Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-06-27

maze, SlIudu0u on the SrOuHu III" w
cupied by the barn of Walter Jackson,
and there held their exhibition of rec
itations of Scripture, hymns, catechism
and addresses by clergymen. One
little girl, Esther Huntington about
two years old, stood on one hand of
Col. Washburn while he held her up
with the other hand and sang, without
an accompanies, these words:
''There is path that leads to God,
All others go astray,
Narrow but pleasant is the road
And Christians love the way.
1t leads straight through this world of
sin,
And dangers must be past,
But those who boldly walk therein
Will come to heaven at last.
How will youthful pilgrim dare
That narrow path to tread;
Do not need a Shepherds care
To be securely led"
That little girl became later Mrs.
Blake, she joined the church in 1881
and is now nearly ninety years old.
She was present at the anniversary
and went on the platform and sang
| the verses again. It is thought that
this Sunday. school exhibition was the
| first one ever held in the state. 1t
was the beginning of all of our Sum
day- school conventions.
Out of that first Sunday school work
came a revival that resulted in fifty
seven being added to this church in
| 1917, nearly all on profession of faith,
the largest addition in any one year
in the history of the church. These
interesting facts about the beginning
of the Sunday school work were Civ
en- in a paper prepared by Rev. P. B.
Fisk of st. Johnsbury Center.
We were very glad to welcome to
our anniversary Hamilton Steinson
Conant, who is the field secretary of
the Massachusetts State Sunday
school Association. He is the son of
Susannah Steinson, a member of that
original Sunday school. She united
with this church in 1881. A letter
was also read from Rev. George II.
Bailey, pastor of the Congregational
church at Ferrisburg, whose mother
was a daughter of Col. Washburn
and may have been one of that first
catechetical class held from 1903 to
1914. She, in her young womanhood,
went to Lowell, VT, as school teach
er and finding no Sunday-school work
being done in the town, started the
first school.
1t seemed appropriate to close the
exercises of the evening with the
hymn, "Awake my soul, stretch every
nerve, and press with vigor on" The
inspiration of the whole day led logi'
cally to such an expression of purpose
The exercises of the day were en-
riched and made more enjoyable by
the music rendered by trio ano
quartette, and solo, "My Ain Coun
trie," sung by Rev. E. M. Fuller in the
evening
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
The Congregational Church o.
Greensboro, VT, was organized Nov
oath, 1904, with the assistance of Rev
Leonard Worcester of Peacham, Rev
Samuel Collins of Craftsbury and Rev
Amos futile (Baptist) of Hardwick
Ephraim Strong was chosen clerk
Seth Eddy, deacon, and Ashbel Shep
, ard, moderator. March 4th, 1905
l they organized for public worship b,
appointing Dea. Seth Eddy, Ashbe
Shepard, Ephraim Strong, Georg
Risley, Ephraim Sanborn and Asahe
5 Washburn to pray in public religion
U meetings, and Ephraim Strong, as tn
Il Clerk of the Church, was appointe
to read the Psalms and the sermon
u These brethren served when no min
% lister was present. This arrangement
u for public worship continued, wit
% change of persons, when the cburc
u was without pastor, until the pastor
le ste of Rev. Kiah BayIey in 1925.
% The following meetings wei
ID agreed upon, besides the Sabbat
n services, March 4tb, 1876.
10 A prayer meeting the first Frida
le of each month.
RS Nov. 18th, 1906. 1. A Quarter
&c Concert Prayer Meeting the fir
DO Tuesday of January and then the fir
a Tuesday of every quarterly month
40 the year.
I'd 2. A quarterly meeting for exam
u, nation of members respecting the
u progress in religious experience al
ne their discharge of duties, the secol
as Friday of the month succeeding t
n onth OF the Concert Prayer.