Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-03-24

laCer Nv new IpSWiCu ACducuiy III NVitu
Ipswich, N. ii. The sports of boyhood
were enjoyed by him, Notwithstanding
his studious habits and the river and
lakelets In and around Jaffrey, furnished
him often in the winter months with the
hoyish pleasure enjoyed by hundreds of
New England lads skating, and during
the summer Monadnock revealed its
beauties and wonders to the young
traveller. From North Ispwich he en-
tered Dartmouth college and after full
five years course graduated and entered
the Theological Institute at East Wind
sor Hill, Conn.,, now Hartford seminary
and graduated after three years
course. During the long vacations in
the autumn of the years 1884 and 55,
he worked as student missionary of the
American Sunday School Union in Ok
ford County, G. W., organizing and aid
ing about 100 different Sunday schools,
nearly all of them in new settlements.
In 1856, August ID, he was ordained as
a missionary evangelist by the council
of the Congregational church in the very
house of worship where he was baptized
when five years Of age in 1885 and
where he made a public profession of re-
ligion at the age of IS, in 1913. The
American Sunday School Union desired
his services permanently and he cheer
fully took up the burden of work, pass
ing two years in Wisconsin and on the
frontiers of Texas and Kansas, in 1856
So, one year in Boston, and the state of
Maine in 1S5S-59. At that time he en-
gagged in general home missionary work
in the west, serving in Illinois and Kan
sas from 1859 to 1860. In 1860 he COM
menced his first pastorate with the West
Congregational church in Oxford, N. H.,
October Z, and was with this people five
years, or until October l., 1865, when he
was called to the pastorate Of the Con-
gregatiOnal church in Sanbornton, N.
H., and continued with the people just 81
years or until October l, 1886. His third
pastorate was with the Congregational
church at East Jaffrey, N. H., and ex-
tended over a period of three and one
fourth years. In the spring of 1890 he
was called to Charlestown, N. H., where
he was pastor over the Congregational
church one year and seven months, clos
ing his pastorate in November, 1891 max
ing about 81 years of regular ministerial
labor as pastor, 354 from the time he
was ordained. During these 35 years
and little more he preached twice each
Sunday with Sunday evening service
also, and one or two evening meetings
each week during the first two pastorates
of 26 years, preaching 30 Sundays each
year with vacation of two or three
weeks each, according as the weeks num-
bered for the year; if so, two; if SO, then
there were three. This would aggregate
Sunday preaching services, 2600; Sun
day evening service, 1900; week day
evening service, 1850. The last two
or roc IF fx,ox hn
tom prevailed of having one sermon Sun
days and in addition a Sunday evening
service, and week day evenings, the same,
which added to the first two terms of
pastoral service would make the sum
total as follow: Sunday preaching SER
vices, $3.50; Sunday evening preaching
service, 1850; week day evening SER
vices, 1926, which will give faint idea
Of preparation required for 1925 SER
vices.
In addition to this, the church and So
ciety meetings averaged one each two
months, of the 81 years, amounting to
1856. Public association, conference, and
other religious gatherings in state and
county, in which he was called to partici-
pate, average seven each year for 81
years, which would sum up 2l7. Num-
Der of baptisms in 81 years, 1873; mar
riages, 80; burial rites, 375; few of
the two last named being performed out
side the parish limits. Each of the four
churches under his charge was pledged
to make six benevolent collections each
year for the aid of religious or mission
airy work outside Of itself, and the pas
tor gave with these collections one-tenth
of his salary, making an aggregate of
pastors tithes for the 81 years of at
least $2170. Into the store-house of
Gods great treasury, what abundant
tithes would be poured, if every Chris
tian followed this good mans idea Of the
scriptural teaching and gave one-tenth
of all his income. Lotteries and grab
bags, would be needless. By careful
estimate, it is found that no less than
%, 900 hymns of praise have been given
out by the pastor or his associates during
the 81 years.
The marriage of the pastor occurred
July 8, 1861, and for 30a years out of
the 81 his wife was his faithful assistant
in every good work. Their silver we'd
ding was celebrated in Sanbornton, in
1886, and many were the mementoes of
love bestowed by friends and parishion-
ers who will one day join this faithful,
noble-hearted, generous pastor and his
W1Cs VI UuC
Lamb" For 121s years three beloved
daughters assisted in the service of song
and assisted in parish and Sunday school
work, supplenenting the service of their
parents. In addition to the pastoral work
this clergyman served as experimenting
Sunday school committee, in the first
two fields of labor, about ten years, and
everyone knows there is much care and
labor needed there. The leisure hours
of Is years were employed in writing the
History of Sanbornton, N. H., a valuable
work in two volumes, of 100 pages
He also published genealogical work
OF 355 pages, also memoir Of the life
and writings of parishioner, Miss Mary
A. Piper, of Claremont, N. H., and three
funeral or obituary sermons on parish
toner's, and one pamphlet, discussion p
During these years, he has accumulated
a library of 1000 volumes, including the
text books, of college days, and many
of them have been re-perused. To keep
abreast with the times some balf-dozen
newspapers, including daily, part OF
the time five magazines, containing cur