The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-01-27

sho ss indeed the very soul OF hone
aud ever bad the respect snd conhdenc
Of all 10 that community vas IN the hsbl
before regular preachers we're sent ,her
Of reading sermon or eihorfing Thsr
was 10 sham shout Descpn Trosbridgc
plsu tie VAS sincerity itself.
Fifty years sso the III le village Va
visited by snisllpoI epidemic -su oil
fashioned. widespread snd sptesdlnI
spidemlc aud they didn't tnow how I
scotch Il ss we'll ss they do Dos.
The fret Sunday after the dreaded q
sesse made It's appearance the deacon
congregation Was quite large. At he en,
OF the services he made su sunou noemen
10 sbout these words;
These services will be posl p0ned nnti
after the smsllpoI epidemic disappear
from the community. From this on
shall give my services to the stricken fam
lies. shall minister to their wants, helI
| w uuibc tuVu sbu "uuu tutt viz lphuN
them to the grave. 1t may be long term
or II msy be short term, but however
long or however short, it Is my plain duty
to help my distressed neigbboru,
The word was wsll suited to the soiiou
which followed The good old deacon
buried to his homo changed his clothes
bsde bis family goodby aud at once bessn
bis work OF mercy. WhstA work 1t was
Tne epidemic lasted uearly sll winter.
Large numbes died. Fes 10 the village
escaped the disease. The desoons eI
ample was followed by others. Men
went to their homes, told their wives snd
children what the deacon had said and
was doing. arranged their business pro
vdsd fuel aud provisions. kissed their
dear ones and went TO the aid Of the no
fortunate, Like the deacon they went
wiihut reward or hope Of reward. Like
him they spent weeks aud iome Of them
months iu that service without daring 10
go home lest their dear ones catch the di
sease.
The sirspgett OF all this strange eIperi
enoe is the fact that neither the deacon.
the good souls who initiated his example
nor their families wore oveftaken by the
mslsdy, notwitbstsnding the fact that the
watchers, helpers and nurses were almost
constantly in the presence OF the suffering
patients and notwithstanding the fact that
they Icy out aud helped to bury the dead.
Nearly bali OF the descon's congregation
had disappeared when, the next spring,
be resumed services in the scboolhouse.
1t ives sorrovful Sundsy. Those 10 the
audience who bad not lost members OF
their family had lost neighbors and dear
friends. When the good old Christian
had read = chapter, prayed and talked
practical sermon, he referred ieelingly to
The scenes through which The community
had passed, | think every man. woman
snd child IN the room, including the des
son wept, AT the close OF the talk be ask |
ID all present TO JOIN him on their knees
q asking that the community might es
,spe such yisitstions for oil time 10 come |
II was q M oct earnest appeal. believe
hat that prayer has been answered
There may have been few cases of small |
1ox there since then. but there has never
)een 40 epidemic,
The Sunday after Sumter was II red up
~. and while Deacon Trovbrldge WAS con
iuctiug tervices 10 the Baptist church,
he denomination to which be belonged
or over 50 year,, be and bis congregation
we're disturbed by great commotion 10
be street night 10 front OF the church.
There we're beating OF drums and sounds
1 fife much out OF tnne. 1t was 80 un
ON mon = thing that most OF the oonpre
alton walked or ran ont OF the church.
'Iually the deacon closed the Bible and
lowly followed bis fseting aook. Wn,D
utside, he asked the cause OF "this uD
eemly disturbance on the Lords day.
ONE ope told him that the president bad
allied Tor soldiers to uphold the honor
ere p0iog to raise u company right then
nd there.
The old deacons eyes flashed as he
alked out into the street, where . young
,llov WAS irregulsrly pounding 8 base
rum, and said: "Nsthsn. / know 1t is
uudsy and tnst all but the Lord's work ,
lould be sbspdoned, but the saving OF
or country and the shielding OF Ito dag |
om disbonor Ii the Lords work. Give
10 bat drum" Add that model OF piety I
raped 90 the big drum and went 10
oundine, greatly outdoing Ns.hsn in two /
- poets he made more noi.s and kept {
srieot time. He dtummad 81 no one be 5
re bad ever dtummed 10 the little vii
ge As il ii bad gone 90 Lightning
irss sord flew through the community
lat Deacon Ttoxtridge bad LEFT bis pul
i TO beat drum, and on Snuday too. =
Within bali al hour nesrly every one /,
town aud many ifom the outskirts had
.thered sround the old drummer, oil O
leeriop IN, sud 90 Sunday too. That
sht n, han Cole, who h.d been reliey /,
ss drummer by tue descon, wen. TO
ieboygso ~ith enough msu 10 mate up .
bat b, CAM Cont aby G oi the Fourth CT
iscousln.
Not Gsniu., but Hard WSik ''
u
yu,., A.. ,,p, sfeyat In snccsssf .st.d "A