Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-12-02
MISCELLANY.
A woman's Work of Love.
Curious Decoration of a New Hamp-
shire Church.

was this where Mary wilkins Got
her Idea for her story, "a Church
MOuset"
Among the hills of New Hampshire,
near the old town of chinatown, place
famous for its theological seminary"in
stage coach times, stands building which
has been named by visitors the "WOrsted
church." In passing, one would not give
a second thought to the little, yellow, box
like edlfce standing on the bare hilltop
where two struggling country roads cross.
And yet it is doubtful IL anything similar
exists on the face of this broad earth, or If
there has been expended upon the interior
Of any building more loving thought
and diligent, patient work. Bit by bit,
with infinite care and toll, the bare, UNI
slightly walls have been transformed, and
one pair of hands has done It all-the
hands of a woman, poor, plain, and old.
Every day the Westinghouse opens Its
doors to curious visitors, and on summer
Sundays it is filed with goodly company
who seek entertainment in their surround
ings as well as spiritual uplifting. As one
enters the door and faces the pulpit one
sees on the wall as background to the
desk a large panel which looks like rich
mosaic work. A closer inspection proves
that the dark blue surface is made up of
crimped shreds of tissue paper, thousands
of which are so closely crowded together
that the effect is of a solid mass OF blue
moss. On this is inlaid a variety of fami
lar Bible texts.
The letters are about nine inches in
length, made from pasteboard and decorat-
ed in different ways. Tiny flowers have
been cut from wall paper and glued on the
letters so that one text formed of blue for
get-me-nOts may face another made of lit
tie pink rosebuds. These texts are inlaid
on the messy tissue paper ground in
straight and curved lines with such uni
formity of design that the effect is regular
and most pleasing, and almost deceives one
by its mosaic-like appearance. On either
side of this large central ornament are
black and white panels to suggest memo
rial marble tablets.
Over the desk of the simple pulpit is
spread a paper cover of the same messy
substance, thick and soft, and finished
with the most elaborate tassels, heavy and
handsome, which, hanging like a fringe,
almost touch the covering of the commun-
ion table beneath. The coors of the lat
ter are brown and green, and so rich is the
texture that one is almost convinced that
it is a heavy embroidered table cover.
On each side wall of the building are
three windows, and before them hang cur
tains which look like brocade. Instead,
however, of being sllken hangings they are
made of black gauZe netting, on which are
pasted as a border flowers of rich color cut
from wall paper. Over this is stretched
another layer of the net, and 1t is hard to
persuade ones self that the curtains are
not rich stuff from Eastern looms.
Between these windows on the walls are
large green mats or panels bordered with
light brown made Of the crimped, shredded
paper as thick and soft as the large panel
behind the pulpit, and serving in the same
way as background for words of Scripture.
The letters in this instance are made of
closely crimped and curled white tissue pa
per, which looks like moss. On either
side of the church door stand vases fully
four feet in height. They are made of
pastebOard covered closely with figures and
flowers cut from wall paper, and are in
tended to suggest Chinese porcelain. In
the vestibule the greeting, "Welcome
Home" meets the visitor. This motto is
formed of large letters made of cotton
sheet wadding stitched to a background
and stretched upon the wall. All around
hang photographs of celebrities framed in
all styles of paper.
But perhaps the browning decoration,
q and one which is thoroughly unique, is an
arch which spans the building, stretching
from sideto side over the front row of pews.
A light framework springs from the floor
and rises well above the heads of the con-
gregation. 1t is closely festooned with
wreaths of flowers principally callas and
daisies. The former are made from sheet
waddng, most cleycrly shaped the yellow
spadiX cone being of solid crochet work.
The daisies are as natural as life, and must
have taken as long time to grow AS their
originals, for their petals are in fine GRO
chet work of knitting cotton. The WON
dering visitor looks from one decoration to
another, surprised that such poor and
cheap material can give so rich an effect
Then comes the thought of the labor in
volved, the time occupied, and the meal
culabe patience required.
The make of 1t all was an elderly wom-
an, poor and sickly, whose weak hands
never rested from her work until they were
crossed forever, more than two years ago.
She was the daughter of the physician of
the countrywide, and married Just before
the troublous war times. She followed
her husband to the scene of action, work.
ing as a nurse in the hospitals. He fell in
battle, and at the close of her labors for
the sick and suffering she returned to the
shabby old farmstead, left her by her faith
er, among the New Hampshire hills, and
facing the hard, lonely life, she bravely
forced scanty living from the soil Soon
after the Chicago fire she asked permission
of the society of the little church at Hill
vile, seven miles from her home, TO read
before it a sermon by Mr.. Beecher upon
the great event.
The church had no regular pastor, and
only occasional preaching, and they not
only gladly responded to her request, but
after this first experience they requested
her to conduct the meetings through the
approaching winter In the spring they
voted to pay her yearly the interest (about
$125) on a sum left by former member OF
the church to provide for 1t regular preach.
ing. Thus she was in one sense the estab.
lished minister of the church, and through
winters cold and summers heat for seven
long years this faithful woman visited heI
charge.
The building was a veritable eyesore
when she began her work, the walls crack
ed and stained from the rusty stovepipes
and blackened by smoke and time. A
queer little pulpit hung like a swallows
nest high up on the wall, and all the furni
ture and appointments of the audience
room were as uninviting as possible. Thi:
condition of a place of worship suggested