Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1897-02-03

this way reaching out as we reach our arms
TO get those who can be reached in no other
way and in so doing we are bringing many1
nearer to Christ, closer and closer to His
influences. Thus we may indeed say that
the Sunday school is the right arm of the
church"
George l.. Leonard of New York being
call I'd upon said in substance, Il should
prefer sitting in silence, letting simply my
presence speak of my interest in this occa
sion, but suppose / must pay the penalty
for my presence by attempting to testify o
the esteem in which we hold our friend,
Mr.. Osgood. Looking backward over
mans HE there are three periods OF which
we think, the period of infancy, of youth,
and of maturity My experience with in
fants especially small ones, has been brief
and probably less limited than if l had
lived in Bellows Falls during the past few
months. Neither do l know much of the
twenty-five years of which we speak to-
night, but | doubt not there were feeble
which have now become twenty five. But
am glad may congratulate myself on
the fact that / knew Mr.. Osgood in the
second period. The period Of youth is
what some one has called the period of
intellectual BIRTH / believe | came to
Bellows Falls and joined this class about
the time this birth came to Mr.. Osgood.
So l can hardly help congratulating those
OF you who are still here to see the work
|, ings of the mind and heart during what has
come to be more the period of maturity.
f Mr. Osgood has not given so that it has
cost him nothing and think that if | were
to name two traits which characterize him,
they would be those of absorption and inn
: partation, and an importation which is quite
t unselfsh His success in this line is due to
| the many hours spent in yonder study; it
, is that which has shaped the life we are
tonight contemplating. | am reminded Of
the man who when he was asked for his
g degree replied that there was one degree
r be had been striving for throughout his life
5 and that was the degree of A. M, an aver
| age man. Our friend here tonight has
1 sought for higher degree than A. M. In
p looking at the life of man and witnessing
r what he has accomplished, we like to see
the main spring which has actuated these
Q results. | never have heard from Mr..
n Osgood's lips any statement of the begin
: nings or the reasons for the beginnings of
, the devotion Of his life to the purposes
, which we are now surveying. One lesson
+ we ought to draw from this and that is the
It thought expressed by Margaret Fuller that
The object Of lite is to grow Mr..
e Osgood, you have exempli6ed in large
II measure the truth which you teach, that it
d is possible not only to grow but to ''grow
Il in wisdom, in stature and in favor with
!. Cod"
Mrs S. w. Wilder, Jr sang ut was
the eve Of Christmas in response to- the
toast Emusic"
E. w. Silsby of St. Johnsbury was called
upon and gave some remembrances OF his
connection with the class which covered a
period OF several years subsequent to 1877
during which years he was also a member
of the choir. He said that some of his
friends used to think he could sing but he
would prove to them that he could not
Mr., Silsby then rendered bass solo in a
pleasing manner.
Mrs Edward Arms responded to the
toast ''The stomach as factor of church
growth" reading an original poem which
caused much merriment.
Dr. Kirkland called upon Mr.. Osgood to
respond to the toast Educational advan-
tages of the Sunday school," and following
' Mr.. Osgood's remarks letters were read
from the following absent members of the
class and friends Rev. N. F. Carter
Concord, N. H., Rev George Phillips,
Rutland, Rev. Antonio Alright, New ork
City, Elk Gov. Roswell Farnham, Brad
4 ford, Vt, A. G Spring, Aurora, Ill, G.
II. OSgood, 1armouthport Mass Herbert
f Fay, Keene, Rev. j. H. Rabbit, Brat
tleboro, Rev. B. +. Hamilton, Roxbury
Mass, Rev. G. f. Chaplin, I. B. Miller
and wife, Herbert Mitchell and wife, A
j. Holley and wife. Mrs John Hyde, Mrs
Angie Vaughn, l.. " Swain and wife, Mis-:
Addie Osgood, N. 6, Williams and Angelo
Royce. Many other letters were received
but could not be read because of the late
ness of the hour. We print below one O
the letters received which voices the senti
ment OF all and gives evidence of the higl
esteem in which MIR. Osgood is held.
January 9th, 1897.
To the Committee of Invitation,
Dea. Osgood's 25th Glass Anniversary:
Previous to the receipt of your kind invita-
ton to attend the class reunion given ii
honor of Dea G. w. Osgood's twenty -fftl
anniversary as teacher in the Sunday school
and previous to any intimation OF the date a
which such reunion was to be held, hat
made arrangements to be in Philadelphia OF
that day, and regret that the two dates con
flict for it would give me pleasure to be pres
ent and do him honor on such an occasion.
The privilege of teaching quarter of
century uninterruptedly in the Sunda,
school comes to but few. Such service 81
long continued requires love for the Maste
and His work, and Willingness to use thu
talents bestowed by Him,
God has blessed him with perfect healtl
and in material things, which he has uset
faithfully and with generous hand, for thu
promotion of his work and the interest of hi
class.
He has been blessed with a companion who
for many years, most faithful teache
in the primary department of the Sunday
school, and to-day many of the young mer
and young women of our church can lool
back with gratitude to the early impression
received through her ministrations, and devo
ton to her class and to the church; one who
has always been a help-mate in all Sunday
s school work and has seconded his efforts il
all directions.
q Perhaps no kind of Christian effort has beer
& more richly blessed than labors of love in the
Sunday school, and the souls teachers have
been able to gather in, have been a joy un
S speakable to them. What, then must be the
4 ] ~ of one who has labored increasingly fol
twenty five consecutive years, one who ha:
SO long sought to impress On the minds o.
his class the counsel given in the Scriptures
These words which l command thee this
day shall be in thine heart and thou
!. shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine
house and when thou walkest by the way,
and when thou lest down and when thou
risest up"