St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-01-15

Especially the children, whose faces
beamed when he appeared, and his beam
ed with answering joy. Following Pliny
H. White he held the office of Sunday
school superintendent for nearly eight
years, and still retains connection with
the school through a fund which he lett
for library books now amounting to
$500. The memorial window near the
organ was erected by the Sunday school
to his memory in 1888, with a medallion
inscribed to Caroline P. Taylor, his wife.
Less than a year after this affection,
on August II, 1866 the church was again
smitten. The strong man bowed HIM
self. the stalwart frame was laid low.
! do not know whether we honored Mr..
Colby most as principal of the Academy,
or as deacon of the church. He seemed
necessary part to both. He stood in
on as pillar, conspicuous, strong, one
to lean upon. His calm bearing, strict
ideals, and assured trust in God helped
US more than we knew till he was gone.
The northeast window erected by his
children, Jennie, James and Edward keeps
always before us the goodly memory OF
lanes K. Colby and Sarah Pierce, his
wife, whose work for the church mingled
with ours for many years Another
taken away during Mr.. Brastow's min
istry, was Deacon Thomas Hall; one OF
those good and faithful servants who,
| faithful in a few things, came presently
to be put in charge OF good many
things. He was first and only secretary
OF the society for p years, also treasurer,
also clerk and treasurer of the church
after Ephrain Jewett's death, also treas
urer OF Caledonia conference. Besides
these who bore serious official duties, Of
whom Scripture saith, "let the elders
that rule well, be counted worthy OF
double donor" there is not time to speak
of many others equally worthy of honor
and love for their tidelties and gracious
lives during those years.
For all our friends. o Cod,
Who strive in Christ to live,
Who followed him, obeyed. adored,
Our grateful hymn receive"
For this thy name we bless,
And humbly pray that we
May follow thee in holiness,
And live and die in thee"
1t came to pass in those days that some
people in Burlington wanted minister
the first church there gave repeated CALI
to Mr.. Brastow, and finally got hin
away from us in September, 1873. Th,
following January he came back for {
day to administer charge to his sue
cessor on the eve of my installation
That was % years ago. A review OF x
of these years was given in my address o
1899, and there is no occasion to speal
further Of them today. Some statisica
matter will come before us on Wednesda,
evening.
l am back in thought now again 70
a moment in the bell tower, alter tn
hanging of the new bell, which in the da
thereof was considered valuable acces
sion to the public furnishments. Espec
ally after the erection by subscription c
the new village clock. If all of us ha
done our work as evenly and promptly
a good record would be writ to GU
score. 1856 strokes per calendar day 70
, nearly halt century has it rung out t
tell every body the time of day or night
, When now and then it has stopped for
spell, what an appalling silence has seen
} ed to be upon the village. Consider tha
) 26OO times this bell has announced tt
: return of the Lords day, and rarely eve
forgotten that there was a midwee
meeting. Through the first years it tol
ed the departure of our dead, their as
and their burial; once, long after tia
usage had ceased, it had to speak OF
grief when the good man, the patriarc
of this church family was borne to tt
Machpelah resting-place. "Well done
is the inscription fttingly placed on Il
window bearing the figure OF st. Pat
erected in memory OF Thaddeus Fai
banks, and his vie, Lucy Barker. II
bell has not changed in fifty years, nj
has the Bible on the desk, nor the rich o
mahogany work under it. Some 9th
things have. We came into this chur'
with the little, old, tat Watts and Sele
hymn books, fine print and no mu:
score. We got Sunday school lesso
out of Barnes or Newcomb's Questit
Books, or Todds' Patriarchs; we sat
evening under the light of dim and smoI
whale oil lamps; we stood up to sir
but turned our backs on the pulpit a
faced the high gallery, where Levi Full
jerked the tuning fork and Francis Biz
ham performed on his big bass viol befc
wehad begun to hear the roll of an orge
or the sweet voice tones of Mrs. Sawy
Mrs. Ellis and Mrs. Jennie Ide Turn
now living in the city of Paris. We b
s. preaching service forenoon and afterno
r, with Sunday school between and
ne evening meeting to round the day
a sufficiently. Sunday Christmas