St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-05-24
INTERVIEW OF AGED VERr1ONT-
Interesting "Reminiscences from Former
VermOnters.

n
contained an interesting story of the ex-
periences of Mrs. Hannah Hardy, a
cousin OF Daniel Webster, and the only
daughter of one of the first settlers of
Barnet, from which we quote the follow
ing:
Mrs. Hannah Hardy, who now lives
on Lawrence ST., Boston, has reached
her sod year, and very few have had
life more full Of interesting incidents than
hers has been.
She was the only daughter of Stephen
Evans, one of the first settlers OF Barnet,
where she>was born in March, 1918.
Her mother was cousin OF Daniel
Webster, and his visits to her house are
among the early recolections of her
childhood She still cherishes with pride
some relics which once belonged to him.
Mrs. Hardy is a great letter writer
and her correspondents are scattered all
the way from Maine to California.
81 commenced to teach school when
was only 16 years old, and my first at
tempt was in Lttleton, N. H., just
across the Connecticut river from Water
ford" explains Mrs. Hardy. II board
ed around, as they then used to say,
among the scholars parents, each farmer
who had children to send having me
stay length Of time proportionate to
the number of children sent to school.
"Among the pupils were the elder Sis
tiers of Admiral Dewey. 1t was the
mother OF George Dewey who induced
me to drink my first cup of tea while l
boarded at their house. | had always
before drank cold water or milk with my
meals; but she insisted that a young
woman who taught school should be
considered old enough to drink tea at
supper, which in those days we had
promptly at S O'Clock, as dinner was al
ways just on the stroke of 49,"
Asked about her early recollections of
Vermont and New Hampshire, she relat-
ed an interesting incident in the early life
of Rev. Daniel Wise, the English Metho-
dist preacher and author, who died in
New York some years ago.
II knew Daniel Wise well, for he came
to Littleton the summer l first taught
school there. The way he happened to
come to that town seemed providential.
Mr.. Briggs, one of the towns first citi
zens, frequently drove over the river to
Waterford to do his trading, and one
day, just as he was crossing the bridge
on his way home, he noticed a young
man sitting on log at the edge of the
bridge who looked very shabbily clothed
and dsconsolate.
such sight was quite uncommon in
those days, when few strangers visited
the town and when beggars and tramps
were seldom if ever seen on the country
roads. Mr.. Briggs spoke to the stranger
and asked why he sat there, and if he
could help him in any way. The man re-
piled that he was a stranger in strange
land, and had nothing to eat, nor could
he find any work to help him along.
"Mr. Briggs took him home. While
on the way, Mr.. Wise related the story
OF his sailing from his home in England;
OF the shipwreck and marvellous escape
from watery grave, and of how all his
baggage and personal belongings were
lost with the ship, and finally, that he
was penniless and alone in this foreign
land.
1.-The next morning Mr. Briggs put
him TO work at haying. He had never
handled rake or pitchiork before, and
he made slow progress. The other men
said, one to another, What kind of a
fool has Briggs got now to work for
him?'
"In those times they used to hold four
days meetings around in different towns
where there were meeting houses. There
was such a meeting to commence in
Peacham, the next Sunday. All the
folks who were interested in religious
services went in their wagons from
Littleton, and Mr.. Briggs Il happened
to be boarding there at the time) took
me along with his family, and also DAME
Wise, who said he should like very much
to go. You see, nobody then knew that
he was an ordained preacher nor that
he had been educated and graduated al
college, for, of course, he looked like
anything but minister, after walking
all the way from Quebec to Vermont
part of the way wading through river:
where there were no bridges, without
going miles out of his way to cross them
"When it came time to start fol
the question about decent clothes fol
, Daniel had to be settled. Mr.. Brigg.
was as large as one and half of thai
young man, and the coat he had OF
) when he got there was nearly thread
bare. His trousers were not much bet
ter, but long coat would hide them {
little, and they would answer, will
some patching, which Mrs. Briggs die
when he was in bed, and rather than t.
stay away from the meeting DAME
, pocketed his pride and wore one of Mr.
! Briggs coats, half a mile too large TO
him.
The meetings proved very interesting
e and after the different elders had preach
ed they gave an invitation for any pre-
sent who desired to bear testimony
:, After one or two had spoken DAME
-. modestly arose, and such an exhortatioi
, nobody in that region had ever heard
he used language that those preacher
e were not sufficiently educated to under
f stand. He was about to sit down, ate
a short talk, but they all called for more
! and the end OF it was they begged him tt
preach every afternoon and evening 70
the entire four days.
when the meetings were over an,
Daniel had put on his working clothe
Y again, he shouldered his rake and start
ed for the bayfield, with the other work
= men. Before he had gotten very ia
e from the house Mr.. Briggs called hin
h back. You are only wasting your time
Daniel. You will never make farmer
e and there is other work waiting for yo
as preacher of the gospel. They wan
= just such man as you for circui