The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-10-29
REV. EDWARD A. SMITH.

Yesterdays Hartford Courant has an
appreciative sketch by Rev. Dr. Walk
er of the life of Rev. Edward Alfred
Smith, member of Yale corporation.
The concluding portion of the article is
as follows:
The Rev. Edward Alfred Smith was
born in East Woodstock, Conn, July
%, 1885. He was son of Isaac e. Smith
of New York and Emily Walker of
East woodstock On both sides of his
family he came of sound Puritan line
age running back to the earliest pc
riod of New England history. He was
brought up in New York, where his
father was a large and successful lum-
Der merchant. He graduated from
Yale college in 1856, in a class number
ing among his associates justices
Brewer and Brown of the United States
supreme court, Chauncey Depew, VOL
colt Calkins, once pastor of the First
church in Hartford, Professor Paine of
Bangor Theological seminary and 9TH
err men of public repute.
Entering Yale Theological seminary
lOI Ollt y tttI, ne cOIllJlSltu Ills lutOtOS-
ical course at Denver graduating in
the class of 1859. The two or three
following years were spent in study at
Gottingen and Halle universities in
Germany.
Returning home during the war pc
Rod and the draft disturbances in New
York, he enlisted as q volunteer in put
ting down the riots in that city in 1868;
he also in 1854 entered the service of
the United States sanitary commission
at City Point, Va; a service in which
he incurred nearly fatal attack of
malarial fever. Recovering from this
prostration, he began, early in 1865, 10
preach at the Second church in Ches-
ter, Mass; a place which was destined
to be his home for the next nine years
He received ordination by council
called at West Springfield, November
10, 1865; and on March 8 Of the same
year he married Mrs. Melissa (Knox)
Heath of Chester Here in this quiet
parish among the Berkshire Hills he
remained in happy and useful pastor
ate, till his transfer in the spring of
1874 to Pennington in this state when
1C was ullSIdilCu MAY . VI l1idL y GetIs i he
Pennington passionate continued till
| impaired health advised it's termination
in the autumn of 1887, soon after which
time Mr.. Smith removed his residence
to Hartford, where he had since lived.
He was elected a member of Yale cor
| poration in June, 1889, and had served
since 1883 on the board of directors of
the Home Missionary society of Con-
necticut, and the trustees of the Fund
for Ministers. He united with the First
church in Hartford in April, 1892, bring
| ing with him into the same church
| fellowship his wife and his eldest son,
Herbert Knox; and to which his only
other child Ernest W., was subsequent
| ly Joined.
This is the bald outline of the main
visible facts of Mr.. Smiths history.
But such an outline conveys but little
| impression Of his sweetness, the grace
and the benevolence with which such
| facts were illuminated and beautified
! to all who were brought into intimate
| contact with the life to which they be-
| longed Extremely modest and almost
diffident, Mr. Smith had resources,
scholarship and ability which a chance
acquaintance would hardly surmise,
but which were to those who knew him
WELL clearly recognized and rejoiced in.
A man of most tender sensibilities, his
pastorates were marked by the best
qualities Of ministerial service; and the
hearts of the people to whom he minis
tered are full of loving memories of
his gentle faithfulness. AS a preacher
he was clear, instructive tender and
persuasive. He was remarkably up
lifting and helpful in prayer. His own
faith and hope had power to singular
| degree to uplift the hope and faith of
others.
F'ree-handed and generous, he was in
quiet and often hidden ways a contribu-
tor to public and private benevolences
constantly, and often in large amounts.
The stewardship of property for the
welfare of Others which had been illus
| trated by his father before him, was
| continued Thy the son.
A most interesting trait of Mr.
| Smiths character was his unenvying
rejoicing in the success of others, and
| his generous and charitable construc-
1
He always put the best and kindest
Interpretation possible on any action
| of others. The weak found in him one
| making allowance for inf1rmity, and
| even when the wrong could not be de-
| MED his lips hesitated to condemn.
His family life was complete in its
| faithfulness and happiness. It was
one of the more conspicuous later ex-
periences of their family satisfaction
| that his son, Herbert Knox, at his grad
| uation at Yale Law school last June
scored so remarkable a success, taking
| the two chief prizes in the department
| Sitting by the fathers side at the mo-
ment the writer could see his eye kim
| die and his lip culver, but to the hearty
| congratulations extended him, bis
! characteristic modesty suppressed al
| most any audible response,