The Newtown bee., 1895-06-07

,ory all along it's way, especially of the j' last revival, which occurred at the time l when Rev Jesse Bailey was pastor of the church and some 20 united with the church. In closing he bespoke more | glorious future even than the records of f the past show. l
 Dea Nelson W. Mitchell, the senior deacon of the church, whose entire life has been closely identified with this church which he dearly loves, was called upon to give some history of the church life as he had seen it. By very pleas ing coincidence the celebrated of the deacon's 7Oth birthday and the roth an niversary of the building of this church were simultaneous events, and number of MT Mitchell's warm friends had gathered at his home the day before to show their love and respect for him. The deacon said that 70 years ago he could hardly be supposed to take as much interest in the church as he did | now. The church looked very different | end, and opposite the pulpit in long circular seat sat the family of Dea Platt, | whom, because he was
 so GOOD A MAN, the Lord blessed with many children. He remembered we'll Uncle Noble Wheeler, as everybody called him, and how he was laughed at by the children; but now he was gone. MT Mitchell said that he was not old yet; for, in order to grow old, a man must commence on the 1 inside and grow old outwards, and he felt young there still. At his birthday gathering his friends had wished him 30 or 70 years more of life; he hardly cared for 70, but as to 30, he fully expected to live as many years as that.
 l Dea Sherman Futile Of the Southbury church was then called upon as the old est man present to speak Of the raising of the South Britain church, as he had l seen it with his own eyes He rpmem- bered t we'll being boy of 12 years of age then. Dea Warren Mitchell came into biz mind, of whom the present Dea Mitchell is descendant. He was a good ma n and labored many years in the cause uf Christ. Such nlen had made the moral ; nd religious i,fluence If the place, and rhat was force which was l NOT WEAKENED BY GIME
 Dea Tuttle spoke of the relations ba- tween the mother church at Sulthhury
 and the dau ghter chui ch there a- always
 being If the pieasanteAt sort, aud he
 said that those who had labnred for a
 church in it's early days would always
 be remembered with telsder emotions by
 those who survived.
 Dea George A. Hoyt, when called upon, pleaded that he was no speaker, , but his remaks were thoroughly enjoyed. He said II have been a member of this , church for 43 years, uniting with it by l letter when I was 9 years of age. Very s few gre still remaining with us who were active in the church then. How s many of the Platts have passed away g was thinking Of 14 who bore this name l who have gone since I came to this place g In our prayer meetings then we hao i. from 15 to 25; and there were always
 present five or six Plarts, two or three p Averills; Samuel Smith and Dr Nathan
 Baldwin were always. My text is this
 Do good as you have opportunity unt( 2 all men, We can do good by coming tt
 the prayer meeting. We can do oul :, pastor good; he will know by seeing oul our faces there that we are interested il h him and his york;
 l. D. Merwin Mitchell, speaking iron the choir gallery, said that he was con graduating himself that he had gotter , up so high as to be out of sight. The r attractions of the church to-day were |, quite different from what they were when he became church member. To : day the church furnishes delightful home where children love to come, anl ' the Sunday school is an important factol in every church. There was tint
 when the
 CHILDREN WERE OF LITTLE CoNsE QUENCE
 in any church. The boys and girls usel
 to be arranged in the gallery opposite
 each other, far from the sight of theil
 parents in the pews below, but not s(
 far away that the minister's eye could
 not see them from his lofty pulpit
 Those were the days of Tommy Ward, the
 tithing-man, whom everybody knew and
 especially the mischievous urchin uht
 for some willful misdemeanor had beer
 brought forcibly to sit by Tommy's side | IT. T
 melodeon, across which the boys and
 girls sometimes passed notes. Lamson
 Boyd was the young man who used to
 play it in those days, and he played it
 well, too. A bass viol and flute aided
 ill furnishing the music, but they hlve
 been discarded long ago. We boys
 thought it grand music, though, that
 these instruments got out of such grand tunes as Old Hundred, Scotland, Dundee and Peterborough; and, when one of the ], saints was laid away to rest, the old
 tune of China was brought into service. MT Mitchell recalled when the question
 of remodelling the church was raised.
 The old church was out grown. When
 the task was undertaken of seeing how
 much money could be gathered, $45OO to $5000 was speedily raised. Former I ly when young man came into the church, it took about all the courage that he had, for he had to face an au- dience of 150 or POO people-the church
 was well filled in those days.
 c. LeRoy Mitchell, on being introduc- ed, said 1T heartily endorse the senti. ment that has been spoken, that we are glad to see many with us to-day. This morning, as I was busy with my usual