The Portland daily press., 1895-11-09

MARY ROBERTS SHAW
ter, with no other heat in the room than
that furnished by the little charcoal foot
stove.
Now Mrs. Shaw is woman of nearly
ninety, bowed somewhat, by the weight
of years. but in bodily vigor. in preser-
vation of all the faculties of intellect, and
in sympathy with the interests of the
younger people about her, certainly the
peer of those remarkable nonogenarians,
Neal. Dow and W. W. Thomas, Sr.
Mary Roberts Shaw, widow of Rev.
Eaton Shaw, the Oldest living member of
Chestnut street church was born in this
city October 13, 1906. She was the
daughter of Moses and Susan Roberts,
her father being a ship builder. Her
father and mother were both members
of Chestnut street church before her and
at the time they joined it there were but
nine other members. The subject of this
sketch joined the church in 1928. In her
early days she was teacher for four
years in Woodstock and Greenwood,
Maine. and among her pupils she num-
bered many who have filled places of
honor and trust, one of whom was Gov
ernor Perham of this State.
! She married in 1928, Eaton Shaw who
at that time was a merchant in this city
| but who in 1886 joined the Maine Metho-
dist conference. For sixteen years, cover
ing the period of his itinerancy, she was
faithful co-worker. He was pastor of
this church in 1916 and 1S47. Since her
return to this city i'll 1859 she has been
| a constant attendant at this church,
evincing as much interest in its affairs
and appreciation of the services as any of
| it's younger members. Mrs. Shaw is a
| woman of untiring energy, possessing
remarkable vigor in both mind and body
with faculties unimpaired. She enjoys
her life to the highest degree and is
keenly interested in all affairs. social,
domestic and public.
A representative of the PRESS recent
ly called on Mrs. Shaw at the home of
her on-in-law, Mr.. George II. Richard
son, of Danforth street..
She recalled with animation the Incl
dents of her early life. Her father was
a deyout man, imbued with the strict
ideas of that day. The children were not
allowed of go out Of doors on Sundays
except to church, and after sunset And
each Sunday all his children were gath
cred about him and each was required
to repeat verse from the Scriptures.
Mrs. Shaw remembers very we'll the
troubles that arose in the church over the
use of the bass viol, and the consequent
secession of some of the members
AS young woman Mrs. Shaw had a
taste of frontier life during her teaching
at Woodstock and Greenwood. These
towns. now made accessible by the Grand
Trunk railway. were then in the back
woods The dwellings were log cabins.
and the teacher boarded around. But
this was not the hardship it might seem.
for the families were as a rule delightful
company, very excellent people living in
humble circumstances.
Beginning with 1886, Mrs. Shaw fol-
lowed for sixteen years the life of the wife
of an itinerant pastor. There were no
steam cars then, and stages were infre-
ouent. When Rev. Mr.. Shaw and family
moved from Kent's Hill to GEORGETOWN.
they had to go from Readfeld to Hal
lowell by carriage, thence to Bath by
steamer, and from Bath to Georgetown
bv schooner Alter landing at George
town the journey to the parsonage was
completed by walking three miles.
Mrs. Shaw does not allow her years to
interfere at all with the enjoyment Of hel
privileges. 1t is rarely that she does not
90 to church once on Sunday, and often
she goes twice, or even three times. In
her youth such thing as a sooiable OF
enterta inment in connection with the
church was unheard of, and would have
caused much trouble. But Mrs. Shaw
makes up for this now by participating
with keen delight in the broader life o.
the church of today.
An incident of Mrs Shaw's keen in
+erest in her friends and their affairs was
shown on the occasion of recent wed
ding at State street church. She knew
well the young people, and not only at
tended the ceremony in the church, but
went to the reception at the house in tht
levening. She experienced no fatigue
and only pleasure
Mrs. Shaw remembers three wars ant
i she sent to the last conflict three sons.