn
pathos with which he prayed, as thougl
he would take the kingdom OF heavel
.'by force" And when he exhorted
here was 40 much Of the love of Jesu
TO a perishing world in all he said tina
it touched every Christian heart with al
inspiration to greater faIthfulness, an,
must make every sinner present feel b
ought TO repent now.
He nearly always walked to all tn
meetings he attended. He often cam
TO Glover, VT, to be at the MONTH
meetipgs of our little church, and whe
knew he was coming | remember tina
| it used to seem TO me that the forenoo
was somehow insufferably long. 1t wa
feast of fat things TO hear him pra
and talk. He, as often as once IN thre
mouths, used to walk the distance G
, ten miles from his home to Glover to Al
tend our monthly meetings. have OF
: Ten thought if the weak churches had
reasonable number of friends as deepl
P anxious for their welfare as Deaco
Richardson was, there would not lon
: he many weak ones over which to weeI
He generally gave an exhortation afle
I the sermon and urged some importar
subject treated upon the attention OF th
y people with such tenderness, and 80 IN
: pressvely. that II always seemed to m
when heard him that IT. sermon we
the b tier for the DeacOns application
? A gentle nan who had represented Il
2 town of Wheelock seventeen years !
the Leg stature, once said to me
know len times as much as Dea. Ricl
ardson does about al matters in genera
but when get up to speak in meeting
can't say what want to say; while Il
Deacon talks right eft freely, and alway
has something new to cay; and don
= seem 10 make any effort to 10 1t either
[ replied: "The Deacon makes me thin
of what read in paper a while sine
a comparison made by DIR. Lyma
Reecber. He sail. IF barrel is ful
tan il most any here, and you will g
A stream The Deacon is full of rtlig
ous thoughts, and so full that he ruI
over every time he is moved. / ont
heard a man tell this story OF hin
y There was often some troubles 20 be Al
iusted and IN all these difficulties wbel
there were different opinions, subs
d uuent events proved the Deacon wi
right, and those Of an opposite idea WI
wrong. After while one who WI
somewhat chagrined from being sever
T. times found wrong in his conviction
=, went to the Deacon and asked hlI
:. =: What is your rule on which you foun,
t. ed YOUR opinion in the difficulties @
which you and have been Committees
VI The Deacon replied, j haven't an
rule But said this questioner, 'yC
must have a rule, or you could not a
/ ways come 10 a right conclusion