Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-03-09

charmed me. AT dinner said to good
old Deacon Sherwn ''who is the leader of
that choirp" and he told me Sidney
Holmes and also that Mr.. Holmes was
Grafton boy, and my opinion OF country
boys in general and Grafton boys in par
T cular, went up peg or two, especially
II that was sample.
And now right here let me say once for
all, since Mr.. Holmes has passed away,
that | never had more kind, oblging,
considerable and competent choir leader.
| have had city and country choirs, chorus
and quartet choirs, paid and voluntary
choirs, but | never had one that always
and everywhere suited me like that old
Grafton choir Mrs. Lemira M. Clarke
was organist, Sidney Holmes leader, and
other members were, so far as | now
remember, Mrs. L S. Walker, Mrs. Ben
jamln Deane, Mrs. Lanphear. Miss Sh-r-
win, Miss Deane, Miss Cutter, Messrs.
Alphonso Carpenter, Tony Sherwin, and
some of the time E. L. Dart and perhaps
others. The people OF Grafton and a
score or so of towns and churches all
about there do not realize what Mr..
Holmes did tor them in those old-time sing
irg schools of his. He could not tolerate
slouchy work by his pupils, hence, born
choir leader that he was, he gave an
impetus and an uplift to choir singing
which abides to this day. 1 never found
the like of it anywhere else in country
churches. He did great work for his
generation IN this respect which | did not
fully appreciate while | was there, and
most people thought but little OF it. say
this because it is true and also because l
want TO lay this tribute OF respect and
appreciation on the tomb OF the man who
rendered me and my work an inestmable
service, whose magnitude and worth grows
on me with the passing years.
| Before | went to bed that night Deacon
Deane asked me about remaining in Graf
ton and l told him that was for the people
to settle, and when Stephen Ayers came to
me to know about salary | told him what
DIR. Freeman had said, but they must settle
it. never found any fault or objected
but once and that was in war times when
my salary was only $500 year and flour
/ $3.50, kerosene 81 cents, cotton flannel
IS and so on, and the committee said some
thing about reduction and | objected
True, my father was alive and prosper
GUS farme r,but for all that l objected, the
only time in my life: | put in that frs
week visiting amorg the people and wen
out to G. B. Parks Monday forenoon, att
dinner and lots of maple sugar, helped
sugar off" and remained over night, ant
SO on through the week; ate and slep
where meal time and night overlook me
and felt like long Gagged bird let free
There was none of those artificial, sense
less. irksome, oppressive forms of highl
differentiated fashionable society, but Their
was an abundance of the good old Purita
virtues of honesty, franhness and hospital
ity which | greatly enjoyed.
Before the second Sunday came abou
the committee through Mr.. Ayers told m
DR.. Freeman's figures had been reache
and passed subscription and I would hav
to stay and that seemed to settle it, Mr.
Bailey was told to paint and paper tn
parsonage as l wished and think to b
modest. During the time he was at wor
| tramped the parish, once in while blum
dering into Congregational family whor
found just as good as anybody and
want to say this, after 80 years experlenc
and observation, namely, if | was going t
tramp the parish again as did then,
would call on every family, no matter t
what church they belonged, or whethe
they belonged to any church or not.
Well, | got into the parsonage in goo'
time and did not get out for four years ant
a half, and my memory is crowded witt
"reminiscences of those years, which
sometimes feel like writing but my wife
like the famous Josiah Allen, says sh
won't waste any of her money in hirir,
people to read them If l do write them
P. S. Let me tell you, nay old Cratic
friends, since / came here ard gave u
preaching. L have been elected Judge" {
the city police court, now in my ninth yea
of service! Think of that, will you.
LEWIS B. HUBBARD.
Highland Park, ILL.,, March, 1898.