Barre evening enterprise. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-1898, 1898-05-12
THE DEACON'S PIETY.
IT WAS EQUAL TO ALL OCCASIONS AND
LASTED OVER EIGHTY YEARS.

to Nurse the Victims of Smallpox Eri-
demic-An Example In This as He Was
In Devotion to the Flag.
Deacon William Trowbridge was a
small farmer living near Sheboygan
Falls. He went there over so years ago.
Besides tilling little patch of ground
the deacon, who was indeed the very
soul of honor and over had the respect
and confidence of all in that commu-
nifty, was i'll the habit before regular
preachers were sent there, Of reading
sermon or eXhorting. There was no
sham about Deacon Trowbridgc's piety.
He was sincerity itself
Fifty years ago the little village was
visited by a smallpox opidemic-an old
fashioned, widespread and spreading
epidemic-and they didn't know how
to scotch it as well as they do now.
The first Sunday after the dreaded
disease made its appearance the deacon's
congregation was quite large At the
end of tho services he made an announce
ment in about these words:
LuCSC GINlGtS w III UO IUSl I'LL
til after the smallpox disappears from
the community. From this on I shall
give my services to the stricken fam
lies l shall minister to their wants,
help to nurse them, and when they die
follow them to the grave. 1t may be
long term Or it may be a short term,
but, however long or however short, it
is my plain duty to help my distressed
neighbors. "
The word was we'll suited to the ac-
ton which followed The good old dea-
con hurried to his home, changed his
clothes, babe his family goodby and at
once began his work of mercy. What a
work it was! The epidemic lasted near
| ly all winter Large numbers died. Few
in the village escaped the disease. The
deacon's example was followed by 9th
ers. Men went to their homes, told their
wives and children what the deacon had
said and was doing, arranged their bust
ness, provided fuel and provisions, kissed
their dear ones and went to the aid of
the unfortunate. Like the deacon they
went without reward Or hope Of reward.
Like him they spent weeks and some of
them months in that service without
daring to go home lest their dear ones
catch the disease.
The strangest of all this strange ex-
perience is the fact that neither the dea-
con, the good souls who initiated his ex-
ample nor their families were overtallen
by the malady, notwithstanding the fact
that the watchers, helpers and nurses
We're almost constantly in the presence
of the suffering patients and notwlth
standing the fact that they laid ont and
helped to bury the dead.
Nearly half of the dcacon's congreGa-
ton had disappeared when, the next
spring, he resumed services in the
schoolhouse. 1t was a surrowful Sun
day. Those in the audience who had not
lost members of their family had lost
neighbors aud dear friends When the
good old Christian had read chapter,
prayed and talked a practical sermon,
he referred feelingly to the scenes
through which the community had
passed. think every man, woman and
child in the room, including the deacon,
wept At the close of the talk he asked
all present to join him on their knees
in asking that the community might
escape such visitations for all time to
come. 1t was most earnest appeal. l
believe that that prayer has been an
swered. There may have been few
cases of smallpox there since then, but
there has never been an epidemic.
The Sunday after Sumter was fired
upon. and while Deacon Trow bridge
was conducting services in the Baptist
church, the denomination to which ne
belonged for over 50 years, he and his
CONGREGATION were disturbed by great
commotion in the street right III front
of the church. There were beating OF
drums and sounds of fife much out OF
tune. 1t was so uncommon a thing that
most of the congregation walked or
ran out of the church. Finally the dea-
con closed the Bible and slowly follow
ed his fleeing flock. When outside, he
asked the cause of "this unseemly dis
turbapce on the Lord S day" Some one
told him that the president had called
for soldiers to uphold tie honor and the
flag of tho nation and that they were
going to raise a company right then
and there.
The old deacon's eyes flashed as he
walked out into the street, where a
young fellow was irregularly pounding
bass drum, and said: Nathan,
know it is Sunday and that all but the
Lords work should be abandoned, but
the saving Of our country and the
shielding of it's flag from dishonor is
the Lords work. Give me that drum. y
And that model of piety strapped Oh
the big drum and went to pounding
greatly outdoing Nathan i'll two re-
spects-he made more noise and kept
nerfect time. He druMmed as no one
before had never drummed i'll the little
village. As if it had gone on lightning
wings. word flew through the commu
rity that Deacon Trowbridge had left his
pulpit to beat drum, and on Sunday
too.
Within half an hour nearly every one
in town and many from the outskirts
had gathered around the old drummer
all cheering him, and on Sunday 100
That night Nathan Cole, who had beer
relieved as drummer by the deacon
went to Sheboygan with enough men tt
make up what became Company y o.
the Fourth Wisconsin. A. Watrous
in Chicago Times-Herald.
A Great Find.
lady of the House Ito servant glr