The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-12-15
AN OPTlMIST OF EIGHTY
Rev. Robert collyer Says the
World Is Growing Better.
THE WORK OF WOMEN PRAISED.

ity Is one of the Great Indications
Of Advanee-He Recalls Early Incl
dents of His Life and Gives Recipe
For Longevity.
Like the famous Countess Of Des-
mond. whose case he gayly quoted, who
elived to be ITO and died from fall
from cherry tree them the Rev. Rob
ert Collyer Of New York, who rounded
out his fourscore years the other day
believes the mere passage Of time does
not make age, says the New York
World
Il have never been sick a day in my
life" said DR.. Collyer "and / have
never even eaten my breakfast in bed.
What is my recipe for longevity? Live
natural life, eat what you want and
walk on the sunny side of the street"
To this the famous preacher has add
ed two instances Of self denial, which
he holds largely responsible for his per
feet physical condition-he did not even
smoke until he was forty and did not
drink at all in youth, though he per
mits himself an occasional glass of
wine now
With evidences of love and remem-
brance on every side, DR.. Collyer, whose
/ retirement from active duty in the
Church Of the Messiah, Of which he
will be pastor emeritus, is coincident
with his eightleth birthday, grew rem
iniscent For twenty-four years he has
filed the pulpit, and for ten he has had
the assistance Of the Rev. Minot J.
Savage.
"My birth" said DIR. Collyer, with o
twinkle in his keen and kindly gray
eyes, (which took place in England on
Dec. s. 1923. has always seemed TO me
a sort Of geographical mistake, for
when 1 reached America Immediately
seemed to fit. l have never seen the
day wanted to go back, except to Wis
/ II. Of course. / have crossed seven
times for that purpose.
"My grandfather, who was sailor
with Nelson, is the earliest ancestor we
have any record Of Mothers father
was also a sailor, named Thomas Nor
man. so / can claim Norman blood, you
see"-again the twinkle. HE was
drowned, and his children. my mother
among them, were placed in an asylum
In Norwich. When | was little lad |
worked for seven years in the factory
OF our village then at the forge.
Before 1 became a Methodist preach
er-oh. YES, was Methodist TO be
gin withr' and he broke into broades'
Yorkshire dialect TO quote the honest
countryman who had helped him on by
making a spare raif' of him-that Is
putting him in here and there where
there was a pulpit to fill,
MIR. Collyer told Of his leaving th'
Methodist church and his call as
Unitarian minister to Philadelphia
then to Chicago and lastly to New
York city in 1879 He told Of the wide
) experience Of his eighty years, ane
then the clergyman said
+ "Do / think people are less interested
] in religiong No; thousand times no
I They are thinking out the meaning o.
religion as they never have before.
] have seen great changes. Yes; it is al
. evolution. People do go to church to
! day. and they 60 because they want TO
not because they are driven, as the
I were formerly
T "Womans activity Is one Of the grea
. indications of advance She Is help
e ing herself and man at the same time
I The church is to be greatly helpe'
$ through her endeayors. Women vii
] preach too, They do now sometimes
but they don't get outside Of them
t selves enough for the most part. Mrs
= Iivermore did, and she was a success
d full preacher. have always believe
/. in woman's rights Lucretia Mott wa
n great friend of mine
II have no patience with the talk tha
the world is growing worse won
= discuss it, 1t is getting better all tn
time. Gods in his heaven; alls rigf
p with the world II it wasn't so
would mean that God had given owe
the world to evil, and it would hardl
have been worth while for him to hay
made Ill No; I'D every department {
life Gods plan IL being worked GU
and men and women are growing be
ter
IS The approach Of Christmas carrie
the distinguished clergyman back
his boyhood, when oatmeal porridl
and skimmilk made the morning an
evening meal, and Saturday night
tub was a fearsome ceremony by re
SON Of the quantities Of yellow sos
that found their way into youthf
eyes. Then the S475 week Of Il
n paternal Collyer was the sole ineon
= Of the family, and the holiday tin
would have proved a slim affair +
= the children but for the yule loaf al
pudding prepared by the mother.
- lie described the singing Of the care
and the turning Of the yule log NJ
Collyer wondered If in the Christm
celebrated in the churches and obser
ed with so much ceremony we had n
lost something of the genuine enjo
ment Of the day spent in the home,
A breakfast coffee cake made in t
shape Of "S07 was one of the blrthd
gifts. One cake came all the way fire.
England. and roses and violets In 81
fusion greeted the fine Old man on
anniversary