Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-09-25

But there are many associations which
bring to mind our absent ones, which
cheer us and show us the bright road we
must travel to meet them again, and to
my wife and myself, this Sunday school
and this room seem closely connected
with the remembrance of our dear child
rem, and when we have seen their asso-
ciates in this school grow to manhood
or womanhood, and go away to take up
their life-work, and young children take
| their places. can but feel deep love for
this room and for these scholars, which
| l hope may be shared by every one in
this society and community, believing
that in Sunday school instruction is the
remedy for most of the great evils which
beset us as a Nation, and believing that
a cheerful and beautiful room will be
more attractive to all, and as token of
my regard for this school and as a me-
mortal of my children who have gone
out from here, for myself
and wife, 1 have placed this
window which 1 now present to
the Second Congregational society,
for its Sunday school, hoping that its
mellowed eastern light may help to
point the way to the realm where shine
| lights more beautiful and unfading.
To the children 1 say, try to love the
| Sunday school and do not forget the
older members who have worked so long.
| They think as much of your love as if
they were younger, and you must re-
member they must soon pass away and
you will then be the older ones.
Thanks to society, school, officers and
and friends for their sympathy and kind
assistance in carrying out the work of
placing the window.
For myself can only say 1 am waiting
| for the Masters call.
1 sit and think, as the sunsets gold
Is flushing the river. the hill and shore.
l soon shall stand by the water cold
And list for the sound of the boatmans oar.
shall watch for the CLEAN of the spreading sail.
shall hear the boat as It gains the strand,
l shall pass from sight with the boatman pale
To the brighter shores of the better land.
l shall see the loved ones gone before,
And joyfully glad will the meeting be,
/ When over the river, the beautiful river,
The Angel of Death shall carry me.
Mr.. Seymour said in substance:
This is not day of mourning. The
surgings of grief are over. Its poig-
nancy is past. We have come as out of
risen. What could not be seen at all in
the darkness is become perfectly clear.
The colors and standings and harmonies
are all before us. 1t almost seems as if
nothing could augment the delight of
the vision.
The light coming to us through this
window gives us the true lesson of the
lilies. Let us not forget that the lily
| symbolizes the conception of the Child.
1t is Mary's flower. God clothed the
| lily. Thus the teaching. He clothes in
dazzling garments all who are His in
| spirit and trnth. The dear ones you
once thought lost are gained. They
wear heavenly robes The light shining
through the flowers illumines the old
and ever blessed truth: We too shall be
clothed with the garments of righteous
ness.
We have been learning where to look
for the Light. The many sources have
become one. What the church has been
sure of from the beginning, the world
is now recognizing. 1t has found the
Messiah. So out among the turbulent
masses, where class is too often arrayed
against class, and there hear spoken the
one absorbing Name. That was a true
| prophecy: His Name shall be called
Wonderful. There is to-day but one
Leader out of the worlds darkness. The
Nations are looking in the right direc-
ton. Seeing the Christ, their night van
ishes. Now He shall gather the king
doms unto Himself. The distance is
rapidly lessening between the true ones
who have gone before and the hosts who
follow after. We and they are one and
can almost clasp hands. The eastern
| light glorifies to us this morning the
vision of perfect unity in Him who is
The Light
We are newly feeling the force of
| light. What a subduing, mellowing,
sweetening influence it has! The ten
der hearts of father and mother as they
recall the gifts of former days, and gath
er up the precious lessons of their be-
reavement amid praises and thanksgiv-
ings, pour forth their benedictions on
this entire assembly, Thus the leaven-
ing influence of truth pervades the COM
munity and goes abroad with no known
limit. Christ rightly estimated the
| power of His few words. 1t was enough
for Him to impress a small group of in
| dividual hearts. He foresaw a world
drawn to Himself His Fathers king
dom was sure to come. Witness then
the power of light. How it radiates
forth this morning! What hallowed
| effulgence encircles these few precious
names! Let us yield ourselves fully to
its influence. If we do so, the light of
this window will be as message borne
to us from the far heights that our
names also are written in heaven.
No other memorial window has been
set up in Bennington since 1888. At
that time, Samuel B. Sanford of Troy,
N. Y, placed a handsome memorial win
dow in the Old First church at Benning-
ton Centre, in memory of his wife,
Sophia NJ. sanford, who died the year
before. The design consists of cen
trepiece, female figure extending cup
of cold water to another person-whose
arms are extended-in the presence of
the Savior. Above these figures is the
inscription: "Inasmuch as we have
done it unto one of the least of these, ye
have done it unto me-" Above the in
scription is dove with green leaves in
its mouth, and at the top of the window,
above all, is jeweled crown. The in
scriptions are in two panes.