The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-01-19
The Mrs. Dillon Memorial.


Dillon in the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation parlors, January H. Mrs. Denny |
read memorial pr pared by Rev. A. N.
Lewis, rector OF Christ church, OF which |
Mrs. Dillon was member. The memorial I,
is printed below.
Rev. j. Edward Wright spoke OF Mrs.
Dillon's interest and labor In the Industrial
School and Benevolent Association. For
six years she had been the treasurer. Her
house was the home for its supplies. She
was ever ready to attend to the constant
calls In Its behalf and II was no small task
on every Saturday afternoon to open her
house for the school, which she did for
seven years. Mr.. Wright read resolutions
Of appreciation adopted at the last annual
messing OF the school which were printed
in the WATcHMAs at that time.
The following preamble and resolutions
were adopted: Our dear sister, Mrs. Anne
Dillon, has received the summons. Well
done good and faithful servant, enter thou
into the joy OF thy Lord;' and we know 1t
Is we'll with her, that she is free from pain
and safe In Paradise with her Saviour. Yet
our hearts ache with the thought that her
smiling face and her wise and cheerful
words will be seen and heard no more in
our counsels. We can no more respond to
next time Particularly and grievously
will she be missed as our leader in the de-
partment we call evangelis tic, but God will
guide the falling OF her mantle upon the
shoulders OF some other devoted member
Resolved, That we will try to emulate
her by more diligently, cheeriully and low
ingly doing our part in the work OF better
ing and uplifting humanity which was so
dear to her heart royal; that each Of US, as
q memorial to her, will ask person, in her
name, to become member OF our Union,
and this list Of names shall be called The
Anne Dillon M ,mbership;' that copy OF
these resolutions be placed upon our records
and c'py sent to our state paper; also
copies given to local papers, If desired"
MEMORIAL BY REV. A. N. LEWIS.
Anne wilkinson Dillon was born in Bir-
mingham, England in 1924, living in Boston
until they removed to Montpelier twenty
years ago. She died December 20, 1897
aged seventy three years, eleven moni his
and twenty.nine days. This is q blief
Of many lives He was born, he lived
he die d." is all that can be said OF the aver
age man, unless we go into the sad details
OF mistakes, failures and trans ressions
But the life OF good Mrs. Dillon, as she was
often called, was more than that. Eating,
drinking, sic, ping and dressing were not
the sum OF her existence. II these six
churches in Montpelier were composed OF
men and women like Mrs Dillon, the mil
lenium would not need to come. 1t would
be here! Her life was not public one.
Far from the msddening crowds ignoble strife,
fer SOBER Wishes never leArut q TO stray;
Along the cool. sequestered vale of life,
She kept the noiseess tenor of her way"
Her life was not public one, and yet 1t
was not selfish one. think many women
think they are meek and humble because
they are keepers at home "-because they
live and move and have their being in the
bosom OF their family. L believe in a
woman's being what the apostle calls a
keeper at home" believe woman's first
duty is to those OF her own household. l
know there are many woman who have all
they can possibly do to take care OF their
husbands and children. Such women, IL
they do what they are doing az unto the
Lord, are serving him just as faithfully, and
just as acCeptably, as II they are teaching in
the Sunday school, and engaged in church
and parish work For most women,
The trivial round, the common task.
VIII furnish all they ought to ask;
Room to deny themselves, road
To bring them daily near God"
But there are women, women with small
families, or no family las was the case with
Mrs. DilloD). women with means to spare,
and servant, to do their work, women with
a faculty for getting through their work be-
times, women with talent and a heart to
work for the church, and for humanity,
whose lives are not bound up In eating,
drinking, sleeping and dressing; women
who live not for themselves alone, but for
others, who think more Of ministering than
of being ministered unto, whose motto
might we'll be that of the Princess of Wales
"Ich Diem, L serve. Such a woman was
Mrs. Dillon She lived for many years
alone. She didn't want anyb body around"
she said. She wanted TO keep hr house,
and do her work her own way. She utterly
refused, when urged by her friends, to have
servant or companion, and only took
one when her increasing infrmiies and fire.
quent illnesses made it absolutely neces-
sary.
She liyad aa T baya oa;d olona hat not
like TOO many who live alone, within her.
SELF" She was active in church and charit-
able work. She was a mt mber and regular
attendant upon the meetings Of this society.
Nor was this all. Sue was, il 1 mistake
not, one OF the organ zeIs of the Industrial
School, which has been doing work hard
ly less important than the churches, and
she did what not many, II any would have
done; she opened her house every Saturday
for its sessions; she, woman unused TO
children, aud with almost an "old maid"
love OF oi,er aud neatness; two things
which could hardly exist while the Indus
trial School was in session. And this she
did for yeats, until, her failing health made
1t necessary to remove the school to other
quarters.
1t goes without saying that Mrs. Dillon
was loyal and devoted TO her church. She
believed in 1t. 1t was her chief Joy. Un-
like most modern church members, she was
always in her pew, Sundays and week days,
unless at home by sickness or iDhrmity.
Even after she became 80 deaf that she
could hear neither the service nor The ser
mon, unlike other deaf persons she still
went to church. and she still took part in
the service. By watching the minister's
lips she could tell when to respond to the
pray ers and 10 the p'altr r. There was no
more devOut or attentive worshiper in |
church than Mrs. Dillon. But her devo-
ton did not spend itself in worship. She |
was the most liberal River, in proportion to |
her means, that our Christ Church parish |
has ever had. And there was an excellence |
in her liberality that Is not found in all |
liberal givers. She did not have 10 be asked |
for her contributions. l do not remember |
ever soliciting anything from her. Often
when came in, or just before 1 was going, |
she would go for purse, and hand me some-
thing for this or that object. She was
"ready to give, and glad to Distribute
II you ask me what was her inner relig-
ious life, have nothing to say. She never
said word TO me about herself, or her re
ligious experience" I doubt II she had any
religious experience" so called. She
never talked OF her religion. She only lived
1t. II the daily life of person is any indi-
Gator Of what he is, then Mrs. Dillon was a
CHI istian indeed. II charity, and simple
faith. and devout spirit, and generosity in
wing ap1 hmm lii and q Iowa ~ tho plana |