Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-03-17
REV. LEWIS CIRCUIT DEAD
VETERAN MISSIONARY EXPIRED
AT WEST BRATTLEBoRo.
Story Of His career-For IA Years
a Missionary Among the Zulus in
Africa-A Man of Numerous Lit.
erary Achievements.

| an American board missionary IN
Africa and since 1883 a resident of
| West Brattleboro, died at his home in
that village early Sunday morning
| from the effects of paralytic shock
which he sustained several weeks
| ago He had been in failing health
for the past year and the end was
not unexpected.
Funeral services were held Tues
day afternoon in the West Brattle-
boro Congregational church, follow
ing a prayer at the house. The SER
vices consisted of singing by the
church choir, scripture reading by
Rev. n. A. Wood, prayer by Rev.
II. II. Miles and a brief eulogy by
Rev. l.. NJ. Keneston The bearers
were Frank r. Mann, Hervey Harris
julius l.. Stockwell and Wells stowe
Burial took place in the family lot
in the West Brattleboro cemetery.
Rev Lewis Grout came from a
family which traces back through
Capt. John Grout, who came to this
country about 1884, son of Sir Rich
ard Groutte of Walton, England, who
was knighted in 1881 Capt John
settled In Watertown and Dudley,
Mass, whence his grandson, John,
| eventually came to Westminster
where he had a son also named John
who in 1910 made his home on a farm
in the southwestern part of Newfane
Here his eldest son, Lewis, was born
January 2S, 1915. For the privilege
| of giving him his christening name
( Grandfather Grout gave young Lewis
! $50, and with this sum as basis the
young man began to save money for
use in getting a college education,
He entered Yale university In 1888,
taking numerous prizes and receiving
h fph inf nj
course in that institution, Mr. Grout
pursued his theological studies in Yale
for two years and then took a year
in AndoVer where he graduated in |
1876 He then took a few months |
of rest and on October of the same |
year appeared before an ecclesiastical |
council at Springfield. Vt, and was |
ordained as a missionary of the Amer
lean board to Africa.
At the close of the ordaining SER
mon Mr. Grout was united in marriage |
to Miss Lydia Bates of Springfield.
The young couple went Immediately to
Boston, taking passage the following
day for Cape of Good Hope which they
reached after a sailing voyage of two
months There they waited six weeks
and then sailed the remaining l.
900 miles of their journey to Natal.
At this point they changed from sail
ing vessel to a Dutch tented wagon. I
drawn by six yoke of oxen and started
for the mission station 20 miles inland.
Ordinarily the trip took two days but
the heavy rains and swollen streams
made twice that time necessary and
the journey was one of much hardship.
Having given few months to the
study of the Zulu language and an
exploration of the field Mr.. Grout de-
cided to establish station on the
source of the Unsunduzi river 80 miles
north of Durham. The chieftain of the
Ama2abe tribe gave the missionary
and his wife a hearty welcome, and a
school of between 90 and 80 boys and
girls was soon established. From this
was organized a church which grew
steadily during the years of Mr., !
CIRCUITS labor I'm that field I
For IA years Mr. Grout worked I'M !
,easingly in behalf of the natives. He +
a grammar of the Zulu Ian (
guage, translated the Bible into that !
tongue, was prominent in providing a +
standard alphabet and uniform or .
biography of Zulu, and took an active Y
part in behalf Of the natives in their +
md bad faith of the Dutch and Eng :
ish colonists. In 1862 Mr. and Mrs. :
irout and their daughter Annie (born u
n 1S4D returned to America, arriving e
n Boston June I. r
Mr.. Grout preached for a year in g
saxtons River two years in Feeding. g
Hills Mass, and then entered the .
ervice of the American missionary Il
association as representative of that !,
ociety in Vermont and New Hamp- o.
hire, occasionally going south in the :"
interests of the colored people. He
ontinued this work until 1884 when i,
e withdrew and gave a year to the !,
of funds for Atlanta uni z,
ersity. For three years he was pas =,
or of a church in Sudbury, retiring al
0 his West Brattleboro home in 1883. =,
nce then he had lived in comparative to
etirement preaching occasionally in -,
ifferent pulpits but devoting most of NJ
is time to literary work Mr.. and n,
Trs. Grout celebrated their golden st
'edding anniversary October s, 1896. oi
fter the death of his wife in April ~
S97, the veteran missionary was ten en-
erly cared for by his daughter until -,
er death in March, 1901. Mr.. Grout oa
survived by two brothers. John. q,
no lives in Boston, and Sylvester, w
hose home is in Kansas. nj
In spite of his unceasing toll in be- a., ~
llf of the gospel Mr. Grout found nn ,l
me for much literary work. In the tb
tier COS he completed a valuable %
ork of 351 pages under the title Zu-
land, With Maps and Illustrations
ON Original Drawings and Photo
apis. He contributed to Funk &
'agnalrs encyclopedia of missions a In
ries of articles and sketches relating
mission work in Africa, and from
81 to 1898 he spent in revising his
eatest work, the Zulu grammar ue
hich was afterward published ny
rough the University press at New toN
lven, Conn. In 1892 he was ap- es'
inted a member of the advisory 70
uncil of the Worlds Congress. aux 10
ary to the Columbian exposition. on PEI
rican ethnology. the
Mr.. CIRCUITS life was one of un- gre
erving devotion to the cause of mrs
and the great work that 10
accomplished in spreading the tla'
spell among the Zulu tribes will no,
md as a lasting monument to his ono
aracter. His years of experience wa
long the African natives and his tW'
with the Zulu language una
de him an authority on those SUBJ INC
is and his writings are considered pei
remely accurate and intelligent. Mr.. the
out watched the progress of the at
er war with more than usual in Bel
est and was outspoken in his belief Fro
It the Beers had the right Of the Ban
-ument. Personally Mr.. Grout was Car
nan of great strength of character Met
Turing the hardships of his early Thc
and the sorrows that came in his {
ar years with fortitude that came ent.